UK Viet Nam Transnational Education Development in Viet Nam

The British Council supports UK Transnational Education (TNE) through working with governments and regulators overseas, to understand their priorities, and with the UK sector to see how we can help them achieve common goals. In collaboration with relevant authorities, we have worked to remove barriers to TNE and to promote new opportunities.

In 2024-25, the British Council in Viet Nam has partnered with a consortium of four universities, including: HCMC University of Economics and Finance (UEF), HCMC University of Technology (HUTECH), Viet Nam – Korea University of Information and Communication Technology, The University of Danang (VKU) and Phenikaa University to implement a series of activities to strengthen the capacity of the UK TNE providers in Viet Nam, promote quality, and advocate the establishment of a strong community of practice that can bring benefits to these providers.

Project objectives:

Raise public awareness and promote the value and benefits of UK TNE in Viet Nam among relevant stakeholders (students, parents, educators and employers) through social media campaigns and a series of videos featuring successful UK TNE alumni.
Establish a strong TNE Community of Practice between UK and Viet Nam institutions through a series of activities such as network recruitment, capacity building, and event organisation.
Promote and disseminate knowledge about TNE through research and surveys on key TNE topics.

Project outcomes:

1. Video promotion: Five video clips showcasing TNE success stories, project highlights, and essential learning materials for a community with nearly one million views on YouTube and Facebook:

2. Community of Practice (CoP): The Viet Nam-UK Transnational Education Consortium was established to enhance education quality, promote research, and foster academic exchange among its members. This will benefit students, lecturers, and education professionals. After the project ends, the CoP will sustain its efforts through regular meetings, capacity-building sessions, and knowledge exchange workshops to prolong the project's legacy and strengthen the partnerships between the two countries.

3. Survey on TNE programmes: The project conducted a survey with nearly 400 high school students, 150 university students enrolled in UK-TNE programmes, 200 educators and lecturers, and 20 large corporations with over 200 employees.

Key takeaways from the survey:

From students’ perspectives, high tuition fees, limited internship opportunities, and language barriers are the top three obstacles to enrolling in TNE programmes. Scholarship opportunities, high-quality teaching, employability, and international experience are what high school students most expect from the UK TNE programme.
From lecturers' and educators' perspectives, high tuition fees, lack of detailed information, and concerns about degree quality are among the biggest barriers to enrolment. The leading areas for improvement in UK-TNE programmes to better meet the needs of faculty and students include greater use of advanced technology and AI for innovative teaching methods, better teaching quality and standardised materials, and more internship opportunities.
From enterprises’ perspectives, they believe that the UK-TNE programme should focus on improving practical soft skills (teamwork, communication, and presentation) and work experience through internships.

See full survey report here

Overall, as UK TNE continues to evolve in Viet Nam, addressing key challenges such as financial barriers, language proficiency concerns, and the need for more practical experiences will be crucial. By focusing on these areas and leveraging the strengths of both UK and Vietnamese educational systems, UK TNE can play a pivotal role in shaping Viet Nam's educational landscape and contributing to its economic development in the coming years.

4. Face-to-face events:

Four public events raising awareness and promoting UK TNE programmes, attracting nearly 600 high school students
Four capacity-building workshops with the involvement of 10 UK institutions and over 500 TNE staff from 75 higher education institutions delivering TNE programmes in Viet Nam

Public event | 28 November 2024 | The Journey to Becoming Global Citizens for Gen Z

With the participation of nearly 100 students from Sedbergh Viet Nam – BCIS, this event highlighted the importance of equipping Gen Z with essential skills to confidently navigate and seize development opportunities in the context of globalisation. Throughout the event, students also gained valuable insights into study-abroad opportunities and received guidance on preparing for their journey to become high-quality global citizens.

Public event | 21 February 2025 | UK TNE: Connecting education, opening up the world

The talk show attracted over 100 students, delving into the numerous benefits of the UK - TNE programme, including advanced education with modern teaching methods, cost-effective study options, diverse career opportunities, and exposure to a real-life working environment. This event not only provided valuable information about the UK TNE programme but also promoted educational cooperation between Viet Nam and the UK.

Public event | 1 March 2025 | The Key to Global Success: UK-TNE

The event took place at Vạn Hạnh Primary, Secondary, and High School (HCMC), welcoming nearly 100 participants. It provided students with opportunities to access internationally standardised education without the need to study abroad. The event also featured interactive activities, including networking sessions, mini-games, and a live Q&A session, enabling students to gain a deeper understanding of the TNE programmes and scholarship opportunities available.

Public event | 1 March 2025 | The Journey to Becoming Global Citizens

With the participation of more than 250 students from high schools in Da Nang, the event provided participants with comprehensive information on academic opportunities and the orientation of studying in Viet Nam while pursuing international degrees. Additionally, students had the chance to visit the VKU campus to gain more insights into the learning environment and facilities available if they enroll in a UK TNE programme.

Workshop | 9 December 2024 | Innovative Curriculum Design and Assessment Strategies in TNE: Challenges and Opportunities: Practical Solutions for Transnational Education Innovation

The workshop attracted over 100 participants and focused on the importance of innovative curriculum design in TNE programmes and the benefits of digital transformation in reshaping educational approaches. The event also featured a roundtable discussion on the challenges of implementing TNE programmes and proposed solutions, including enhancing collaboration between universities and training faculty to understand and adapt to cultural differences.