SINGAPORE: Singapore's National Institute of Education (NIE) and Vietnam's National Institute of Education Management have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to set up a centre to train education professionals in Hanoi.

Vietnam's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education and Training Professor Dr Nguyen Thien Nhan and Singapore's Education Minister and Second Finance Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam witnessed the signing.

The Centre will focus on leadership training for Vietnam's school principals, professional development for educational administrators and English language training.

They hope the Vietnam-Singapore Centre for Educational Excellence will serve as a regional centre of excellence for leaders in education.

Before the centre is ready, the Education Ministry says that the NIE will begin a customised programme to train selected principals from Vietnam starting next month.

However, future programmes will be delivered in both Vietnam and Singapore. - CNA/yb