VNU President Le Quan is a member of the high-ranking Vietnamese delegation during General Secretary To Lam’s working trip to the Russian Federation from May 8 to 11, 2025. On this occasion, Director Le Quan and the VNU delegation will visit and work with leading educational institutions of the Russian Federation to enhance cooperation in training and research as well as contribute to strengthening the comprehensive strategic partnership between Vietnam and the Russian Federation, especially in the significant context when the two countries are celebrating the 75th anniversary of establishing diplomatic relations.
Expanding cooperation opportunities between VNU and Russian partners in strategic and high-tech fields
Cooperation between VNU and partners from the Russian Federation has achieved outstanding results in recent times in the fields of education, scientific research, culture, and academic exchange. Cooperation in advanced technology research, such as artificial intelligence, is also being promoted through the plan to establish an Artificial Intelligence Centre between VNU and Far Eastern Federal University (FEFU), aiming at practical applications including natural disaster forecasting, smart agriculture, and environmental protection. These activities not only enhance the quality of training and research at VNU but also contribute to strengthening the comprehensive strategic partnership between Vietnam and the Russian Federation.
Pic 1. On June 20, 2024, under the witness of the President of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, To Lam, and the President of Russia, Vladimir Putin, Director of VNU, Le Quan, and Director of Far Eastern Federal University, Mr. Borris N. Korobets, signed a cooperation agreement between the two universities—pic 2. On June 20, 2024, under the witness of the President of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, To Lam and the President of Russia, Vladimir Putin, Director of VNU, Le Quan and Vice Director of the National Research University – Higher School of Economics, Ms. Victoria Panova, signed a cooperation agreement between the two universities.
During this working trip to the Russian Federation, Director Le Quan and the VNU delegation will meet, work and discuss cooperation potentials with leading Russian educational institutions. On May 10, 2025, at the Kremlin, under the witness of General Secretary To Lam and Russian President Vladimir Putin, VNU will exchange a cooperation agreement with the Moscow State Institute of International Relations (MGIMO).
The cooperation agreement between VNU and other prestigious educational institutions of Russia including: Russian Academy of National Economy and Public Administration under the President of the Russian Federation (RANEPA), National Research University – Higher School of Economics (HSE) and Moscow State University of Geodesy and Cartography (MIIGAiK) will be presented by the university leaders at the following meetings and working sessions.
Next, VNU leaders will meet and collaborate with Moscow Power Engineering University to discuss cooperation in the fields of energy, electricity, and nuclear power. This will include the development of a Russian language training centre specialising in engineering, energy, and nuclear power, as well as the creation of short-term and long-term training programs offering degrees and certificates.
During the scheduled working session with the Moscow State Institute of International Relations (MGIMO) on May 12, the two sides will discuss ways to promote cooperation activities within the framework of the signed cooperation agreement. Leaders from the two universities will attend the opening ceremony of the MGIMO–VNU Online Education Week.
On the same day, the VNU delegation will also work with the National Research University – Higher School of Economics (HSE) to discuss priority areas and implementation plans for the joint scientific research institute between the two sides. At the same time, VNU and HSE will also discuss the possibility of co-organising short-term training programs, summer courses, and joint research projects, as well as implementing exchange programs for lecturers, students, and staff.
During the visit to M.V. Lomonosov Moscow State University (MSU) scheduled for May 13, VNU leaders aim to further promote bilateral cooperation between the two universities in the fields of education, science, technology, and medical research. At the same time, the two sides will also discuss the proposal to establish a strategic alliance between leading universities in Vietnam and the Russian Federation, including VNU Hanoi, VNU Ho Chi Minh City, Lomonosov Moscow State University, and Saint Petersburg State University. This alliance was established to enhance coordination in training, research and mutual support between key universities of the two countries, while expanding the potential for sustainable multilateral cooperation in the fields of higher education and innovation.
In the coming time, VNU will continue to expand and diversify forms of cooperation with the Russian Federation, focusing on strategic and high-tech fields. Completing and implementing joint research programs with leading Russian universities is an important priority. Fields such as artificial intelligence, renewable energy, aviation engineering, biotechnology and environmental resource management need to be promoted to create applied scientific products that bring significant economic and social value
pic 2. On April 6, 2023, under the witness of Deputy Prime Minister of Vietnam Tran Hong Ha and Deputy Prime Minister of Russia Dmitry Chernysheno, Director of VNU Le Quan, Director of Far Eastern Federal University (FEFU), Mr. Boris N. Korobets and Director of Efficiency Management and International Business Coordination of Sberbank, Mr. Oleg S. Kapitonov signed a tripartite cooperation agreement on research cooperation in the field of artificial intelligence (AI) development.
