APEC Future Education Forum held in Hanoi

Primary students queue up in a HCM City primary school

The forum, organised by the Vietnamese Ministry of Education and Training and the Republic of Korean (RoK)'s Ministry of Education, was called: “Innovative Future Education in APEC – Creating new dynamism and increased employability.”

Vietnamese Deputy Minister of Education and Training Nguyen Van Phuc said the forum’s theme was relevant to the APEC theme of “Creating new dynamism, fostering a shared future”.

This reflected APEC education strategy - enhancing and aligning competencies to the needs of individuals, societies and economies, accelerating innovation and increasing employability, Phuc said.

APEC economies expected that by 2030, they would have a strong and cohesive education community, characterised by inclusive and qualified education that supported sustainable economic growth, social well-being and employability, he said.

To achieve the goals, structural reform and innovation were crucial to improve labour productivity, enhance human resources and allocate resources, he said.

In Vietnam, the Government considered education, science and technology as top priorities in socio-economic development strategy, giving 20 percent of the total State budget to education and training, he said.

The national education sector was now carrying out education reform to prepare qualified human resources to meet requirements of the fourth industrial revolution, he said.

Yeonghan Choi, Director General of the International Cooperation Bureau under the RoK's Ministry of Education, said the forum would open the floor for participants to discuss the revolution (the internet, robotics, virtual reality, artificial intelligence) as well as its effects on future society, economy and education.

The forum would also serve as a platform providing stakeholders opportunities for international education co-operation, he said.

The APEC Future Education Forum is an annual event, first held in 2004. As the largest international education forum in the APEC region, AFEF has accumulated 3,200 participants, including Government officials, experts, entrepreneurs, teachers and others from international organisations. It is an arena where discussions on international education, directions and visions for future education are held to establish mutual prosperity.

The participants also joined the 15th International APEC Learning Community Builders (ALCoB) Conference on Friday. The conference, which has been held as a sister event with the forum since 2009, seeks to foster mutual understanding of education and culture in APEC economies through various exchange programmes.