Lao students at Nha Trang University make Vietnamese traditional chưng cakes on the occasion of the Lunar New Year holiday. — VNA/VNS Photo Phan Sáu

HÀ NỘI — Over 45,000 foreign students from 102 countries and territories studied in 155 educational facilities across Việt Nam from 2016 to 2021, according to the Ministry of Education and Training.

Each year, around 4,000 to more than 6,000 foreign students are admitted to Vietnamese educational institutions on average, said the ministry.

The figure fell to 3,000 in 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Most of the students either study at universities or chose short-term courses. A quite modest number of foreign students choose postgraduate programmes (Master’s or PhD).

Lao and Cambodian students mainly do PhD courses, while some students from China, the Republic of Korea and Japan prefer majoring in Việt Nam studies.

Particularly, the number of students from Laos and Cambodia accounted for nearly 80 per cent of the total number of foreign arrivals.

The number of students from China, France, the Republic of Korea, and Japan has increased considerably in recent times thanks to the growing economic ties between Việt Nam and those countries.

Specifically, the Hà Nội-based Việt Nam National University took the lead in admissions of foreign students who hailed from 74 countries and territories worldwide.

It is followed by the National University - HCM City (47), Hà Nội University (44), Huế University (34), Thái Nguyên (29), and Đà Nẵng (13).

A favourite destination

Home to a diverse culture, cordial citizens, and a quality education environment, Việt Nam has emerged as a favourite destination for students across the globe.

Some 20,000 foreign students are now studying in Việt Nam, primarily in graduate and post-graduate studies.

Improving the quality of tertiary education is among the top policies of Việt Nam to fulfill human resources demand, with due attention being paid to international integration.

Deputy Minister of Education and Training Nguyễn Văn Phúc urged Vietnamese universities to improve the quality of their programmes and beef up international cooperation to attract more foreign students.

He asked the Ministry of Education and Training to enhance the regulatory framework of the training and management of foreign students in Việt Nam.

He also expected the ministry and Vietnamese universities to ramp up the signing of international agreements for student exchange to welcome more foreigners to study in the country. — VGP/VNS