INTERNATIONALIZATION OF HIGHER EDUCATION IN VIETNAM: LOCAL VOICE FROM A UNIVERSITY

SOUTHEAST WORKSHOP

June 13th, 2018

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Who am I?

A/Prof. Van-Trao, NGUYEN

President Hanoi University | Hanoi | VIETNAM |Phone +84 4 385 47558 | Mob +84 916861197 |Email traonv@hanu.edu.vn | lantrao99@gmail.com |

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Context (1)◦ In an interdependent world and economy → the

pivotal role of HEIs in the long-term success of global and national intellectual and economic development (Dall’alba & Sandberg, 2006)

→ public concern about the capacity of universities to promote quality education (Cheng, 2009; Kember & McNaught, 2007; Krause, 2012), to attract international students and internationalize their curricula (Leask, 2001, p. 389).

◦ HEIs have always had roles that transcend national boundaries, especially with the rapid progress of globalization in higher education, cross-border movements of students and teachers ► HEIs compete to give students the best experience.

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Context (2)

◦ Hanoi University (HaNU) internationalizes its educational offer in a bid to create opportunities for its students to join a global academic and business community (Dearden, 2014, p.16).

◦ the measures taken to facilitate the internationalization of the campus, curricula and approach to allow HaNU to reach out to HEIs and partnership around the world.

◦ the progress achieved, as well as the opportunities and challenges HaNU is facing in the process of internationalization

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Internationalization at HaNU

◦ Internationalization involves:

◦ Approach

◦ Curricula

◦ Campus

◦ Underlying motivation:

◦ Vietnamese families are willing to spend 35% of income on children’s education;

◦ VN spends $3 billion/ year on overseas study;

◦ > 110,000 overseas Vietnamese students in 47 countries;

◦ Under the Investment Law, foreign investors can hold up to 100% of capital in education establishments

→ This is to say VN is a good supplier of international studentshttp://m.english.vietnamnet.vn/fms/education/201409/investors-in-education-sector-discouraged-because-of-policies.html# )

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Approach to Internationalization

HaNU adopts a comprehensive approach to internationalization: ◦ Characterised by openness and significant academic

impact. HaNU aims to attract students and researchers from all over the world.

◦ Defined as the exchange of ideas and knowledge via mutually binding cooperation across national borders. The mobility of sts, staff, and the integration of an international, intercultural and global dimension in education and research, are key factors.

◦ Knowledge shapes society → it is imperative that students and researchers at HaNU partake actively in global knowledge development by committing itself to international cooperation

◦ HaNU provides local insights to global perspectives on global challenges by means of targeted research, education, dissemination and innovation.

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◦ An international perspective is embedded in every layer of the university's operational structure: from heads of department, to course; is carried out in a variety of channels.

◦ As regard the staff's development and training plans, lecturers and professional service staff (e.g., staff in finance, human resources, marketing, and so on) are given the chance to learn languages and travel abroad to visit partners.

◦ In addition to recruiting foreign students and staff, we're trying to make sure that all our students have an international experience at every level. In this regard, the course contents are made to reflect the world beyond VN. We encourage our sts to participate in exchange programs, mobility programs.

◦ At the university level, efforts are particularly made to develop and establish sustainable cooperation with partner universities, find more support for faculty for international exchange and cooperation.

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Approach (Cont.)

Approach (Cont.)

→ Philosophy: HaNU’scourses and curricullum, many of its students, its research collaborations become infused with an international perspective

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Curricula◦ It is imperative that every degree at

HaNU should have an international element so the internationalization takes the forms as follows:◦ Develop EMI (English as a Medium of

Instruction) programs, bilingual programs;

◦ Introduce foreign textbooks and references;

◦ Develop transnational programs in cooperation with foreign HEIs (both undergraduate and postgraduate levels);

◦ Offer joint dual-degree programs in 2+2 & 3+1 modes (undergraduate & postgraduate levels).

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◦ Departments and faculties are urged to update their current curriculum according to international standards, to import new syllabus design or courses (where appropriate).

◦ When each course is designed or reviewed, we make sure that the international strategy/perspective is right at the top of the curriculum. The students always learn about different points of view in other parts of the world so that by the end of their degree, our students, e.g., Management, Finance, Accounting students should understand how their specialism is practised in various countries and cultural contexts.

► Different perspectives are embedded in layers of the curriculum, so our students don't end up with a mono-cultural approach.

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Curricula (Cont.)

Curricula (Cont.)

Faculty international cooperation activities have been enhanced at departmental level and university levels.

◦ Going-out activities:

◦ Send faculty members abroad for joint research, advanced studies, visiting lectures, international conferences, and academic visits of partner universities.

