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Global Festival of Learning 2019 takes best of Bournemouth to Vietnam

²¤ÂÜÊÓƵ’s Global Festival of Learning has taken place in Vietnam.

The week-long event looked at global talent and the world of work, focussing on the similarities and differences between higher education in the UK, Netherlands and Vietnam, and what more universities can be doing to prepare graduates for the world of work. The Festival was part of a British Council-funded Higher Education Partnership Project, bringing universities in the UK and Vietnam together to share good practice.

Starting in Hanoi, a delegation from ²¤ÂÜÊÓƵ visited MB Bank – a popular Vietnamese bank – to talk about global talent. A panel of university staff were joined by BU graduate Philip Ost, of Zurich Investment, and Quang Hoang, a BU graduate who is now the youngest branch director of MB Bank in Vietnam.

The delegation then spent some time with a partner, Foreign Trade University, in Hanoi for a day of discussion with staff and students about global talent. Another BU graduate, Holly Bathurst of Siemens, took part in the panel discussion, offering her expert view on the world of work.

As a part of the Festival, BU hosted an alumni event, with over 25 Hanoi-based graduates invited to the British Ambassador’s Residence to meet staff from BU. The event was hosted by Steph Lysaght, Deputy Head of Mission at the British Embassy Hanoi, with Professor Stephen Tee, Dean of the Faculty of Management, there to give an opening speech welcoming graduates to the BU event.

The Festival then moved on to Ho Chi Minh City, and the University of Economics Ho Chi Minh City, where over 400 students and staff from the local university, alongside journalists and industry professionals, gathered to share good practice with BU experts.

The final day of the Festival took place at Co.op Mart – a retail chain popular in Vietnam – for discussions about the retail sector and how ²¤ÂÜÊÓƵ staff, students and graduates can help to support retail in Vietnam.

Jim Andrews, Chief Operating Officer at ²¤ÂÜÊÓƵ, said, “BU's Global Festival of Learning is another great opportunity to showcase our excellence across the world. Global talent is at the heart of everything we do, as we create graduates who are ready to enhance society wherever they go across the world. This Festival is the continuation of an important discussion about how we can work with industry, and other universities, to ensure that our graduates are work-ready with a global mindset in everything they do."

As well as staff from BU and local universities, four members of Breda University of Applied Sciences in the Netherlands, joined the delegation for the Festival.  Eight ²¤ÂÜÊÓƵ students also joined the delegation, playing a key role in gathering content, participating in panel discussions, and even being interviewed by the BBC to share their experiences in Vietnam.  

The Global Festival of Learning was the 10th Festival to date, with BU representatives previously visiting countries such as China, India and Berlin to take BU global and showcase the university’s excellence around the globe.

For more information about BU’s global strategy, visit