Registration for the DIES Workshop on "Boosting Employability! Strengthening Universities to Make Graduates Fit for Work"

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Vietnam’s economy is booming with world-topping growth rates. It is forecast to see the region’s biggest increase in venture capital deals from 2025 to 2030. Much of this investment will be in high-tech sectors such as semiconductors or green technology – and to be successful in these fields, the market will need highly trained and skilled workers. Skilled workers are also needed on Vietnam’s intended development path towards a high-income country by 2045.

The education system, however, is lagging. Teaching is still very theoretical at many universities, the proportion of application-related knowledge and skills acquisition is rather low, and many companies claim that applicants are not well prepared for the realities of the job, despite their technical knowledge and skills. Partners from the private and public sectors are only sometimes included. This means that many universities provide training bypassing the labour market – which is in dire need of well-qualified graduates. 

University leadership as well as political leadership are well aware of this problem and are tackling it to increase the performance of Vietnamese universities. One of the objectives is to better prepare the students and graduates for the employment market. In order to do this successfully, universities and their internal management have to adapt accordingly.

The intended outcomes of this workshop are hence:

  1. It creates a space for exchange and insight and making contacts on the topic of how to boost graduates’ employability.

The main target group of this DIES-Workshop are a) decision makers at the management level in Vietnamese universities (Presidents & Vice-Presidents), b) heads of central management departments who are responsible for topics such as cooperation with the world of work or university engagement, and c) educators and heads of faculties, academic departments and schools, responsible for the set-up of academic programmes. To foster mutual understanding and cooperation, private and public sector institutions will be represented as well as further Vietnamese and international organisations working at the interface of education and the world of work. A total of 50 participants is expected.

  1. By examining good practice examples from Vietnam and Germany, participants gain a better understanding of the ways in which the topic of “boosting employability” can be addressed within universities.

The workshop’s topic can be approached from a number of different angles. Didactics is a key issue: practice-oriented teaching methodology, focusing less on theory but on group work, experimental and project-based learning or simulation. Curriculum Design is a second: including practice-oriented and applied elements such as internships, excursions or writing the final theses in close cooperation with companies, offering new types of certificates such as micro-credentials. External Networks is a third: strengthen the cooperation between universities and industry and promote strong networks with the universities’ social and economic environment. Expanding Universities’ internal Eco-Systems is a fourth: fostering start-ups and small businesses, setting up and expanding incubators, and offering coaching for your entrepreneurs.

  1. Decision-makers at Vietnamese universities are sensitized to which structures and capacities in university management can be helpful in improving the employability of their graduates.

It is key to understand what structures within universities are supportive for fostering up-to-date didactics, practice-oriented curriculum design, strong external networks and innovative internal support structures. How could/should they be institutionally anchored? At which levels (central management/within faculties) and with which sort of mandate and what implementation authority?

An additional vantage point will be added to all discussions: What role can international cooperation play in this? How can German partners be instrumental in the endeavour of qualifying Vietnamese graduates more precisely to the needs of the labour market? And how can DAAD provide potential support?

Event details:

Date and time: 26.09.2024 from 12:30 to 18:00 and 27.09.2024 from 09:00 to 13:00
Venue: Novotel Saigon Centre, 167 Hai Ba Trung, District 3, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Contact:

Mr. Felix Wagenfeld

Director of the DAAD-Regional Office Hanoi

wagenfeld@daad.de

 

Ms. Pham Ngoc Mai

Programme Coordinator Higher Education Management (DIES)

p.mai@daad.de

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General Information
(This question is mandatory)
Full name (e.g. Nguyen Van A)
(This question is mandatory)
Gender
Academic title (e.g. Prof. Dr.)
(This question is mandatory)
Contact information
(This question is mandatory)
Current residence (City/Province)
(This question is mandatory)
Workplace/Institution (e.g. Hanoi University of Science and Technology)
(This question is mandatory)
Position/Job title (e.g. Rector/Head of International Cooperation Department)
(This question is mandatory)
Do you wish to get an allowance for your travel costs from the DAAD (not relevant for participants from Ho Chi Minh City)?
(This question is mandatory)
Do you wish to stay at the conference hotel during the workshop, organised and covered by DAAD (not relevant for participants from Ho Chi Minh City)? Kindly note that if you do not stay at the conference hotel, the DAAD cannot reimburse any accommodation costs.
(This question is mandatory)
In this workshop, you'll have the opportunity to showcase the current initiatives at your university aimed at enhancing student employability through a poster presentation. Would you be interested in actively participating in this session by presenting a poster on behalf of your institution?
Expertise/Professional Information
(This question is mandatory)
What is your research field?
(This question is mandatory)
What is your major?
(This question is mandatory)
What is your major?
(This question is mandatory)
What is your major?
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What is your major?
(This question is mandatory)
What is your major?
(This question is mandatory)
What is your major?
(This question is mandatory)
What is your major?
Working Groups

Through the presentation and discussion of good practice examples within each working group, participants will gain deeper insights into how the topic of "boosting employability" can be effectively addressed within universities, and the role international cooperation plays in supporting these efforts. The second part of each working group will shift focus to a broader question: how can university management, both at the central level and within specific faculties, support such initiatives? What types of structures have proven effective, and what competencies are necessary to design and implement change?

Each group will be co-hosted by a Vietnamese university and its German partner. 

(This question is mandatory)
Please choose the group you would like to join as your first priority.
(This question is mandatory)
Please choose the group you would like to join as your second priority.
© 2025 Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst e.V.
 
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