German engineering giant Siemens has announced to donate software worth USD71 million next month to the Higher Education Engineering Alliance Programme to help Vietnamese universities develop the next generation of engineers.

HEEAP, developed in collaboration with the government of Viet Nam, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the Arizona State University\'s Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering (ASU), Siemens, and Intel Corporation, assists top technical universities in Vietnam in improving their electrical and mechanical engineering curriculums.

The goal is to develop a highly-skilled technical workforce that will attract and sustain a healthy high-tech manufacturing industry.

It focuses on developing and advancing inter-disciplinary and applied engineering and vocational curriculums through instructional innovation and university level transformation.

The project, which works with the Ministry of Education and Training, partner university leadership, and industry leaders, focuses on faculty instructional innovation and university-level transformation.

The software will be granted through Siemens Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) software to Hanoi University of Technology, Danang University of Technology, Can Tho University, HCM City University of Technical Education, and the HCM City University of Technology.

"Advanced technology like the PLM software is critical to preparing our students for the challenges of a global economy," Jeffrey S. Goss, director of HEEAP and assistant dean of Global Outreach and Extended Education at the Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering, said.

"Preparation for software application has been completed. Our teachers were trained and ready to use the software," Thai Ba Can, headmaster of the HCM City University of Technical Education said.