To strengthen strategic cooperation in teacher education and scientific research, on the morning of November 27, 2025, the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signing ceremony took place at Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology and Education in the presence of professors from Monash University (Australia). The event aims to develop innovative pedagogical models, particularly approaches that foster thinking through play in pre-service teacher training programs in Vietnam.
Representing Monash University at the signing were Assoc. Prof. Dr. Janet Scull and Assoc. Prof. Dr. Thanh Pham, lecturers of the Faculty of Education. On the HCMUTE side, attendees included Assoc. Prof. Dr. Chau Dinh Thanh – Vice President of the University, Dr. Dang Tan Tin – Dean of the Faculty of Foreign Languages, Mr. Nguyen Thoi – Deputy Head of the Office of International Affairs, along with faculty members representing the Foreign Languages Department.
Representatives from HCMUTE and Monash University at the meeting
At the MOU exchange, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Chau Dinh Thanh delivered the opening remarks, stating: “Today’s cooperation with Monash University is not only a bilateral academic agreement, but also a long-term partnership in transforming teacher training mindsets in Vietnam.”
HCMUTE signing MoU with Monash University
Under the Memorandum of Understanding, both institutions commit to exploring opportunities for collaboration in research and academic activities under their shared mission of teacher education. The two sides will co-develop research programs in the field of education and promote faculty exchanges, especially through academic visits to share knowledge, pedagogical methodologies, and advanced research models. They also agreed to jointly share project-based information and documents to build a sustainable foundation for long-term pedagogical reform and pre-service teacher development in Vietnam.
Notably, HCMUTE has been entrusted with the role of national activity coordinator in the four-year research project titled Conceptual PlayWorlds in Pre-service Teacher Education in Vietnam, funded by the LEGO Foundation. The project introduces the Conceptual PlayWorlds model (CPW), based on 12 years of intensive research led by Professor Dr. Marilyn Fleer, aiming to strengthen pedagogical capacity in pre-service teachers and enhance teaching quality at primary schools.
HCMUTE will coordinate project implementation alongside two domestic partner institutions: Hue University of Education and Vinh University, focusing on designing specialized CPW curriculum modules for student teachers. Experts from Monash University will also visit Vietnam to directly train student teachers in playful pedagogies at the partner universities.
The project seeks to expand its impact by improving pedagogy methodology courses in primary teacher education programs, ensuring cultural relevance and alignment with Vietnam’s social-cultural context. The CPW initiative is considered especially compatible with the learning-through-play (LtP) educational philosophy for children, supporting holistic development of young learners.
The signing ceremony marks a significant milestone in the internationalization of knowledge-practice integration between HCMUTE and Monash University, opening new opportunities for building modern, flexible, and creative teacher training models.
As project coordinator, HCMUTE and its partners aspire to nurture a new generation of teachers equipped with global pedagogical thinking and strong competencies in designing creative learning environments—contributing to high-quality human resource development for Vietnam’s education sector in the years ahead.