Attracting international students brings value to the learners, strengthens academic exchange and collaboration, and enhances the University’s prestige.
In the context of deepening globalization, attracting international students plays a vital role in elevating the position and prestige of higher education institutions. It also creates numerous practical and sustainable international cooperation opportunities. International students serve as cultural, scientific, and intellectual bridges, enriching the academic environment and fostering stronger connections between nations.
Recognizing this, Ho Chi Minh City Open University has identified international student recruitment as a key strategic priority for development. This strategic direction promotes greater exchange, collaboration, and overall institutional growth.
Outstanding Achievements in International Rankings
In an interview with Vietnam Journal of Education, Professor Dr. Nguyen Minh Ha, President of Ho Chi Minh City Open University, shared that thanks to its well-established reputation and high-quality training, the university currently hosts a significant number of international students from various countries such as Laos, Cambodia, Myanmar, Ghana, and the Philippines, enrolled in both undergraduate and graduate programs. The University also welcomes French and German students through its joint training programs with foreign educational institutions.
With 44 programs across different academic levels and joint degrees, Ho Chi Minh City Open University successfully caters to the diverse learning needs of international students. Business Administration and Computer Science are the most sought-after majors among international applicants.
According to Dr. Ha, one of the reasons for this strong international appeal lies in the university’s growing presence on the global education map, as reflected by several prestigious rankings.
Specifically, Times Higher Education (THE) listed Ho Chi Minh City Open University in the World University Rankings by Subject 2025, placing it among the top 801+ universities worldwide in the field of Business and Economics — one of only nine Vietnamese institutions to be featured out of 2,092 top higher education institutions globally. Following that, the THE Asia University Rankings 2025, announced on April 23rd, 2025, placed HCMCOU in the 501–600 bracket among Asia’s leading universities.
These impressive rankings have significantly enhanced the university’s reputation and attracted attention from international students, especially across the Asia-Pacific region.
Ho Chi Minh City Open University has implemented several concrete strategies to achieve these accomplishments.
First, the University continuously enhances its academic offerings to ensure graduates can integrate successfully into today’s highly competitive labor market. Programs are regularly updated to align with global market demands, meeting rigorous national and international accreditation standards. This equips students with essential knowledge and skills for employment both in Vietnam and abroad.
Second, Ho Chi Minh City Open University offers various scholarships and financial aid packages to provide equal learning opportunities for international students. Additional free services such as visa counseling, housing assistance, airport pickup, and cultural orientation programs help students adapt and thrive in their new academic environment.
Third, the University organizes a wide range of cultural exchange activities, giving international students opportunities to explore Vietnamese history, cuisine, and culture. Vietnamese language tutoring classes, supported by local students, also help foster closer bonds between domestic and international learners.
Fourth, Ho Chi Minh City Open University actively establishes partnerships with multinational companies through Memorandum of Understanding (MoUs) and internship agreements. Job fairs, employer talks, and international work-skills seminars are also regularly organized to connect students with industry partners.
Fifth, through diverse communication channels, Ho Chi Minh City Open University provides detailed program information and online consultations for prospective international students, with a special focus on scholarships and other incentives.
Beyond theoretical instruction, the University emphasizes practical experience and industry-relevant training. For instance, students in Business Administration engage in event organization and case study analysis, while those in Computer Science are involved in software development, networking systems, and artificial intelligence applications.
To remain competitive in attracting international students, the university actively offers a wide range of attractive scholarship programs. In 2025, Ho Chi Minh City Open University introduced several schemes, such as the Open Bright Scholarship, Fellowships, and Full Scholarships covering living expenses (4,500,000 VND/month), one-year Vietnamese language training, and four years of undergraduate tuition. Other options include full tuition waivers for the Vietnamese language program and partial tuition support.
In summary, attracting international students not only brings value to learners themselves but also fosters academic collaboration and contributes to enhancing the university’s reputation while promoting the internationalization of higher education. In practice, international students offer diverse perspectives, experiences, and knowledge, enriching classroom discussions and encouraging multidimensional critical thinking. Moreover, they introduce distinctive cultural elements from their home countries, creating valuable opportunities for Vietnamese students and faculty to explore and experience new cultures. Cultural exchange activities organized by the university further deepen mutual understanding and respect among different cultures.
However, during the implementation process, the recruitment of international students has encountered certain challenges, particularly in outreach strategies. Additionally, although many students complete a one-year Vietnamese language preparatory course, language barriers remain an obstacle for some in their academic journey. To address these limitations, the University has established a team of international student ambassadors currently studying at the institution to assist with outreach efforts and connect with peers from their home countries who are interested in pursuing education in Vietnam. Simultaneously, the university has created community groups not only to enhance academic development but also to inspire and diversify international students’ experiences through exposure to Vietnamese culture, tourism, and cuisine. These efforts ultimately support students in improving their communication skills.
To establish Ho Chi Minh City Open University as a leading destination for international education in Vietnam, Professor Nguyen Minh Ha emphasized that enhancing training quality and improving the international student experience remain the university’s top development priorities. In particular, the university is actively expanding its international training scale through various joint programs, global partnerships, and recruitment efforts via prestigious platforms such as THE and AAOU.
What Do International Students Say About the University’s Academic Programs?
According to Moe Phwint Phyu, a first-year English Linguistics student from Myanmar at Ho Chi Minh City Open University, she chose to study at the university because of its comprehensive support policies.
For example, the University’s OU Help to be Helped Club regularly organizes extracurricular activities for students, such as city tours, welcome programs for international students, museum visits, and Mid-Autumn Festival celebrations. Moreover, the university has dedicated faculty members responsible for supporting international students throughout their studies. In addition, the scholarship policies have been actively promoted by the university and have made a strong impression on many international students like Moe due to their diversity and extensive support.
However, like many other international students, Moe Phwint Phyu’s biggest challenge in her studies is communication. Although her academic program is conducted in English, she still faces language barriers when interacting with peers and people around her.
Therefore, she always feels grateful and appreciative that, alongside teaching Vietnamese, Ho Chi Minh City Open University has established a Language and Culture Club to provide weekly Vietnamese tutoring for international students. The club is operated by the university’s Faculty of Foreign Languages, with support from both faculty members and Vietnamese students.
“My experience living and studying at Ho Chi Minh City Open University has met my expectations. Through activities organized by the university, I have gained additional knowledge and developed a deeper understanding and love for Vietnamese culture. This has also created favorable conditions for me to improve my Vietnamese communication skills. For me, the easiest way to learn a new language is by first exploring the culture of that country”, expressed the international student from Myanmar.
