Around 22,000 foreign students are studying in Vietnam's higher education institutions, the highest number in nine years, according to the latest data from the Ministry of Education and Training (MoET).
Of these, nearly 4,000 are on scholarship programs, and the rest are self-funded students or under bilateral agreements at the school or local levels, the MoET said, noting that the number of foreign students in Vietnam has been trending upward in recent years.
Number of international students in Vietnamese higher education institutions over the years. Source: MoET |
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Specifically, 18,500 foreign students were admitted to Vietnam for the 2020-21 school year. This number dropped to 16,000 in 2021-2022, but increased to 20,000 in 2022-2023, according to the ministry.
Some 1,087 international students have been accepted by MoET under scholarship programs for undergraduate and postgraduate studies at Vietnamese higher education institutions for the 2023-2024 academic year.
Foreign students often choose to study at institutions that specialize in language, culture and theory, such as Hanoi University, the University of Social Sciences and Humanities under Vietnam National University-Hanoi and the Academy of Journalism and Communication.
A number of technical and business universities, including Foreign Trade University, Vietnam-France University and Hanoi University of Science and Technology, have recently admitted international students.
The MoET emphasized that student exchanges with foreign countries have benefited cultural exchange, academic cooperation and the strengthening of solidarity and friendship with other countries, as well as international integration.
International students studying at the Hanoi University. Photo courtesy of the university |
About 80% of international students studying in Vietnam are from Laos and Cambodia. A few come from South Korea, China and Japan to pursue Vietnamese studies. In addition, the majority of foreign students in Vietnam are enrolled in undergraduate and short-term programmes, with only a small percentage seeking master's or doctoral degrees, according to the ministry.
In the academic year 2023-24, nearly 3,000 foreign experts and Vietnamese expatriates came to Vietnam for teaching, research, and exchanges. Foreign professionals were mainly involved in language teaching, curriculum development, international projects, and joint training programs between Vietnamese and foreign universities.
For the upcoming academic year 2024-2025, one of the key tasks for the education sector is to further strengthen international integration in education. This includes effectively attracting and using foreign resources for education and training, taking measures to attract foreign experts and scientists for cooperation in research and training, promoting the recruitment of more international students.
Foreign Trade University offers extracurricular activities for its international students. Photo: FTU Corner |
According to the MoET's Department of International Cooperation, international students studying in Hanoi are mainly at the undergraduate level, with a small number studying for master's and doctoral degrees. Most Ph.D. students in Vietnam are Laotian and Cambodian, with a small number of international students from China, South Korea, France, and Japan. Educational institutions that attract large numbers of international students (over 1,000) and diverse nationalities include Vietnam National University-Hanoi (with 74 nationalities) and Hanoi University (with 44 nationalities). According to Hanoi University, more than 3,000 foreign students from 46 countries are enrolled in postgraduate and short-term training programs there between 2016 and 2021. Of these, 234 are covered by government agreements and 2,719 are not; 50% of them are full-time students. The majority of international students - about 85% - study in the university's Faculty of Vietnamese Studies. Overseas students make up 5% of the total student population. |
