Student Parent Association of the Lycée Français Alexandre Yersin in Hanoi, Vietnam
LFAY Relocation Update – January 5, 2011. Student Parent Association (APE) of the Lycée Français Alexandre Yersin (LFAY) ape.lfay@gmail.com http://apeyersinhanoi.blogspot.com This update follows the one made public online in October 2010. The last 3 months of the year were eventful for the new Lycée file. We had expressed dismay in the October update at the low level of involvement on the part of French authorities since the start of 2010, in light of the urgent need to relocate the Lycée. Although there is still no collaboration between the APE and French authorities, we now wish to publicly acknowledge the work of both the Embassy and the AEFE (France’s Agency for French Education Abroad) during the last 3 months of the year, as well as their high level of involvement with regards to recent developments. Despite the ongoing difficulties in maintaining a fruitful dialogue with Hanoi municipal authorities on the subject of the new Lycée, some solutions have been found. The recent visits to Hanoi of several French officials seem to have been leveraged to energize discussions with Vietnamese authorities, to help the Lycée file move forward. The Embassy’s Cultural & Cooperation Counsellor was particularly active (along with the Lycée Principal) in visiting sites and holding talks with both the Hanoi People’s Committee and that of Hung Yen (for the Ecopark site).
We can summarize recent developments as follows:
. November 2010: 1- The AEFE announces it is ending discussions on the Dai Mo site, which was the only option proposed by the Hanoi People’s Committee. In light of the legal complexities of the Dai Mo site (proposed in October 2009 by the Hanoi People’s Committee) and the environmental challenges found (including the proximity of the new Hoa Lac highway), the AEFE consults the French Embassy and decides to end discussions on that site on the road to Hoa Lac. It should be noted that this option was for a long time the first choice of French authorities, much to the chagrin of the APE. Since late 2009 we had drawn attention the weaknesses of this location in our discussions with the AEFE and the Embassy. At that time we had demanded an in-depth study of the Dai Mo site to analyze its potential risks. We had also urged the identification of alternate sites. 2- A new site proposal from the Hanoi People’s Committee in the Long Bien area. A new meeting takes place between the Embassy and AEFE with the Hanoi People’s Committee in early November. The latter proposed a new potential site near Long Bien Bridge. The Embassy and Lycée Principal organize a visit to the Long Bien People’s Committee, and a meeting is held with the area’s Party Secretary and Committee President. 3 adjacent lots totalling around 5 hectares are presented as a site capable of hosting the new Lycée. It should be noted that the very interesting location of this site had already been highlighted by some student parents in 2008; it had already been visited by the AEFE, which had afterwards sent an official e-mail to the Hanoi People’s Committee asking whether the site was available. The Hanoi People’s Committee had replied that it was not. We are happy to see this site proposed again in late 2010, even though the proposed lot price will probably be much higher than the one that had been quoted in 2008.
. December 2010: 1- A new site is proposed in the Phap Van area to the south of the city, following some work by a Vietnamese student parent. A visit of the Phap Van site, owned by the HUD Corporation, is organized by the Principal. This 2.4 hectare, readyto-build lot is made up of two adjacent parcels (2 hectares + 0.4), one of which already holds a newly-built 10-class kindergarten school. A rather high 50-year leasing price is mentioned verbally by the lot owner, in addition to the cost of purchasing the existing building of the kindergarten school. French authorities request a written proposal in line with the tender prepared by the AEFE (including land registry coordinates, surface area, price, etc..) 2- A request is made to the Hanoi People’s Committee for an official proposal on the Long Bien site. A new meeting is held between French authorities and the Hanoi People’s Committee on the Long Bien site. During discussions, French authorities ask the People’s Committee for a written proposal providing details such as the precise surface area, land registry coordinates and lot price. While a price was mentioned verbally (and off-hand) during one of the site visits, it cannot be considered an official figure. 3- Vihajico, owner of the Ecopark site, notifies French authorities that it agrees with the complete of the Land Use Certificate transfer to the AEFE. If confirmed, this important decision would remove the last legal obstacle to considering the Ecopark site. If this site is selected, it would allow the AEFE to go ahead with a quick lease signing with the developer. A meeting takes place in mid-December with Vihajico and the Hung Yen People’s Committee on the consequences of this Land Use Certificate transfer, but several aspects of the legal procedures surrounding it remain unclear.
. What’s next: • • • • •
French authorities have given the Audier firm a mandate to further examine and move forward on the three current proposals, including the new proposed sites at Long Bien and Phap Van, for which numerous essential details and AEFE-required date must be collected. The Principal has asked the AEFE to organize after Têt a visit to Hanoi of the AEFE Regional Director and real estate experts. A technical meeting is planned in early March 2011 on the relocation file with legal and land planning experts. An information meeting is planned for all student parents on March 12. A panel of the Embassy, AEFE, student parents, Lycée staff, students and representatives of French citizens abroad is planned in late March 2011 in order to issue recommendations to the AEFE on the choice of a site.
. In conclusion: •
•
Even if we expect more obstacles to surface with regards to the existing site proposals, we feel the identification and selection process for a new Lycée has entered its final phase. Direct discussions with the various People’s Committees often take a long time, and an agreement on the Long Bien proposal will probably take a while to be crafted. Since the Phap Van proposal comes from a private company, the issue of the Land Use Certificate transfer will undoubtedly prove challenging. The Ecopark proposal does appear more advanced in both legal and administrative terms. We see that all interlocutors (French and Vietnamese) chose simultaneously to increase their involvement in this file. We expect in March to be presented with a choice between several quality sites, which is obviously a much more comforting scenario than what we faced in November 2009. Notwithstanding the lack of direct cooperation with the APE, communications with French authorities on this file are rather good. The Lycée relocation is urgent, and the APE remains focussed and attentive so as to ensure the proper academic future of the students.