British Ambassador Iain Frew Visits the Diplomatic Academy of Viet Nam and Delivers a Talk to DAV Students

On May 21, 2026, the Diplomatic Academy of Viet Nam (DAV) welcomed H.E. Mr. Iain Frew, Ambassador of the United Kingdom to Viet Nam, for a visit and working session, along with a talk with DAV students. The meeting was chaired by Dr. Nguyen Thi Thin, Vice President of the Academy.

Also in attendance were Ms. Ashleigh Spencer, Head of the External Political Section, and Ms. Tran Phuong Mai, Political Officer, from the British Embassy in Hanoi. From DAV’s side, there were representatives from DAV’s Department of Undergraduate and Postgraduate Training, Faculty of International Politics and Diplomacy, and Division of External Relations and Communications, together with more than 100 students from various programmes of the DAV.

In her exchange with Ambassador Iain Frew, Dr. Nguyen Thi Thin noted that the Academy is entering a period of significant transformation, with a strong focus on enhancing human resource quality and internationalizing its academic programmes. She proposed several directions for strengthening educational cooperation between the two sides, namely: jointly organising information sessions on scholarships, particularly the Chevening Scholarship; holding seminars and discussions on the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on education; creating opportunities for DAV students to undergo internship at the British Embassy and British companies and partners in Viet Nam; promoting exchanges of lecturers and scholars; and introducing DAV’s short-term course on Viet Nam, which covers conversational Vietnamese, as well as knowledge of Viet Nam’s diplomacy, politics, economy, and society, with the aim of helping foreign diplomats adapt more quickly to life and work in Viet Nam.

For his part, Ambassador Iain Frew expressed his pleasure to visit the Academy and highly valued the existing cooperation between the two sides, particularly within multilateral frameworks such as ASEAN and the ASEAN Future Forum. The Ambassador affirmed his readiness to support the promotion of study opportunities in the United Kingdom, strengthen connections with the Chevening alumni network, organise discussions on AI in education with the participation of the British Council, facilitate internship opportunities through the network of British businesses in Viet Nam, promote scholar exchanges, and explore cooperation regarding DAV’s proposed short-term training course.

Following the working session, Ambassador Iain Frew delivered a talk to DAV students on the topic “The UK in the Indo-Pacific: A Strategy for a Changing Region.” He shared the United Kingdom’s perspective on an increasingly uncertain, competitive, and interconnected world, highlighting three core principles: (i) commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific; (ii) promoting economic growth and resilience; and (iii) investing in partnerships across the region. The Ambassador emphasized that Viet Nam is a particularly important partner of the United Kingdom across a wide range of areas, including political dialogue, security, trade, education, and climate cooperation. He also reviewed several milestones in bilateral and multilateral cooperation, including the UK's accession to the CPTPP in 2024, the elevation of UK–Viet Nam relations to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in 2025, and the fifth anniversary of the ASEAN–UK Dialogue Partnership (2021–2026), during which Viet Nam serves as the ASEAN Country Coordinator for ASEAN–UK relations for the 2024–2027 term.

In addition, the Ambassador shared insights from his own diplomatic career and introduced the UK Government’s Chevening Scholarship programme, a global scholarship scheme for emerging leaders. He also highlighted the newly established Chevening–ASEAN programme and various diplomacy-related courses offered by leading universities in the United Kingdom.

The event continued with a lively question-and-answer session between the Ambassador and DAV students. Students demonstrated strong interest in contemporary issues concerning Viet Nam–UK relations, raising questions on a range of topics including finance, renewable energy, and the United Kingdom’s experience in the field of intellectual property rights.

At the conclusion of the programme, Dr. Nguyen Thi Thin expressed her honour in welcoming the Ambassador to the Academy and her appreciation for his inspiring and insightful remarks. The Vice President noted that the visit not only reflected the growing Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between Viet Nam and the United Kingdom, but also demonstrated the Ambassador’s commitment to supporting and inspiring the next generation of young diplomats. She expressed confidence that DAV students had gained valuable knowledge and perspectives from the exchange.

The event concluded in a cordial and open atmosphere, contributing to the strengthening of relations between the Academy and the British Embassy and opening up new avenues for practical cooperation in education and training between the two sides in the years ahead./.

Additional photos: 

Division of External Relations and Communication, Diplomatic Academy of Viet Nam