Page 58 - ELITE PLUS MAGAZINE VOL5

DIPLOMATIC AFFAIRS‘In one year, Chulalongkorn University alone conducts more research than all of the universities in Vietnam combined’signing of an action plan aimed at enhancing cooperation in 21 areas, including trade and investment promotion, labour and migrant worker management, trans-border legal enforcement, education, cultural exchange and technology transfer.Next year will mark the 40th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Thailand and Vietnam. Further high-level state visits between the countries are expected, as well as public events to celebrate the occasion.Ambassador Thành believes there are many fields that Vietnam and Thailand can develop together. His views on Thai education might raise eyebrows.“I always tell friends that we shouldsend more Vietnamese students to study here,” he said. “I do not under- stand why not many Vietnamese students go to study at Thai universi- ties. We have only around 1,500 Vietnamese students here, as compared to 10,000 in Singapore and many more in the US, Australia and Europe, where the price of education might not be affordable for many families.”As a child Ambassador Thành aspired to become a teacher, since teaching in Vietnam is a respected career choice and is considered an investment in the future.While many Thais berate Thai education, given its negative spiral in international indicators, Ambassador Thành has a positive view of tertiaryeducation here. “At a university level, you have more teachers, more technology transfer and more research. In one year, for example, Chulalong- korn University alone conducts more research than all of the universities in Vietnam combined.”One prominent problem is the language barrier. There are few Vietnamese courses in Thailand, and language remains an obstacle to business, especially tourism. “If you want to have more Vietnamese tourists, you need guides who speak the language well.”Trade between the countries is expected to increase after the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) comes into force by the end of this year. “The AEC will give all ASEAN countries56 Elite+