RMIT Vietnam places strong focus on STEM

RMIT Vietnam places strong focus on STEM

Moving forward with the expansion of program offerings, capacity building, and research activities associated with the key STEM disciplines, RMIT School of Science, Engineering & Technology aims at becoming a leading international school in Vietnam, being recognised for its globally competitive work-ready graduates and applied research that support industry transformation and economic growth in Vietnam.

news-1-rmit-vietnam-places-strong-focus-on-stem Newly appointed Dean of RMIT School of Science, Engineering & Technology (SSET) Professor Brett Kirk

As part of the second annual Vietnam-Australia Collaboration on Industry 4.0 roundtable, RMIT formally launched the School of Science, Engineering & Technology with a and introduced its new dean Professor Brett Kirk.

RMIT Deputy Vice-Chancellor (STEM College) and Vice President Digital Innovation Professor Aleks Subic said that the inclusion of ‘Engineering’ in the school’s name raises the prominence and reputation of RMIT’s globally recognised engineering programs and excellence in research and translation, and robust partnerships with international industry leaders.

“RMIT engineering is ranked 14th in the world and 9th in Australia in the QS rankings and in the 2018 Excellence in Research in Australia audit, our complementary School in Australia, School of Engineering was amongst the top group of Australian universities recognised for world-class engineering research,” Professor Subic said.

“With the new leadership, and with Professor Kirk on board, we have an ambitious plan to increase the breadth and depth of capabilities across the full range of STEM disciplines, increasing the number of degree programs to be offered in both Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi, building research capabilities and increasing our engagement with industries, government, and community.”

Newly appointed Dean of School of Science, Engineering & Technology (SSET) Professor Brett Kirk was thrilled when arriving at a very exciting time “because the vision for RMIT Vietnam as a whole is to become a more comprehensive university and to grow significantly, and science, engineering and technology is absolutely central of that”.

Professor Kirk emphasised that the School’s new name reflects “the growth we’ve achieved over the last couple of years and our new direction in broadening and deepening the programs that we offer”.

Building comprehensive capacity in STEM

SSET currently offers six bachelor’s degrees including robotics and mechatronics engineering, electrical and electronic engineering, software engineering, information technology, aviation, and psychology.

To provide students with opportunity for multiple pathways and generate more problem solvers for the workforce, SSET introduced the Bachelor of Applied Science (Aviation) and Bachelor of Applied Science (Psychology) in 2021 and is planning to offer a bachelor’s degree in food technology and nutrition​, and two master’s degrees in Artificial Intelligence​ and cyber security.

Professor Kirk said that the School is also growing its PhD cluster by offering the Women in STEM Pre-doctoral research and fellowship positions and PhD scholarships.

“As part of the University continued commitment to gender equality, STEM College created RMIT Vietnam-Women in STEMM Pre-doctoral research and training fellowship positions [three positions under recruitment],” he said.

“The program will be available to talented female graduates in STEM in Vietnam.”

“In addition to the fellowship program, we have committed to support STEM related research training in Vietnam with five PhD scholarships in 2021 and will continue building research capabilities and capacities complementing the full breadth and depth of RMIT’s capabilities across campuses and nods.

“That’s going to change the culture of the School and bring a new energy into the research because PhD students are really the engine room of research, they’re the ones on the ground doing experiments and making new discoveries.”

Leverage partnership

Professor Kirk noted that all of the school’s growth will be “partnership driven and have a strong focus on building those partnership in education, research and community engagement so that we can make a difference”.

“Through our  two decades of significant presence in Vietnam, RMIT has been a partner of choice for industry and government to achieve positive impact in the Southeast Asian region,” Professor Kirk said.  

“RMIT  continues to play  a critical role in transforming workforce and meeting local skills needs, and is  specifically committed to   the future i of digital transformation and sustainable developments.”

To date, RMIT has established the framework for the collaboration and common goals with leading Vietnamese and international industry groups, including VinGroup, Viettel Group, Electricity Vietnam, Vietnam Airlines, Dat Xanh Services, Ericsson Vietnam, Bosch Vietnam, and the Hanoi University of Pharmacy.

“Those partnerships are critical for advancement in research and innovation,” he said.

“Our Vietnam-based programs and research will leverage digital and hybrid technologies, acting as a critical part of our global student pathways across South East Asia and connecting Vietnam to our global community,” Professor Kirk concluded.

Story: Ha Hoang

20 December 2021

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