Each university lecturer who is sent to study abroad for doctoral training under the Project 89 will be supported with a tuition fee cap of US$25,000 per year along with many expenses such as living expenses, insurance, and airfare.

The level of support has been official confirmed by the Ministry of Finance in Circular 30/2022/TT-BTC guiding the financial mechanism to implement the project of improving the capacity of lecturers and managers of higher education institutions in the period of 2019-2030, approved by the Prime Minister in Decision No. 89 in 2019 (Project 89). The Circular will take effect from 20 July 2022.

The scholarship covers:

  • Annual tuition fee: US$25,000
  • Monthly living allowance: US$1,300 (actual study time, paid biannual or quarterly)
  • Compulsory health insurance (up to a maximum of US$1,000 per year); visa; one-way airfare; 100 USD travel cost for full time training.

Accordingly, support applies to those who have been trained full-time abroad at the doctoral and master's levels. Tuition and related expenses are paid according to the contract signed between the Ministry of Education and the overseas training institution at the rate announced in the student acceptance letter. If the tuition fee is higher than US$25,000 (more than 580 million VND), learners must bear the difference or the local institutions that send lecturers abroad will pay.

In special cases where it is necessary to attract lecturers from excellent graduates, young scientists, the Minister of Education and Training will consider and decide.

Information about the Project 89
The Project 89 is established according to Decision 89/QĐ-TTg issued by the Prime Minister on 18/1/2019. The Project sets a goal of doctoral training for about 10% of university lecturers, of which 7% are trained full-time abroad, 3% at home under a scholarship programme.

To be qualified for the scholarship, full-time lecturers from universities must participate in a selection process. Participants must be under 40 years of age, have met the entry requirements of the training program, are accepted by foreign institutions; or lecturers who are studying in a doctoral program and have a study or research period of 18 months or more.
In addition to the doctoral level, full-time lecturers who teach majors in the fields of art, physical training and sport are eligible for overseas master scholarships.

According to the Ministry of Education and Training, to fulfil the goals of Project 89, in the next 10 years, Viet Nam needs about 7,300 lecturers with doctoral degrees and over 300 lecturers in the field of culture, art and physical training, sports with master's degrees. In 2021 alone, nearly 1,300 lecturers have registered for a PhD program under the Project 89.

Sources:

To understand more about this scholarship programme, learn from partnership approach and key factors to success, please watch the recorded video of the workshop on Project 89 which was co-organised by the British Council in Viet Nam, Department of International Trade – UK Embassy and UK–Viet Nam Higher Education Network on 3 December 2021: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HvbOddvJWdc.

Other reference documents of the workshop: https://www.britishcouncil.vn/en/programmes/education/internationalisat…