VNU will also continue to coordinate cultural and academic exchange activities to promote understanding and connection between the two sides. At the same time, VNU will strengthen coordination with the Russian Embassy in Vietnam and partners in the Russian Federation to implement more short-term training programs in Russia, while expanding scholarship opportunities for Vietnamese students through Russian language Olympic competitions. This will not only improve the quality of human resources but also attract more Vietnamese students to study at Russian universities.
The establishment and operation of an Artificial Intelligence Centre jointly developed by experts from Vietnam and Russia should be prioritised. This centre can become a highlight in technological cooperation between the two countries, contributing to the solution of practical challenges such as natural disaster monitoring, AI applications in smart agriculture, and sustainable development. Thereby, VNU not only affirms its pioneering role in educational and scientific cooperation with Russia but also makes practical contributions to enhancing Vietnam’s position on the global science and technology map.
Actively participate in training high-quality human resources and conducting research.
Over the past 75 years, the contributions of education and science of the former Soviet Union and today’s Russia to Vietnam have been of great significance and profound fundamental value. From the 1950s to the present, the Soviet Union and Russia have trained hundreds of thousands of lecturers and scientific researchers for Vietnam. Among them, hundreds of lecturers and senior teachers of VNU have received basic and specialized training, making significant contributions to science and higher education in Vietnam such as: Prof. Acad. Nguyen Van Hieu, Prof. Acad. Nguyen Van Dao – the first director of VNU, Prof. Acad. Dao Trong Thi, Prof. Nguyen Tai Can – the first person to bring Vietnamese language to the Soviet Union as a scientific major and many other experts and scientists who have been and are making Soviet science famous right in Vietnam.
Pic 3. On April 7, 2023, Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation D.N. Chernyshenko visited VNU and interacted with leaders, lecturers, and students studying Russian at VNU.
In the context of rapid globalisation and internationalisation, VNU is increasingly affirming its role as a pioneering academic centre and a strategic bridge promoting extensive international cooperation, especially with traditional partners, including the Russian Federation.
With a long history of educational and research cooperation between Vietnam and the Russian Federation, VNU not only inherits but also proactively develops sustainable, modern and multi-dimensional cooperation models. Based on the good friendship between the two countries, VNU has established cooperative relations with many leading universities and research institutes in Russia such as M.V. Lomonosov Moscow State University, Saint Petersburg State University, Friendship University of Russia (RUDN), Russian University of Hydrometeorology, Moscow Power Engineering University, Far Eastern Federal University, etc. in the fields of training high-quality human resources, cooperation in scientific and technological research, and exchange of staff, lecturers and students. In particular, during the official state visit of Russian President Vladimir Putin to Vietnam in 2024, under the witness of the Russian President and the President of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, General Secretary To Lam, VNU exchanged cooperation agreements with Far Eastern Federal University and the National Research University – Higher School of Economics.
VNU and leading universities of the Russian Federation have a tradition of cooperation in the field of Vietnamese language and culture research, as well as research and training in the Russian language and culture in Vietnam. The parties have actively participated in and organised international conferences on Vietnamese studies, Russian linguistics research in Vietnam, and other related topics. VNU has provided and supported textbooks, teaching materials, and Vietnamese research for the Ho Chi Minh Institute, the Faculty of Oriental Studies at Saint Petersburg State University, and Far Eastern Federal University, among others. Every year, VNU also receives dozens of cadres and students from the Russian Federation to conduct research internships at the University of Foreign Languages and the University of Social Sciences and Humanities.
The International School, VNU (VNU-IS) was selected by the Russian World Foundation to invest in building and managing the first “Russian World” Reading Room in Vietnam. The “Russian World” Reading Room is used to organise various activities to introduce and promote the Russian language and culture, and support Russian language study programs abroad. This is a resource centre that provides access to multimedia libraries containing a large volume of learning materials and popular scientific information from Russia. It facilitates the learning and research of the Russian language and culture, as well as the organisation of artistic activities and academic exchanges.
