More than 40 principals and directors of universities participated in a conference organised on 21st July by the Ministry of Education and Training aiming to promote the development of transnational education programmes in Vietnam.

The MOET reported during the conference that currently there are about 400 TNE programmes developed between Vietnamese universities with overseas partners from more than 30 countries. The MOET's report also showed that 74% of these TNE programmes are in the field of Economics and Management, with Science and Technology, and Social Studies and Humanities only accounting for 11% and 6% irrespectively. The MOET's message at the conference was for local universities to develop more TNE programmes in broader fields such as IT, biotech, and software development, areas that will require large numbers of human resources in the near future. 

Some barriers to the development of TNE programmes were pointed out by universities' leaders during the conference. They include low English levels of high school graduates, lack of official recommendations of foreign partners and complicated visa procedures for foreign teachers or staff to work for TNE programmes in Vietnam.

Proposals to address some of these issues suggested by local universities during the conference incuded/:

• financial support from the government to improve English level of students enrolling in TNE programmes
• collaboration between the MOET and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Vietnamese culture and education representatives in foreign countries to recommend trusted foreign partners
• collaboration between universities ito develop TNE programmes in particular subject areas
• a scholarship scheme for Vietnamese students to take student exchange programmes at foreign institutions
• a qualification framework to enable credit transfer and quality assurance 
• an official body to govern the quality of TNE programmes

The MOET announced that more quality control activities to support TNE programmes will be undertaken in the near future.

Source of information:

https://vietnamnet.vn/en/society/chances-for-studying-int-l-programmes-in-vietnam-promoted-659798.html

https://giaoducthoidai.vn/thuc-day-cac-chuong-trinh-lien-ket-quoc-te-that-su-chat-luong-tai-viet-nam-1595303010890.html

https://vnexpress.net/dai-hoc-hien-ke-phat-trien-chuong-trinh-quoc-te-4133973.html

Comments from Lien Ta, Senior Education Services Manager:

The conference was organised by the MOET at a time iwhen, due to Covid-19,  an increasing number of Vietnamese families and students are considering changing their overseas study plans to studying an international programme in-country.

There are some challenges for local universities to open new TNE programmes in subject areas other than Business and Economics Management. These include low English levels of prospective students and difficulities in curriculum mapping. In the field of Science and Technology collaboration between universities in developing a TNE programme with one foreign partner is seen as a potiential solution to ensure sustainablity.

Quality assurance of TNE programmes continues to be a major issue that the MOET aims to address as it focuses on developing the TNE market in Vietnam. Late last year, a TNE programme was reportedly not teaching completely in English, causing bad results for some foreign students who enrolled in the programme.

If UK institutions are considering exploring TNE options in Vietnam it is important that they take into account the challenges listed above. From a marketing perspective, outcomes of TNE programmes need to be communicated to students and parents in a comprehensive way, including employability benefits of graduates, not just increased English skills as often communicated by TNE programmes.