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The IMC University of Applied Sciences Krems in Austria conducted a graduation event on Tuesday for 30 Vietnamese students, marking the initial group of a top-tier nursing education initiative.

The graduates are part of 150 Vietnamese participants involved in a fully sponsored scholarship program, marking the initial major effort by the state of Lower Austria and Austria as a whole to tackle the increasing need for healthcare professionals due to the aging population.

The event was attended by Vietnamese Ambassador to Austria Vu Le Thai Hoang, Lower Austria’s Minister of Education and Social Affairs Christiane Teschl-Hofmeister, Krems Mayor Peter Molnar, Chairman of the IMC Krems University Council Heinz Boyer, and Director of the university’s International Nursing Training Centre Markus Golla.

Speaking at the event, Minister Teschl-Hofmeister and Director Golla highlighted the program as one of the most sophisticated and extensive nursing training and hiring models in Europe, designed to create highly qualified nurses who are fluent in German and well adapted to the local culture.

The Vietnamese trainees are commended for their hard work, professionalism, and flexibility, and are anticipated to enhance the healthcare sector in Lower Austria, which employs approximately 4,000 nurses.

Ambassador Hoang praised the students and faculty for their hard work, highlighting the graduation as a significant achievement that paves the way for enhanced collaboration in skilled labor and vocational education between Vietnam and Lower Austria, as well as Austria overall, particularly in fields where Vietnam excels and Austria has a need, such as healthcare, hospitality, information technology, engineering, construction, and agriculture.

As per the diplomat, the event signifies a tangible move toward the effective implementation of the Vietnam-Austria cooperation forum on skilled labor and vocational training, which took place in Krems last December.

The initiative is a collaboration between IMC Krems and Hanoi University. Trainees finish German language courses up to the B2 level in Vietnam before enrolling in a year of advanced nursing education in Austria, combined with hands-on experience at nearby healthcare centers. After completing the program, all participants are assured job placements at hospitals and medical facilities in Lower Austria, receiving wages that match those of local employees.