At the same time, the International School and Moscow Power Engineering Institute (MPEI) are implementing a joint training program for Bachelor of Information Technology and Computer Engineering (taught in English) following the full-time study model in Vietnam, with degrees awarded by VNU. The Automation and Informatics Engineering program is the first Engineering program at the International School, built on the program of the Department of Control Systems and Information Technology in Industry of the Moscow Aviation Institute (MAI).
Currently, VNU also focuses on developing cooperation with Russian partners in several key technology sectors, including new materials technology, aviation and space technology, new energy, and nuclear power. Typical examples are the cooperation between the University of Engineering and Technology (VNU-UET), VNU and MAI in developing the Aviation Engineering Training Program; cooperation in “Research on technology for manufacturing unmanned propeller aircraft to serve the agriculture, forestry, fishery and aquaculture sectors”.
Pic 5. On October 15, 2024, Director Le Quan and Sergey Dmitrievich Erokhin signed a cooperation agreement between VNU and the Moscow Technical University of Communications and Informatics, Russian Federation (MTUCI).
Universities and research institutes in the Russian Federation have traditionally been reliable partners in scientific and technological cooperation. In recent times, some typical cooperation programs/projects between VNU and Russia include: Research cooperation project with the Russian University of Hydrometeorology on “Building a methodological and technological basis for water resources management of large river basins in the Eurasian continents in the conditions of lack/absence of hydrometeorological observation data (with implications for Russia and Vietnam)”; Project “Adaptation and implementation of modern molecular biology technologies in agriculture and wastewater treatment of ASEAN countries and Russia” between Russia, Thailand, Vietnam and Indonesia, implemented since 2020; Project: Design and development of an interactive communication network between ASEAN and Russia to exchange technology for sustainable agricultural development; Protocol Project with the Russian Federation “Building a methodological and technological basis for water resources management of river basins in conditions of lack/no hydrometeorological observation data applied to the Mekong River basin”, etc.
Along with cooperation programs in training and research, units at VNU have coordinated with Russian partners to implement various activities for students from both sides. The University of Languages and International Studies, VNU (VNU-ULIS) cooperated with the Russian Center for Science and Culture in Hanoi to send students to participate in the Olympic for students of specialized high schools in Vietnam: Participating in the Olympic are Vietnamese students in grade 12 studying Russian at specialized high schools in Vietnam and grade 11 at high schools under the Russian Embassy in Vietnam, Vietsovpetro Vung Tau Joint Venture High School. The winners of the Russian Olympic competition will receive scholarships from the Russian Government and living expenses from the Vietnamese side to study at a university in the Russian Federation. In the 2022-2023 school year, five students from the Foreign Languages Specialised High School, University of Foreign Languages, participated in the 16th Olympic Games, and all five students won prizes. The school also organized a series of activities to promote Russian literature such as: an exchange with poet Evgeny Chigrin and the presentation of his books “The Driver” and “The Underwater Globe”; a presentation “Literature and Reality” by Evgeniy Vodolazkin; a lecture by writer, poet, editor-in-chief of “Cultural Newspaper” Maxim Zamshev “Forgotten names of Russian literature”.
Pic 6. VNU President Le Quan had a meeting and worked with the Deputy Director in charge of Strategic Development of Moscow State Institute of International Relations, Russian Federation (MGIMO), Mr. Artem Malgin (March 20th, 2025)
In addition, VNU has collaborated with the National Research University – Higher School of Economics (HSE) to deliver a lecture on “Creativity and teamwork – management decisions under uncertain conditions”, aimed at nurturing globally talented VNU students aged 12+. The lecture focuses on decision-making in management, emphasising the role of creativity in enhancing adaptability and innovation. Key factors, such as the decision-making process —from identifying problems to evaluating solutions, are carefully analysed. In particular, the lecture also explores the phenomenon of “groupthink” and the mistakes that can hinder reaching consensus, as well as obstacles that can impede collective decisions.
Pic 7. VNU cooperates with MPEI to conduct the Summer Camp 2024 on Renewable Energy Technology
VNU has cooperated with MPEI to implement the 2024 Summer Camp on Renewable Energy Technology. The program is also within the framework of cooperation between the two countries in education and training of high-quality human resources in the fields of science, technology and engineering, especially in the fields of new energy, clean energy, contributing to green transformation and sustainable development as affirmed in the Joint Statement between the two countries’ senior leaders during the State visit of Russian President Vladimir Putin to the Socialist Republic of Vietnam from June 19-20, 2024.
Pic 8. Russian students studying in VNU