Taiwan NGO eyes e-learning potential in Vietnam

Taiwan's Institute for Information Industry (III), which is a non-government research organization, has signed an agreement with Vietnam's Advanced International Joint Stock Company (AIC) to build integrated e-learning "smart classrooms" in Vietnam.

Under the agreement, the AIC plans to build 2,000 smart classrooms using products manufactured by Taiwanese IT vendors, such as notebook computers from Acer, projectors from BenQ, electronic whiteboards from Habook Information Technology, and online English tutoring services from Hebron Soft, according to a Central News Agency (CNA) report Thursday.

III representatives said the institute will help AIC, a labor export organization, integrate the hardware tools with e-learning software as well as knowledge management systems which will enhance the popularity of e-learning in Vietnam.

The agreement would be just the first step for Taiwanese suppliers to tap Vietnam's e-learning market, added Tsai I Chang, director of III's digital education institute.

Tsai also noted the Vietnamese government was planning to build 8,000 more smart classrooms across 650 schools during the next stage of its 15-year e-learning project, which was estimated to generate an output value of more than US$344 million, the report said.

Vietnam has emerged to become an investment hotspot due to its growing domestic IT market, strong government investment in infrastructure and available IT skills such as software development. In a previous ZDNet Asia report, analysts pointed to telecommunications, in particular, for its huge growth potential. However, they noted the country faced challenges such as poor IT infrastructure outside major cities and high inflation rate.