On the morning of November 3, 2026, at Hall A, Ministry of Justice, as part of the Meeting and Signing Ceremony of Cooperation Documents between the Ministry of Justice of Vietnam and the French Republic, Hanoi Law University (HLU) officially signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Paris-Panthéon-Assas University (Paris 2 University) and the French Foundation for Continental Law on the establishment of a French Law Center at Hanoi Law University.

Representative of the French Embassy in Vietnam

Representatives of the Vietnamese Ministry of Justice at the meeting

An Important Diplomatic Event within the Framework of Vietnam–France Cooperation in Law and Justice

The ceremony took place in a formal atmosphere immediately following the meeting between Mr. Nguyen Thanh Tinh, Deputy Minister of Justice of Vietnam, and H.E. Didier Le Bret, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the French Republic to Vietnam.

In the presence of leaders of the Ministry of Justice and representatives of the French Embassy in Vietnam, Hanoi Law University was represented by Assoc. Prof. Dr. To Van Hoa, Rector of the University, while Ms. Anne-Charlotte Gros, Chief Executive Officer of the French Foundation for Continental Law, represented its President, Mr. Bruno Lasserre. They officially signed the three-party Memorandum of Understanding, together with Paris-Panthéon-Assas University, represented by its President, Professor Stéphane Braconnier. Both representatives also delivered remarks at the ceremony.

Assoc. Prof. Dr. To Van Hoa, Rector of Hanoi Law University, and Ms. Anne-Charlotte Gros, Chief Executive Officer of the French Foundation for Continental Law, signing the cooperation agreement.

As part of the same event, Deputy Minister Nguyen Thanh Tinh and Ambassador Didier Le Bret signed the Cooperation Plan for the 2027–2028 period between the Vietnamese Ministry of Justice and the French Embassy in Vietnam. The Vietnam Notary Association and the French High Council of Notaries also signed a Memorandum of Understanding on cooperation.

Deputy Minister Nguyen Thanh Tinh and Ambassador Didier Le Bret signing the Cooperation Plan for the 2027–2028 period between the Vietnamese Ministry of Justice and the French Embassy in Vietnam.

Key Areas of Cooperation of the French Law Center at Hanoi Law University

The Memorandum of Understanding is established on the basis of the Agreement between the Government of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam and the Government of the French Republic on Legal and Judicial Cooperation, signed on February 10, 1993, and the Administrative Arrangement between the Ministers of Justice of the two countries, signed on September 6, 2016. The agreement aims to significantly promote teaching, research and cooperation in French-language legal studies in Vietnam.

Assoc. Prof. Dr. To Van Hoa taking a commemorative photo with Professor Stéphane Braconnier.

Under the agreement, the French Law Center at Hanoi Law University will focus on the following key areas of cooperation:

• Specialized Training: Providing instruction in legal French and French law.

• Scientific Research: Developing joint research activities and projects between scholars from the two countries.

• Academic Forums: Jointly organizing meetings, conferences and specialized academic seminars on topics related to the legal reform processes of the participating parties.

• Expanding Networks of Legal Professionals: Promoting partnerships between law training institutions and professional legal organizations in Vietnam and France, including the Vietnam Notary Association, the French High Council of Notaries, the Vietnam Bar Federation, the National Bar Council, and the National Council of Judicial Officers and Auctioneers, among others.

Assoc. Prof. Dr. To Van Hoa and Ms. Anne-Charlotte Gros, Chief Executive Officer of the French Foundation for Continental Law, taking a commemorative photo.

Commitment to Mobilizing Resources for Sustainable Development

To ensure the effective and practical operation of the French Law Center, the three parties have agreed on a close coordination mechanism and a comprehensive mobilization of resources:

• Hanoi Law University: The University will provide facilities and modern equipment to support the Center's activities, while assigning two Vietnamese lecturers with strong French-language proficiency.

• The French Foundation for Continental Law: The Foundation will provide one year of funding for a French postdoctoral researcher specializing in law, recruited by Paris-Panthéon-Assas University, to be based at Hanoi Law University. The researcher will directly contribute to teaching, research and legal cooperation activities at the University.

• Paris-Panthéon-Assas University: The University will provide online training courses in French, as well as French language and specialized legal French courses.

Assoc. Prof. Dr. To Van Hoa delivering remarks at the signing ceremony.

The agreement takes effect immediately upon signing and remains valid for one year. It may be renewed by mutual agreement for successive three-year periods. The parties also undertake to jointly seek financial opportunities to ensure the long-term sustainability of their projects.

The signing ceremony concluded successfully at 11:50 a.m. on the same day with a commemorative photo session involving the leaders of the participating institutions and attending delegates.

The establishment of the French Law Center at Hanoi Law University marks a new milestone in the University's internationalization strategy for higher education. It opens up new opportunities for international-standard learning and research for lecturers and students, while further strengthening the longstanding and fruitful cooperation between Vietnam and the French Republic in the fields of law and justice.