Gia Lai, 19–20 September 2026 – The Vietnam National University of Forestry (VNUF) collaborated with the EU – Viet Nam Sustainable Energy Transition (EVSET) Facility to hold its third and final pilot training workshop to test a newly developed integrated training curriculum on solid biofuels. Developed with support from the European Union (EU), the curriculum is part of the “Capacity Development and Building for Solid Biofuels Value Chain Key Actors in Viet Nam” initiative, implemented by VNUF with technical support from EVSET Facility.
The workshop, held at VNUF’s Gia Lai campus and attended by 30 VNUF students, together with lecturers and researchers, built on the success of the two earlier pilot training courses held at VNUF’s Hanoi and Dong Nai campuses, where 53 students from different academic disciplines successfully completed the course and received certificates of completion. During this third and final session in the series, participants explored key topics including the role of solid biofuels in the clean energy transition; solid biofuel production technologies; quality standards and market requirements; and sustainability across the solid biofuel value chain.
The workshop aimed to continue evaluating the draft curriculum under real classroom conditions, gather feedback from students and trainers, and identify opportunities to further strengthen the course content, teaching methodology and training materials before the curriculum is rolled out more broadly. Throughout the workshop, EVSET Facility experts observed teaching sessions delivered by VNUF faculty members who had previously completed the Briefing of Trainers programme. The experts provided technical guidance, answered participants’ questions and offered real-time feedback to support the instructors in applying the new curriculum and teaching approaches effectively.
Following the workshop, EVSET Facility experts will consolidate feedback from trainers and participants to assess the curriculum’s technical accuracy, clarity, delivery effectiveness and participant engagement, as they did following the two previous pilot courses. The findings will inform recommendations for further curriculum refinement, improvements to teaching materials, additional faculty capacity-building needs and adjustments for wider deployment.
To further validate the curriculum and strengthen its relevance, VNUF will coordinate with the EVSET Facility to organise three regional dissemination and consultation workshops to present the curriculum, share the results of the pilot testing and seek feedback from industry, academia and regulatory bodies. Based on stakeholder feedback, EVSET Facility experts will recommend revisions to finalise the training curriculum and make it ready for institutional adoption.
This EU support to VNUF reflects the importance the European Union places on strengthening academic capacity and preparing students to become engineers, technicians and other professionals who will contribute to Viet Nam’s sustainable energy future. The activity is part of the European Union’s support to Viet Nam under the EU–Viet Nam Sustainable Energy Transition Programme (SETP), which provides EUR 142 million in grant funding and contributes to the country’s transition towards a cleaner, more sustainable and resilient energy system.
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