Introducing the results of a 4 -year cooperation between the UK and Viet Nam
Ho Chi Minh City –The British Council today hosted a session on Digital Transformation in Higher Education, showcasing the outcomes of collaborative projects between the UK and Viet Nam to drive digital transformation in Vietnamese universities. This session is part of UK–Southeast Asia Tech Week 2025, the UK’s flagship annual event on science, innovation and technology in Southeast Asia. This year, the event is being held in both Viet Nam and the Philippines. In Viet Nam, it is the country’s largest annual technology event, fostering collaboration between leading businesses in technology, artificial intelligence (AI), and data from both the UK and Viet Nam.
The event brought together higher education leaders, lecturers, researchers, and representatives from universities in Viet Nam, the UK, and Indonesia who were involved in the projects. A project report summarising the outcomes over the past four years highlighted the participation of 15 universities and organisations from these countries.
The global Covid-19 pandemic has had a profound impact on many aspects of life including education, significantly accelerating digital transformation in Vietnamese universities. In response, national policies on digital transformation have been developed, leading to substantial progress in recent years. Notably, initiatives supported by the British Council and the Ministry of Education and Training—through collaborations between universities in Viet Nam, the UK, and other international partners—have played a crucial role in driving these advancements. Since 2021, in alignment with Viet Nam’s digital transformation agenda, the British Council has collaborated with the Ministry of Education and Training to implement a range of initiatives and activities, leveraging the UK’s expertise and experience. These efforts seek to evaluate the extent of digital transformation in Vietnamese universities and provide recommendations for fostering collaboration between institutions in the UK and Viet Nam:
- Preparing Higher Education for Digital Transformation (2021) – This high level online conference provided a platform for senior leaders from UK and Vietnamese universities to discuss the challenges and opportunities of digitalising higher education. The conference explored how digital transformation can support the growth of the higher education sector in both countries and examined the role of policy development in addressing these challenges.
- Readiness of Digital Transformation in Higher Education in Vietnamese universities (2022) - This report provides an overview of the current state and potential of digital transformation in Viet Nam’s higher education sector. It assesses the readiness of Vietnamese universities for digital transformation, identifies opportunities for collaboration with UK institutions to enhance digital capabilities, and supports the Ministry of Education and Training’s (MOET) digital transformation strategy in higher education.
- Partnership projects between the UK and Viet Nam (2022-2025) – As part of the British Council’s Going Global Partnerships programme, three key partnership projects have been implemented to advance digital transformation in Vietnamese higher education including: (1) scaling up a sustainable digital ecosystem for higher education in Viet Nam; (2) setting up an online teacher educators’ digital hub (TEDH) to drive digital transformation of pedagogical universities; and (3) establishing a Digital Transformation (DX) Hub to lead the digitalisation of Vietnamese higher education, leveraging the UK’s Jisc’s Digital Maturity Model for adaption and implementation.
Beyond the direct impact of each initiative, the project implementation team has developed assessment frameworks, tools, and strategic recommendations applicable at the national, institutional, and individual levels. Key policy recommendations include:
- The Ministry of Education and Training can develop specialised training programmes and empower university leaders in Viet Nam to drive digital transformation. By fostering a supportive environment and recognising outstanding contributions, they can cultivate a strong digital transformation culture within higher education institutions.
- Teachers and staff: Educators and professional staff should initiate digital transformation in areas where they feel most confident. More importantly, they can accelerate their learning and enhance cost-effective intercultural and language education through Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) opportunities.
- Students/learners: Digital learning in higher education expands access to global learning opportunities, removes geographical barriers, and enables students in Viet Nam to engage with world-class educational content while collaborating with peers worldwide.
- Businesses and Industries: Their involvement in higher education enriches student learning experiences in an international context and enhances the global reputation of Vietnamese universities.
James Shipton, Director Viet Nam, British Council:
The year 2025 marks four years of collaboration under the British Council’s Going Global Partnership Programme in support of digital transformation in higher education. We are delighted with the achievements made, particularly in fostering meaningful partnerships between UK and Vietnamese universities. Beyond technical and technological support, ensuring the sustainability of these initiatives remains a core priority for the British Council. This commitment underscores our long-term support for Viet Nam’s higher education sector through the exchange of expertise and knowledge from the UK. Ultimately our efforts aim to strengthen the digital capabilities of Vietnamese universities and advance Viet Nam’s national digital transformation agenda in higher education.
Alex Smith, Consul General and Director for Trade, British Consulate General, Ho Chi Minh City:
Today’s event provides an excellent platform for everyone involved to share their experiences in these projects. The UK has excellent collaboration with the Ministry of Education and Training and Vietnamese universities on their journey to digital transformation in higher education since Covid-19. The UK’s tech sector is valued at over $1 trillion and Southeast Asia’s digital economy is forecast to reach new heights, with Viet Nam being the fastest growing digital economy in the region. Digitalisation is relevant to all of us and will have impact on every sector of the economy, including education. The UK is committed to continued support of Viet Nam’s education sector through the wave of information, shaping Viet Nam’s future generations to lead as this exciting and dynamic economy to meet double digit growth.