Using case studies in university curricula will help meet the need for ahighly qualified workforce in the ASEAN Economic Community that takeseffect next year, a professor of Vietnam National University'sTechnology University in Ho Chi Minh City said.

Prof. Bui Thi Minh Hang said that US's Harvard Business School used the case study method in its teaching programme.

Hang,who spoke at a workshop on building academic bridges held on July 28 byVietnam National University-HCM City (VNU-HCM), said the method helpsprovide students with opportunities to learn and practice management,recognise and solve real world problems in the classroom.

A lackof real-life understanding of the workplace hampered students' knowledgeand ability, while there were few opportunities to practice managementskills, she said.

Hang said that Vietnam's universities should use international case studies as a basis to develop local cases.

She added that conferences or workshops on case study methods for business and social management faculties should be organised.

TheVNU-HCM plans to develop case studies for its members and trainingmanagers for enterprises under the assistance of Singapore ManagementUniversity (SMU).

The two universities on July 28 signed anagreement to enhance their academic strengths and promote economic,legal and education cooperation between Singapore and Vietnam.

Inthe agreement, SMU will help train case writing teams on business andlaw topics in Vietnam. It will allow VNU-HCM access to its case teachingdatabase at its Centre for Management Practice (CMP) for a period oftwo years at no cost.

VNU-HCM will assist SMU by providingadvice, contacts and references and CMP will add the Vietnamese casestudies to its database.

In addition, they will create astudent/faculty exchange programme, a joint Master's/PhD programme, andprovide business services to the community such a legal consulting.

SMU will assist in setting up a centre for management practice at VNU-HCM.-VNA