In the public sector, Việt Nam National University in Hà Nội will include 17 new majors, including data science, electronic engineering and computers, management of urban development. The University of Science under the Việt Nam National University-Ho Chi Minh City, will also launch majors in medical physics, data science, applied mathematics, mathematics and computers, and geological engineering.

In the private higher education sector, new majors at Hồng Bàng International University will include midwifery, general medicine, oral health (bachelor's degree), digital marketing, management of natural resources and environment, biomedical engineering, industrial management, AI, biotechnology, electronic engineering and urban infrastructure engineering. According to the Rector of this university, these majors will be offered based on the high market demands: "The country is developing in many different sectors, including industries in the process of transformation, from mechanics to automation to digitalisation, with a high demand for electronic engineers. Marketing on social media in the country is strongly developing, leading to a great need for a digital marketing workforce. In addition, hospitals in the country will need more biomedical engineers."

On an another note, the conglomerate Vingroup officially opened its VinUni University (VinUni) in Hanoi in the middle of January 2020. With a total investment of VNĐ6.5 trillion (US$279 million), VinUni has the facilities for 3,500 students. In the first phase, VinUni will focus on three institutes: Business Administration, Health Sciences and Engineering and Computer Science. The university cooperates with two American universities Cornell and Pennsylvania in developing management, training, recruitment and quality assessment programmes. 

Reading further at:

https://vietnamnews.vn/society/591738/private-public-universities-launch-new-majors-to-meet-labour-trends.html

https://vietnamnews.vn/society/571175/vingroup-officially-opens-vinuni-university-in-ha-noi.html

Comments from Lien Ta, Senior Education Service Manager:

We can see that a majority of new majors offered by local universities focus in science and technology field, especially health sciences and IoT. This reflects priorities Vietnamese Government gives to the development of six technologies, aiming to develop the country's economy in the Fourth Industrial Revolution, including: IoT (the Internet of Things); Electronics engineering; New technologies in energy; AI; Biotechnology and Bio-heath electronics.

For UK institutions who are looking to develop partnership/TNE activities with Vietnamese universities, science and technology education should, therefore, be a potential subject area to look at. Although there are still more difficulties for doing partnership with local partners in this area than in business-related subjects, for example not many science-specialised students have as a good English level as those specilised in business or they may have lower demand and finance capability to study abroad, there are opportunities to do partnership in specific activities such as research collaboration, split PhD education, progression/articulation agreements.

British Council Vietnam will implement a campaign to promote UK education in science and technology, as well as support UK institutions in developing TNE activities in this subject area, in our calendar of activities in FY2020/21. Detailed information about this campaign will be announced by end of Februrary 2020. Please contact Lien Ta at lien.ta@britishcouncil.org.vn if you want to be updated with this campaign.