British University Vietnam enters deal to meet education demand in HCMC

British University Vietnam (BUV) has struck a cooperation agreement with two entities to meet the growing demand for quality education from the public in Ho Chi Minh City.

BUV and City St George’s University under the University of London (UOL), in partnership with the Center for Foreign Affairs and Languages Training (CEFALT), signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on cooperation in HCMC earlier this week.

This agreement aims to enhance the quality of international education for a diverse range of learners in Vietnam and internationally, BUV said in a release.

According to the agreement, the three institutions will collaborate extensively on several key areas from 2024 to 2029. They include establishing and offering international collaborative training opportunities; and attracting funding for research.

Furthermore, they aim to reinforce the strategic partnership, particularly between BUV and City St. George's University-UOL, to open further extensive collaboration prospects and provide another quality education link between the two countries.

A fourth area is collaborative online international learning, aiming to enhance remote learning capabilities and improve access to international educational content for diverse learner groups.

Student exchange programs constitute the fifth focus area. These include short-term study exchanges that help students develop skills, broaden their perspectives, and engage in cultural exchange.

The institutions will also collaborate in terms of progression and articulation, thus facilitating student transfer and completion of studies across the network, thereby diversifying educational options and enhancing quality.

Addressing the signing ceremony, Vo Van Hoan, HCMC’s Vice Chairman, called for further collaboration between educational institutions based on this foundation.

“We could establish a British university focusing on programs such as technology and finance, alongside other international universities in HCMC like Australia, France, and Germany to enhance the international mobility of Vietnamese students," Hoan said. Professor Michael Mainelli, The Lord Mayor of the City of London, said: “This partnership marks not only the strength of the relationship between the UK and Vietnam, but the ambition to further extend our collaboration into research, academia, financial services and business.”

Alexandra Smith, British consul general in HCMC, said: “I strongly believe that today's MoU signing is just the beginning of further conversations between the HCMC People's Committee, BUV, and ourselves at the British Consulate General, where we can discuss more about our ambitions and how we will need to work together to lay the groundwork for the establishment of that campus in the future.”

According to BUV, the areas of cooperation not only enhance opportunities for HCMC residents to access high-quality education but also reaffirm the commitment of all parties to bring British education closer to learners both within and outside of Vietnam.

“This is a significant step forward, marking the presence of UK education in HCMC and contributing to the realization of the goal of establishing a British university in the city,” said BUV.

Established in 2009 in Hanoi, BUV was built with a total investment of $165 million and covers a 6.5-hectare campus. It provides teaching for 17 undergraduate programs and an MBA program.

CEFALT is part of the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the HCMC Department of Foreign Affairs. It is the sole institution in HCMC specializing in education, training, and professional development in foreign affairs and language skills for all learners.