According to Vietnam News, the Vietnamese education sector aims to attract students from the ASEAN region and encourage Vietnamese students to study in ASEAN countries, said Deputy Minister of Education and Training Bui Van Ga in a recent policy dialogue of the European Union (EU) Support to Higher Education in ASEAN Region (SHARE) Programme in Hanoi.

Credit transfer and scholarship schemes will be the major forms of student mobility in the ASEAN region. SHARE will provide about 500 scholarships for ASEAN university students from 2016. Vietnam is also going to issue a National Qualifications Framework based on the ASEAN Qualifications Reference Framework to facilitate student exchanges among ASEAN member countries.

The ASEAN is working with a consortium led by the British Council in Indonesia to implement SHARE.

According to the Ministry of Education and Training, Vietnam currently sends about 130,000 Vietnamese students abroad and hosts around 20,000 international students.

Local higher education institutions are encouraged to offer joint training programmes in partnership with foreign investors and universities as a way to increase the training quality of the country.  To date, there are 250 active joint-training and 34 advanced programmes in Vietnam and a few international universities were set up in Vietnam such as Vietnam-German University, Vietnam-France University, Vietnam-Japan University, Vietnam-UK Institute, and a private Fulbright University.

Source:
http://vietnamnews.vn/society/297904/asean-vn-look-to-boost-student-mobility.html
http://vietnamnews.vn/opinion/298042/vn-preps-to-draw-foreign-students.html

Additional information by Nga Bui, Education Services Manager

The near-future increase in student mobility within ASEAN countries will present fiercer competition to attract students to the UK.  However, it is suggested that UK institutions having their own campuses or TNE programmes in the region should alternatively promote themselves to Vietnamese students, as well as student in other countries.  A top-up year in the UK could be added as an option for UK experience.

The local government has an agenda to enhance teaching of English language and a few science subjects in English from school levels.  This trend and the integration of the regional education will likely push the demand for English language training. Offering of English training courses at UK branch campuses in the region will be a good way to promote their facilities.