Indonesia, Vietnam renew cooperation in education

Indonesian Minister of Education and Culture Muhadjir Effendy and Vietnamese Vice Prime Minister/Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh signed an agreement on the renewal of cooperation in geducation between the two countries in Jakarta on Wednesday.

According to a press release received by Antara, the five-year cooperation agreement was a renewal of the cooperation agreement made earlier in 2005.

"The renewal of cooperation includes efforts to improve schools and strengthen relationships between institutions," Effendy stated after signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in front of each countrys leaders on Wednesday morning.

Several areas of cooperation agreed between the two countries in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) also include teacher education and training; collaboration in educational assessment; educational and research planning; management education and leadership; as well as curriculum design and development of learning methods.

Also agreed were the exchange of educational materials, publications, props, and information. The governments of both countries also agreed to organize various meetings, workshops, exhibitions, conferences, seminars, study visits, competitions, and educational scholarships.

"There will be an exchange program of educational officials, experts, teachers, educational personnel, and students of both countries," he noted.

The Ministry of Education and Culture (Kemdikbud) and the Ministry of Education and Training of Vietnam will form a working team on duty to provide recommendations on ways and efforts to advance the objectives of cooperation that have been agreed in the field of education. The team also ensures fast, precise, and good coordination.

In addition to the MoU in the field of education, both sides also signed a rural development cooperation, which was signed by Indonesian Minister of Village Development, Underdeveloped Region and Transmigration Eko Putro Sandjojo and Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development of Vietnam Nguyen Xuan Cuong.

Cooperation in the field of coal, gas utilization at contingent border also was signed by Indonesias Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Ignasius Jonan and Vietnamese Minister of Industry and Trade Tran Tuan Anh.

Cooperation in the field of law was signed by Vietnams Justice Minister Le Thanh Long and Indonesian Minister of Law and Human Rights Yasonna Hamonangan Laoly.

On that occasion, Indonesians Sea Security Agency (Bakamla) Chief Arie Soedewo and Vietnamese Coast Guard Commander Lieutenant Nguyen also signed a joint letter of statement.

Source: ANTARA