Vietnam hosted the Asia – Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit these past few months, culminating in Danang hosting the Economic Leaders Meeting from the 6th- 11th of November. It was a golden opportunity for Danang to showcase its economic success and to welcome officials from all over the world as leaders worked together to strengthen trade relations for the benefit of the region as a whole.

Prof. Nguyen Duy Luan who is the Vice-President of External Affairs for The American University in Vietnam (AUV) was an invited guest speaker and was also part of the panel discussion in front of an 21-countries international forum during the VBS APEC 2017 Summit discussing hot topics areas of healthcare and higher education. Other dignitary co-speakers are H.E. Nguyen Thi Kim Tien (Vietnamese Minister of Health), Dr. Nguyen Van Phuc (Vietnamese Deputy Minister of Education and Training), Mr. Pierre Gaudreault (APAC Regional President, Pfizer). The Prime Minister of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam H.E. Nguyen Xuan Phuc provided the keynote address on “Advancing reforms and international integration for rapid and sustainable development.”

“They work for a purpose and not just a paycheck.  Millennials represent more than 45% of the APEC region’s population, with 60% of the world’s millennials expected to live in Asia by 2020,” said Dr. Luan. “For these reasons, education and career preparation… must be geared towards the social values and purpose that this generation lives by.”

The APEC Summit, since its establishment in 1989, has focused on the economic stability and growth of the Asian-Pacific region. However, higher education plays a foundational part in shaping the future. Dr. Luan draws strong attention from the audiences by drilling down with innovation examples on how AUV is contributing to the success of the young generation in Vietnam and other APEC countries.

“We unleash human capital potential through innovation in higher education to serve the knowledge economies of APEC.”

As higher education improves, The American University in Vietnam will be at the forefront as our mission is to equip future professionals and leaders with cutting-edge knowledge, modern career skills and a higher sense of personal and social values, so they can avidly contribute to the well being of the local, national and global communities.

His full presentation can be viewed here