International Conference: VLAS 2025

Founded in 1960, Foreign Trade University (FTU) is a leading public university in Vietnam. FTU offers programs in Economics, Business, Business Administration, Law, Finance & Banking, Accounting & Auditing, Computer Science, and Business Languages. The university currently teaches five foreign languages - English, French, Japanese, Chinese, and Spanish - and hosts a large portfolio of high quality degree programs delivered in these languages. The curricula of these programs are co-designed and delivered with top global partners, creating rich academic exchange, international profession-oriented opportunities and dual-degree pathways. A hallmark is FTU’s Business Language programs, which combine advanced language-for-business training with solid professional knowledge such as International Business, Marketing, Logistics, Trade Finance to meet learners’ real needs.

Keynote Speaker   

Professor Barry O’Sullivan OBE, Head of Assessment Research & Development at the British Council, is a leading figure in global language assessment. He has advised ministries and institutions worldwide, contributed extensively to research and publications, and played a key role in developing the socio-cognitive model of test validation. He is a Fellow of the UK Academy of Social Sciences and the Asian Association for Language Assessment, and has received lifetime achievement awards from the E-Assessment Association (2023) and the English Language Testing Society (2025). 

Distinguished Guests and Speakers   

• Dr Nguyen Mai Huu, Director of NFLP since 2017, has contributed significantly to national language education initiatives and research in assessment, ESP/EOP, CLIL, and EMI.
• MA. Calum John Leatham - Faculty of Business English – Foreign Trade University.   
• Dr Cao Thi Hong Phuong, teacher trainer at Hanoi National University of Education, holds a PhD in Applied Linguistics from Victoria University of Wellington. Her research focuses on assessment literacy, curriculum development, and the integration of assessment into teacher education. 
• Dr Quynh Nguyen, Director of the Office of Assessment and Quality Control at ULIS, VNU Hanoi, holds a PhD in Applied Linguistics from the University of Melbourne. She contributes to national and international projects on language education and assessment, and currently serves as President of the Asian Association for Language Assessment.
• Dr Pham Thi Hong Nhung, lecturer at Hue University of Foreign Languages, earned her PhD in Applied Linguistics from the University of Queensland. Her research spans teacher education, intercultural communication, and ESP. She has led national projects and published in leading journals and volumes from Cambridge, Routledge, and Multilingual Matters.
• Dr Phuong Hoang Yen, Associate Professor and Vice Dean at the School of Foreign Languages, Can Tho University, holds a PhD in Linguistics from KU Leuven. Her research focuses on assessment, teacher development, self-regulated learning, and curriculum innovation. She has led national and international projects and published widely in the field.

[Further speakers are to be announced.]

The symposium will be held at Foreign Trade University, Block D, with check-in from 8:00am. The day will include: 

• Opening speeches and keynote presentations   
• A panel discussion   
• Afternoon breakout sessions featuring research and practical insights   
• Closing plenary talks, concluding by 5:00pm 

[The full programme will be uploaded here when available] 

Attendance is by invitation through the British Council, NFLP, or FTU. If you have not received an invitation but are interested in attending, please contact: VLAS.2025@britishcouncil.org.

Please revisit this page for later updates.