Post by Andrew Barr

🇦🇺 🇻🇳 Strengthening Canberra's Partnership with Vietnam Last week I led an ACT Government trade mission to Vietnam focused on growing education exports, tourism, investment, research partnerships and clean energy cooperation. The mission demonstrated the significant opportunities available to Canberra through our relationship with one of Asia's fastest-growing economies. Over several days we met with senior representatives of the Vietnamese Government, including leaders from Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, alongside major companies and institutions including Vingroup, Becamex Group, Sun Group, VietJet, Austrade, Tourism Australia and leading universities. What did we achieve? ✅ Strengthened government-to-government relationships with Vietnam's national and city administrations. ✅ Advanced opportunities to grow Vietnamese student enrolments in Canberra's universities, colleges and schools. ✅ Promoted Canberra as a destination for tourism, business events and education-related travel. ✅ Established new pathways for research collaboration in artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, renewable energy, digital government and health technologies. ✅ Deepened engagement with major Vietnamese companies interested in investment opportunities in clean energy, advanced manufacturing, innovation and urban development. ✅ Showcased Canberra's world-leading achievement in achieving 100 per cent renewable electricity and our progress toward net zero emissions. The mission also laid important groundwork ahead of the forthcoming visit to Canberra by President To Lam and a significant delegation of senior government officials, business leaders and investors. What happens next? Our focus now is on converting relationships into outcomes. Over the next five years we are working to: 🎓 Increase Vietnamese student enrolments in Canberra by 50 per cent. ✈️ Increase Canberra's share of the Vietnamese visitor market by 25 per cent. 💡 Expand research, innovation and workforce development partnerships. 🌱 Grow investment in clean energy, advanced manufacturing, technology and sustainable urban development. 🤝 Build deeper long-term partnerships between Canberra, Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. Vietnam is one of the ACT's most important and fastest-growing international partners. The relationships strengthened during this mission provide a strong foundation for future growth, creating opportunities for our education institutions, businesses, researchers and community. The future of the Canberra–Vietnam partnership is bright, and I look forward to turning these opportunities into lasting outcomes. #Canberra #Vietnam #TradeMission #Education #Tourism #Investment #Innovation #CleanEnergy #StudyCanberra #VisitCanberra #ACTGovernment #EconomicDevelopment #AustraliaVietnam #Research #NetZero