This Guide is the result of a joint effort between the International Cooperation Department of the Ministry of Education and Training (MOET) and the British Council in Viet Nam. The objective of this guide is to support transparency and clarity on the regulatory framework and thus facilitate increased TNE collaborations which lead to greater student/ academic mobility.
Promoting international cooperation and foreign investment in education and training has always been a key priority of the Government of Viet Nam. As the UK’s international organisation for cultural relations and educational opportunities, the British Council in Viet Nam is delighted and honoured to partner with the International Cooperation Department, Ministry of Education and Training (MOET), in reproducing the second edition of the Guide to Education Cooperation and Investment in Viet Nam as part of the Ministry’s strategic plan to promote Viet Nam as a new international education destination in Southeast Asia.
Education is one of the key pillars in the strategic partnership between the UK and Viet Nam. Bilateral education collaboration takes many forms, from inward and outward student mobility to teaching and research partnerships. Whilst many Vietnamese students choose to study in the UK, many also enrol in UK transnational education (TNE) programmes in Viet Nam. According to MOET, the UK has the largest number of TNE programmes in Viet Nam. In the 2023–24 academic year, 12,620 Vietnamese students were enrolled on UK TNE programmes, making Viet Nam the 15th largest UK TNE partner country in the world. This represents a 233.9% increase in student numbers compared to 2019–20. Globally, 173 UK higher education providers delivered TNE programmes to over 653,570 students in 231 countries and territories, with Asia hosting more than 50 percent of these (UUKi, The Scale of UK Higher Education TNE, published 2025).
This guidebook contextualises and interprets the regulatory framework applicable to foreign cooperation and investment in education and training in school, higher education sectors and vocational education and training (TVET) to help interested foreign partners better understand current regulations on foreign investment and cooperation in education and training. All of this enhances capacity building and the quality of education and contributes to greater graduate employability.