The number of Vietnamese students studying overseas increases every year. Currently there are around 130,000 studying abroad, mostly in the US, Australia, the UK, and Japan, according to the latest data from Vietnam International Education Development (VIED) under the Ministry of Education and Training (MoET). 

Of these, 90 per cent are self-financed while the remainder received scholarships or are on national programmes. Parents nowadays tend to send their children to study aboard from an early age, investing $30,000-40,000 annually over the course of eight to ten years. 

According to a survey of more than 350 overseas graduates by training and recruitment consultancy Son Hung Dung (SHD), 64 per cent of students decide to stay overseas, mostly to earn a job to recover the cost for their study overseas.

In addition, 87 per cent of those who returned to Vietnam to work said they had difficulties in finding a job and working in the local workplace environment. 

Employers also find those studying overseas have less understanding about Vietnamese markets and adaptability with the local technology platform than local graduates. 

Vietnam has begun to try and encourage overseas students to return home and work by introducing preferential policies, according to Mr. Xuan Vang, Head of VIED. He said that VIED has connection with a network of employers seeking staff that studied overseas.

Read the full article for Vietnamese students’ decision making factors for studying overseas and employers’ recruitment criteria in Vietnam as well.

Commentary by Nga Bui, Education Services Manager

The overall number of Vietnamese students studying overseas has been increasing steadily over the past years, even during the economic downturn. Nevertheless, the number of students going to the UK has been on the down-trend since the visa policy no longer supports post-study work.

The above article provides a clear insight to explain the decline in number of Vietnamese students going to the UK for study in recent years although such values offered by the UK education as quality, recognition and safe as a destination remain prevailing.