“Capacity Building for Water Resources University and Hanoi University of Natural Resources and Environment with focus on Climate change”

The project “Capacity Building for Water Resources University and Hanoi University of Natural Resources and Environment with focus on Climate change” – NICHE, was established by Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) via Decision No. 2853/QĐ-BNN-HTQT dated 9 December 2012. The Project is funded by The Netherlands Government and the Project owner, and to be implemented from 2012 to 2016. The total ODA grant budget is 1,319,877 Euro.

Thuyloi University is the premium base of the country to educate and train high-qualified human resource in the areas of water resources development, natural disaster prevention and mitigation and environment protection. During the past 55 years, the graduates from Thuyloi University have served effectively all the sectors supervised by MARD, MONRE, MOC, EVN… at central as well as local levels nation-wide. Moreover, the university also helps train high-quality staff in the fields of water resources - hydropower electricity - environment for Laos and Cambodia. 

Apart from main campus in Hanoi, The University has its 2nd base in HoChiMinh City and Binh Duong province. The main function of the 2nd Base is to educate water engineers for southern provinces, especially those in the Mekong Delta. Until now, the 2nd Base provides courses mainly at Bachelor level in the fields of Hydraulic Construction, Water Resource Engineering, Hydrology and Environment with annual enrolment of about 300 students. This figure is significantly less than demand of water related sectors in southern Viet Nam.

With the mission of “Becoming one of the leading universities, training high-quality human resources to satisfy the demands of water resources sector development and becoming a prestigious science and technology center with the ability at regional and international level in the fields of water resources, hydropower, natural resources and environment, natural disaster prevention and mitigation, contributing into sustainable socio-economic development of the country”, Thuyloi University composed a comprehensive “Strategic Plan” for the period 2006-2020. The strategic objective of this period is: “Innovating basically and comprehensively in order to ensure an advantageous environment for lecturers and staff to promote all of their intellectual abilities in sake of training and water resources developing career; to create a modern studying and researching environment for students to improve the quality with update knowledge and necessary skills needed for creation and success in market economy. Striving to become one of 10 top universities in Viet Nam in training high-quality human resources and scientific research. Developing the prestigious brand “Water Resources University” with broad, multilateral and diversified international relationships, which is powerful enough to compete, cooperate equally with and integrate into the countries in the region as well as in the world.” According to this Development Strategy, Thuyloi University will educate students in 26 different educational branches, covering all the fields of water resources, natural disaster prevention and environment protection. Most of these branches provide human resources for public services, contributing to alleviate poverty in rural and mountainous areas… The Strategic Development Plan of the University is fully in compliance with the policy of MOET about comprehensive renovation of higher education for the period 2006-2020.

As stated in the Strategic Development Plan, the University will comprehensively upgrade its educational capability, especially for the 2nd Base, at Bachelor and Postgraduate levels for the current branches as well as new ones, such as Integrated Water Resource Management, Coastal and Marine Engineering and Management, Natural Disaster Prevention and Mitigation… 

Thuyloi university is project proposing agencies with The long-term goal of the project is basically creating a shared environment within the country in undergraduate and postgraduate education and training in integrated water resource management, successful in attracting students, responsive to the labour market demands and needs, and especially are able to adapt with challenges and developments of the nation in the future. In the short-term (after 4 years), the project objectives are to upgrade the post-graduate education and training capacity and research in the field of IWRM in a close collaboration with domestic and foreign partners working in the field. 

So far, the Project has been progressing according to the planned schedule, fulfilling the designed objectives: Developing the plan to conduct postgraduate training programs with high quality research orientation; Strengthening the capacity of TLU at institutional and management level to implement education, research and training and to improve the capacity of their staff in developing and transferring knowledge; Strengthening and further developing the education offered in water management in view of climate change at WRU at high-quality standards to meet the needs of the sector in Vietnam; Strengthening and expanding the domestic and international networks to enhance their quality and the relevance to the education, training and research programs.

Second classes have been enrolled for the three International Master programs: Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM), Coastal Engineering and Management (CEM), Disaster Management (DM). These programs are implemented under periodical supervision over the quality, the relevance and the alignment of the curriculums with the market requirement. The university also has improved facilities for the university's library for teaching materials, scientific journals, equipment, library management software... 

 Some activities of the NICHE project: