VNU President Nguyễn Kim Sơn advised that the handing over of the VNU Construction Project in Hoa Lac to VNU and the proposal of borrowing ODA from the World Bank to invest in some urgent key works for VNU in Hoa Lac had been approved by Prime Minister Nguyễn Xuân Phúc within his working visit to VNU on September 12, 2017.

VNU President Nguyễn Kim Sơn also said that VNU would send the Prime Minister’s conclusion report to the World Bank for assistance in borrowing procedures. He also expected that the World Bank's education experts would give advice and support VNU in adjusting development strategies to build VNU into a modern, high quality university that could keep up with the world’s advanced management trend.

Speaking at the meeting, the World Bank Country Director for Vietnam said that education development; particularly, human and knowledge development, had always been one of the priorities of the Bank as well as of his term in office. He said that the World Bank had been carrying out many supportive and cooperative activities in education with Vietnam, and wished to cooperate with and support VNU - the most prestigious university in Vietnam.

With the Vietnamese Government’s approval and support for the VNU project, Mr Ousmane Dione believed that investing in VNU played an important role in the development of higher education in Vietnam. The success of VNU Project would become a typical model for other universities both in the country and the region.

The World Bank Country Director for Vietnam requested VNU to develop a clear strategy, update the master plan, refer to and learn from the world’s university models. The construction should be divided into different phases with a clear, sequential route for mobilizing capital through specific strategies.

Mr Ousmane Dione affirmed that the World Bank would provide financial support for the VNU project and consultancy on the development strategy and modern vision for VNU to achieve international quality standards.