Given social demands for high-quality human resources and global integration readiness, Dong Thap University constantly expands its international collaborations through joint training programs, international student and faculty exchanges. In early 2019, it has cooperated with SEAMEO Center (Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization - aiming at promoting stable development through educational, scientific and cultural collaboration) about joining the SEA - Teacher 2019 project (Southeast Asia-Teacher Students Internship Exchange Program) between Dong Thap University and universities in Southeast Asian countries.

SEA-Teacher is a project hosted by SEAMEO providing opportunity for pre-service student teachers from universities in Southeast Asia. This is an opportunity for third-year students among universities of international integration, cultural exchange, professional skills practice in the international environment. In addition, students can get acquainted with diverse and flexible learning and teaching situations, accessing advanced educational methods in the world, improving foreign language skills. More over, this is also a good chance for students seeking available employments at international education institutions after graduation.

As for the SEA-Teacher 2019 project, Dong Thap University selected 07 students from the Department of Mathematics Teacher Education who will practice teaching at schools in Indonesia and Thailand for 4 weeks (from August  to  September 2019). In September 2019, the university hosted 19 students of mathematics, biology, English, pre-school and primary education from Indonesia and the Philippines to practice at schools in Cao Lanh City area. The internship program includes classroom observation, teaching assistance, teaching practices, review and evaluation. These exchange students are subsidized with dorm accommodation and commute between the university campus and practice venue.

In addition to professional guidance, the trainees were also able to attend basic communicative Vietnamese class, being instructed to use public transportation and to buy daily necessities, participating in extracurricular activities and get-togethers with Dong Thap University and internship schools. Especially, the trainees were able to learn of Vietnamese culture with sightseeing programs at Nguyen Sinh Sac, Xeo Quit relics, Nam Phuong cultural tourism area as well as other cultural and start-up destinations of Dong Thap province. There by, the trainees got to know about the local history and culture as well as typical activities and cuisine of the Southern people in particular and the Vietnamese in general. Along with practical experiences such as bailing water out of rice field, planting rice, plowing field, rowing boat, making folk cakes, etc., the students have gained many interesting and impressive experiences about Dong Thap – the Land of Pink Lotus.

In the program, students of the Foreign Language Teacher Education Department, Dong Thap University had opportunity to interact with international students through cross-cultural discussion sessions addressing the dos and don’ts while travelling in the Philippines and Indonesia, marriage customs, things not to do to Filipinos and Indonesians. In addition, the students also regularly participate in activities such as playing games, performing traditional music to connect and shorten geographical distance, language, promoting the spirit of sharing and integration.

In the academic year 2019-2020, along with programs giving students opportunities to practice teaching at schools in Southeast Asia, Dong Thap University considers international cooperation as a priority, continuing to develop strategic plans for international integration, investing resources for  international cooperation unit,  actively connecting and signing memorandum of understanding with prestigious foreign universities; joining in more foreign collaboration projects and projects financed by foreign countries; At the same time, Dong Thap University actively implements the Government's Decree No. 86/2018/ ND-CP stipulating foreign cooperation and investment in education; effectively implementing agreements, Government’s scholarships within bilateral agreements; organizing some modules instructed in English in some training programs; maintaining current cooperation relationships and proactively developing plans to broaden types of linkages, cooperation in training and retraining, exchange of faculty and students in accordance with the university’s ability and resources.

Students of Dong Thap University and exchange program students are always under good care and have favorable conditions to learn, practice, get aquainted with reality in the academic environment that emphasizes integration. It focuses on developing learners’ skills and eagerness for learning meeting social needs for the quality and capacity of global citizens. Besides, the university always stresses  investment in creating professional academic environment, constantly updating, innovating and developing in the direction of globalization to meet the needs of domestic and foreign employers in general, of the Mekong Delta region in particular.

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