July 22, 2022

Vietnamese Interest in Studying Abroad Fueled by Migration & ROI: Says Stakeholders

T There is a strong underlying interest in opportunities for international education, whether through a THE springboard in Vietnam or not, in a country where there is a clear obsession with English language proficiency and IELTS testing, as well as a widely held cultural belief that education is a worthwhile investment.

Vietnam already has a sizable and interconnected industry of education agencies, a long history of exposure to the idea of "master agent platforms," and an expanding ecosystem of In-Country Reps (often referred to as ICRs) who support the industry and work of agencies.

…low comparative cost of earning a foreign degree and the possibility for students to study abroad in their final year have led to a high demand among students for franchise programmes…

When INTO spoke to students and stakeholders they found that Vietnam has a distinct national divide between the south, where the US appears to dominate country preferences, and the north, where nations like the UK, Australia, and Canada have more of an influence.

Another finding during surveys was that high school study abroad was not prohibitively expensive, even taking into account flights and accommodations abroad, the cost of international schools in Vietnam was surprisingly high. The average cost of living in Vietnam was between $15,000 and $22,000 per year, according to a number of sources. According to Ngo Quang Trung, vice president at Van Lang University, the low comparative cost of earning a foreign degree and the possibility for students to study abroad in their final year have led to a high demand among students for franchise programmes.

Expense was important for students while choosing where to study, but programs like the TNE programs in Vietnam encourage locals to study abroad. Van Anh Hoang, director of education and society at the British Council Vietnam said, “We have around 5,000 students studying TNE programs in Vietnam.”

Partnerships with countries such as Australia also makes it easiest for Vietnamese students to study abroad. Speaking at a conference, Rebecca Ball, senior trade and investment commissioner for Austrade's operations in Vietnam and Cambodia, said that Australia has a "strong brand" in Vietnam thanks to numerous international collaborations. She added, “More than 22 Australian institutions have got about 19 or 20 different joint programs,” Ball said. “There’s always more coming online which is really exciting.”

Posted in News and tagged News, Vietnam, International Education, Study Abroad, IELTS, INTO, Van Lang University
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