More and more Vietnamese universities are encouraging students to head abroad as a way of preparing them for their future careers.

Bui Van Khuong, a student of Thai Nguyen Agriculture and Forestry University, said that he has had an informative spell in Israel.

“I have been so impressed with I saw in Israel – a country with developed agriculture. Even the watering is controlled by automation, enabling them not to waste anything,” Khuong said, adding that he has learnt a lot of interesting lessons which could be very useful in his future work as an agriculture engineer.

Khuong related that during the practice period, he and his friends all received pay for their work - about 60,000 dong per hour. After 10 months every student could earn around 70 million dong after paying airfares and expenses.

Students of Van Hien University also said they received pay during a 6-month period in Japan. The students of Japanese language spent time working for two 5-star hotels in Tokyo, Keio Plaza and Miyako.

Ha Thai Hien, a third year student, said that at first, Vietnamese students had to work hard to catch up with Japanese colleagues. Everything was well programmed and everyone is punctual. Dang Kim Manh, another student, said the trip helped him become more disciplined which will be very useful in his future job.

Going abroad, a new tendency

Under a cooperation programme signed by the two Governments of Israel and Vietnam, students of agriculture schools will have opportunities to spend 10 months in Israel. The Israeli Agrostudies Centre undertakes the management and support of the Vietnamese students during the period.

Students have one day per week learning theory and spend the other days at farms. They do not have to pay for accommodation or meals, electricity or water. They do have to pay airfares and tuitions, however, money earned during the period should cover expenses and they are allowed to take on extra work if they wish.

Trinh Minh Hien, deputy president of Ton Duc Thang University, said her university has set up close relations with prestigious universities in China in order to organize overseas semesters for students. Students of Chinese language, industrial art, international business administration and finance studies can spend time in China.

Every course lasts four months and every student has to pay 22 million dong for the course.

After three successful trips, 67 students are soon heading to Taiwan by the end of February.

“Partner universities all have good conditions for students,” Hien said.

She said that in Vietnam, fashion design students only draft designs and then take them to tailor shops, where the models are turned into clothes. Meanwhile, at the Taiwanese Shute University, there are enough tools to make a completed product.

“We have had good response from students after they return from practice trips and we plan to continue sending students abroad,” Hien said.

Dang Ngoc Le, a lecturer from Van Hien University also advocates  going abroad as no syllabus is better than learning on site.