◦ Coming-in activities:

◦ Employ short-term overseas lecturers to offer courses in English,

◦ Invite overseas professors to jointly conduct research projects, pay short visits at intervals, co-supervise postgraduates, and advise on curriculum development.

◦ Encourage faculty members to participate in major intl’ research projects, to do research for overseas universities, funds and enterprises, to jointly apply for national and/or intl’ research projects, to co-author articles for international publications, and to co-supervise overseas students. 11

Curricula (Cont.)

Student exchange programs in the form of mutual recognition and accreditation of academic degrees in a long-term or short-term mode:

◦ Dispatch students to partner universities for credits or degrees;

◦ Promote student overseas study;

◦ Send out students for international internship;

[Once students gain a global perspective, they need to go abroad];

◦ Host symposiums or seminars for both domestic and international students.

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Curricula (Cont.)

The driver for internationalization of curricula:

◦ transferable; easy for mapping → more chances for exchange and student and staff mobility

◦Graduates will be confident and sensitive when working in any cultural setting;

◦Graduates with ICC will be flexible, curious, and adaptable, and able to communicate and operate effectively in multicultural teams and environments.

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HaNU EMI programs (current) at a glance

◦ Undergraduate level: 8 out of 19 pograms (42%)◦ International Studies (Foreign Relations,

Developmental Studies, International Economics)◦ Business Management, ◦ Accounting◦ Finance & Banking◦ Tourism Management◦ Computer Science

◦ Postgraduate level:◦ 02 MA: Applied Linguistics and MBA◦ 01 doctoral program: Applied Linguistics

◦ Prospective programs: Marketing; Multimedia Communication (Bachelor’s level); and Public policy (Master’s)

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Campus

◦ Create study abroad opps for sts and to bring the world to the campus. HaNUdevotes resources to improving students’ readiness for global careers;

◦ Create “Internationalization at home” HaNU students don’t necessarily have to leave campus to learn about other cultures/ obtain intercultural experiences.

◦ All our students are studying languages. ◦ About 1,000 sts from other countries

come to HaNU to study or for international exchange

◦ Gather researchers and sts from both within the country and abroad.

◦ The diversity of students and staff on our campus is a source of cultural capital that makes everyone's university experience more international.

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Campus (Cont.)

◦ Professional staff of campus operations are

put into consideration in strategic plans for

internationalization: coz’ international

competence as a necessity and that everyone

benefits if professional staff are offered

opportunities to develop global skill sets.

◦ Administrative and management staff take part in overseas training programs, go abroad or advanced study, and join visiting delegations, so as to gain global experience and familiarize them with international practices and make professional connections that will be useful to our university.

◦ Host international multicultural festivals: e.g., Francophone festival; Portuguese-speaking countries festival in Hanoi

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Achievements

• HaNU has established partnerships with foreign HEIs from the USA, the UK, Australia, Italy and other countries where many HaNU students transferred for their studies;

• HaNU has attracted foreign students to come to study for degree or exchange → additional income from international student fees.

• HaNU has invited many foreign academics to come to teach and to do research;

• HaNU has sent its staffs to partner institutions for teaching, doing research and learning contents and pedagogy.

• HaNU teachers gain international visibility and recognition: strengthening their capacity for networking and supporting the global dissemination of knowledge.

• The internationalization at HaNU has obtained social recognition (The annual enrolments to the programs increase; Graduates are highly regarded by employers).

• The number of exchange agreements by universities in VN with universities abroad increases.

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Challenge (1)

• Lack of national policy framework: absence of national funding and policy initiatives; No systematic provision of resources from the government;

• VN HEIs receive limited national funding to promote international scholarship and research, international study programs, or international student mobility.

• Limited financial commitment from the university → Pursue external funding through foundations and grants in order to sustain and expand our internationalization;

• Student learning and development need to be assessed along with the evaluation of connections between student learning and the sociocultural environment → look for the best solutions

• Lack of English ability of both the academic staff and local students

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Challenge (2)

• In order to be an authentic player in the international community, we must do better.Then, efforts to investigate the meaning of comprehensive internationalization should be further done.

• We find it a challenge to make sure everyone understands what is meant by comprehensive internationalization.

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End Notes

• HaNU has been on the road to internationalization for 16 years. Internationalization has become a market driven activity to promote multicultural, diverse and internationalized outlooks among its students, though need to learn from the experiences of foreign universities as well as support from partners.

• HaNU understands that internationalization can serve as a means of “self-transformation” in the sense that contact with international perspective enables HaNU to see the world from vantage points that reach beyond its own backgrounds –and this allows it to learn and to benefit and to contribute to the world.

• So in light of this, HaNU has been fully committed to internationalization rather than just simply promote it in the generic sense.

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