To avoid the middle income trap, Vietnam continues to make strides in its efforts to shift its economy into higher value-added activities within global value chains. This has prompted the need to modernize training institutions for government officials. To help address this, USAID’s Strengthening Provincial Capacity (SPC) project has provided support to enhance the capacity of the School of Government, University of Economics Ho Chi Minh City (SOG-UEH) via a partnership with the Hatfield School of Government, Portland State University (HSOG-PSU). Through SPC, HSOG-PSU helped SOG-UEH improve its economic governance training curriculum, streamline operations, and enhance lecturers’ capacities. As a result of this partnership, on July 28, 2022, Portland State University and University of Economics Ho Chi Minh City signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to further strengthen their cooperation after USAID’s assistance ends later this year.
The MOU between PSU and UEH marked a major milestone in UEH’s aspiration to become a leading training institution in economics and governance in Vietnam, especially in the South and Mekong Delta. The MOU with PSU will help UEH to sustain the outcomes of SPC and further align its training programs with international standards and best practices for a more prosperous Vietnam.