Griffith University’s leading economics experts are helping shape Vietnam’s rapidly growing economy.

Twenty three Vietnamese government officials from the Ministry of Planning and Investment (MPI) have recently returned home with fresh ideas on developing robust planning and investment strategies, after participating in a series of workshops, seminars and discussions in Brisbane.

The three week intensive program, conducted by academics from the Griffith Business School‘s Department of Accounting, Finance and Economics, provided a rare opportunity for the delegates to engage with a range of academics and meet with Queensland government agencies through professional site visits to Queensland Treasury and Trade and Trade and Investment Queensland.

From left: Professor Tom Nguyen, Program Lead Academic; Professor Michael Powell, Pro Vice Chancellor (Business); Mr Van Cuong Le, Deputy Director General, Finance and Monetary Department (MPI); Associate Professor Jay Bandalarage, Program Lead Academic

The “Capacity Building for Ministry of Planning and Investment, Vietnam” program was funded by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade’s (DFAT) Australia Awards Fellowships and implemented by the International Business Development Unit at Griffith University.

This program was designed to support the priorities of DFAT’s Australian Aid program for Vietnam and the Government of Vietnam’s development agenda in two key respects. First, the program will help develop capacity within MPI to modernise its institutions and operations in order to strengthen its governance and ability to support long-term development goals. Second, the training will help create the human resources and capital required to design policies and reforms for sustainable economic development, particularly with regard to infrastructure development, macroeconomic policy design, and Vietnam’s integration in the world economy national plans.

Program leaders, Associate Professor Jay Bandaralage, Professor Tom Nguyen and Professor Fabrizio Carmignani, have extensive experience delivering donor-funded programs in the developing world and led this successful program in collaboration with the MPI Fellows and other Griffith academic staff.

From left: Ms Rebecca Keogh, Manager, IBDU; Professor Sarah Todd, Pro Vice Chancellor (International); Mr Van Cuong Le, Deputy Director General, Finance and Monetary Department (MPI)

Griffith is looking forward to hosting another group of Australia Awards Fellows later in the year and values the opportunity to contribute to developing nations’ capacity building agendas.

For more information on professional development programs, please contact the International Business Development Unit.