Major study abroad destinations over the past year have changed many policies related to enrollment and created opportunities for international students to stay and work, with much good news for Vietnamese people.
The Korean study abroad seminar organized by the Korean government in Ho Chi Minh City in November. This is also the destination that currently attracts the most Vietnamese students.
Expanding Vietnamese enrollment
One highlight of 2024 is the addition of more recruitment consulting activities at the government and school levels in Vietnam. For example, this is the first year that the New South Wales (Australia) government has organized an overseas study exhibition in Vietnam, and it is also the first time that the German Consulate in Ho Chi Minh City has coordinated with other government agencies of this country to organize a career orientation and vocational study abroad consulting session for Vietnamese people.
In addition, this is also the first year that the Macau Education Authority (China) and all universities in this special administrative region come to Vietnam to provide admissions consulting, and many of the world's top universities in Malaysia, South Korea, etc. also come to Vietnam for the first time to provide consulting. In April, Singapore Management University also officially opened a representative office in Vietnam and was the first university in Singapore to do so.
In terms of policy, some study abroad countries have also introduced more open regulations. For example, the US and New Zealand are further speeding up the processing time for student visa applications for Vietnamese people. Many regions in Korea have built specialized units to support international students living locally, of which the Busan International Student Support Center (BISSC) is a pioneering model that many other places are learning from.
Meanwhile, Hong Kong recently allowed international students to work freely, instead of being limited to 20 hours per week on campus or having to do internships related to their major during the school year and during the summer vacation as before. Singapore also relaxed its settlement regulations in August, allowing student pass holders to apply for permanent residency in the island nation if they pass at least one national exam or if they are participating in an integrated program.
Many countries increase scholarships
Not only have they opened up their enrollment, governments and schools in many countries have also increased their scholarships for Vietnamese students. For example, in November, New Zealand announced a government scholarship for Vietnamese university students (NZUA) worth more than VND3.1 billion, making it the first English-speaking country to offer government scholarships from high school to post-graduate studies in Vietnam.
Parents and students listen to representatives of New Zealand universities share at a conference organized by the government of this country in October. This is the first English-speaking country to have enough government scholarships from high school to postgraduate in Vietnam.
In line with this move, the GREAT scholarship program, jointly implemented by the British government and the British Council, has recently reopened applications, adding three more scholarships for Vietnamese people, each worth at least £10,000 (VND320 million). In recent years, this program has continuously increased scholarships for Vietnamese students, currently the number has tripled compared to the first year of implementation.
Many universities and colleges in countries with many Vietnamese students, such as the US and Canada, are also increasing the number and value of scholarships for Vietnamese people, according to experts. In addition, Asian destinations such as Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan, Thailand, Malaysia, South Korea and European countries such as Italy, France, Germany also have many scholarships from the government or universities, with values up to full.
Some destinations tighten study abroad regulations
Along with welcoming signals from international students, many countries have also introduced many strict regulations, even restrictions on international students to reduce immigration. The earliest of these was the UK, which earlier this year banned international students from bringing their relatives, except those studying postgraduate or government-funded research courses, along with many other regulations with the goal of cutting net immigration by 300,000 people per year.
With the same goal, Canada has continuously issued many tightening regulations in the past year, from limiting the issuance of study permits, increasing foreign language standards and other requirements for post-graduation work permits, and stopping allowing Vietnamese people to study abroad without financial proof. On the other hand, this country has recently allowed international students to work more, up to 24 hours/week instead of only 20 hours as before.
The Netherlands recently enacted the Internationalization Balancing Bill, which aims to reduce English-taught programs and increase tuition fees for international students. Meanwhile, after a long wait, Australia officially rejected the bill to cap enrollment and change its student visa policy. However, this has caused many educational institutions and study abroad companies to be concerned because they fear that the current government will use the new policy to limit enrollment.
Vietnamese students learn about opportunities to study in Australia at a seminar organized by the New South Wales government in September.
In China, from 2024, the government requires all international students who want to apply for a government scholarship or apply to one of the 142 schools in the "Song Nhat Luu" project to take the university entrance exam online at home or directly at a school in China, and this regulation only applies to undergraduate programs. Depending on the major applied for and the language of training, candidates will be divided into sub-groups with the corresponding number of subjects.
The above policy changes over the past year have more or less affected the reputation of popular study abroad destinations, according to reports conducted over the past year. For example, a recent survey of 1,082 study abroad companies from 68 countries and territories conducted by education group Navitas showed that international students around the world are less fond of Australia, the UK and Canada than before.
Source: https://thanhnien.vn/nam-2024-thi-truong-du-hoc-bien-dong-nguoi-viet-huong-nhieu-loi-ich-18524123116560855.htm
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