According to the latest data from the Ministry of Education and Training, about 22,000 foreign students are studying in Vietnam at higher education institutions. The number of foreign students in Vietnam has been trending upward in recent years.
In previous academic years, such as 2020-2021, there were 18,500 international students, while in 2021-2022, there were 16,000 and in 2022-2023, the number increased to 20,000.
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Number of international students at Vietnamese higher education institutions over the years. (Source: Ministry of Education and Training) |
Among the approximately 22,000 foreign students studying in Vietnam, nearly 4,000 are on scholarship programmes, and the rest are self-funded or on bilateral agreements at the school or local levels.
For the 2023-2024 academic year, the Ministry of Education and Training admitted 1,087 foreign students for undergraduate and postgraduate studies at Vietnamese higher education institutions under scholarship programmes.
According to the Ministry of Education and Training, higher education institutions attract and provide the best conditions for foreign students. Student exchanges with foreign countries have been implemented following current regulations, this promotes cultural exchange, academic cooperation, and strengthening solidarity and friendship with other countries as well as international integration.
However, the Ministry also noted that the number of foreign students studying in Vietnam is still limited, with a concentration of students from Laos and Cambodia, who currently make up nearly 80% of the total number of foreign students.
According to the Ministry of Education and Training, “The attraction and training of foreign students at many higher education institutions have not been given sufficient attention. Some mechanisms and policies have not fully facilitated the attraction of foreign students to study in Vietnam, such as issues related to health insurance and visas”.
Additionally, there is currently no mechanism to facilitate and attract highly skilled professionals to teach and conduct research at higher education institutions in Vietnam. These institutions still need to complete all procedures and processes similar to those for all foreign workers.
In the 2023-2024 academic year, nearly 3,000 foreign experts and Vietnamese expatriates have come to teach, conduct research, and engage in academic exchanges in Vietnam. Foreign experts primarily worked in language teaching, curriculum development, international projects, and collaborative training programmes between universities in Vietnam and abroad.
For the upcoming 2024-2025 academic year, one of the key tasks for the education sector is to continue enhancing international integration in education. This includes the effective attraction and use of foreign resources for education and training as well as the implementation of policies to attract foreign experts and scientists for collaborative research and training at Vietnamese higher education institutions. Efforts will also be made to boost the recruitment of international students to study in Vietnam.
