During a symposium that looked back on a decade of implementing a resolution focused on advancing innovation education and training in science, technology, and international cooperation, Pham Quang Hung, the Director of the International Cooperation Department at the ministry, highlighted the significant number of Vietnamese students pursuing education abroad. As of now, close to 200,000 Vietnamese students are engaged in high school, university, and post-graduate studies overseas.
Over the past decade, there has been a significant rise in the presence of foreign students in Vietnam. Currently, the number has surged to approximately 22,000 individuals, with nearly 4,000 among them arriving in Vietnam as part of signed agreements.
Over the course of the last decade, the ministry has taken an active approach in negotiating and finalizing 161 international treaties and agreements. Furthermore, it has diligently worked towards fostering relationships with over 100 countries and territories, while also actively engaging in various sub-regional, regional, and inter-regional mechanisms. These efforts have significantly contributed to the enhancement of international cooperation in the field of education and training.
Over the years, Vietnamese and foreign educational institutions have forged more than 3,500 memoranda of understanding and agreements on cooperation. These agreements encompass a wide range of areas such as training, scientific research, and exchanges between students and lecturers.
Vietnam consistently demonstrates its active involvement and proactive engagement in educational initiatives led by international and regional organizations. Notably, the country actively participates in education-related activities organized by prominent institutions like the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF), the Southeast Asia Ministers of Education Organization (SEAMEO), the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), and the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM).
As of June 2023, the Ministry's data reveals that 44 higher education institutions in Vietnam have established a total of 408 collaborative training programs with educational institutions from 26 countries and territories.
According to recent data from the Statistics of the Foreign Investment Agency under the Ministry of Planning and Investment, Vietnam's education sector has witnessed substantial foreign investment. As of June 2022, a total of 605 foreign investment projects amounting to approximately US$4.5 billion have been recorded in this sector. These investments hail from 33 different countries and territories.
