Taking off globally from home, a new education model changes the future of Vietnamese students

Nearly 25 years ago, Malaysia faced a serious education crisis when 20% of its top students were forced to study abroad due to a lack of quality schools, causing billions of dollars in losses and a brain drain. Now, Malaysia has transformed dramatically into an educational "hub" of Asia, expecting to welcome 250,000 international students by 2025.

Similarly, Singapore, from its indigenous education system, now owns universities in the top 15 best universities in the world , earning nearly 1 billion USD in foreign currency from international students.

The two feats share a common formula: “Standing on the shoulders of giants” in education. In this, local universities establish relationships with large international schools, “importing” curricula and quality standards. This combination brings about leaps much further than relying on internal resources alone.

Not only does this model improve the national education system, it also brings clear benefits to students. According to statistics, 96% of Singaporean international school students are employed immediately after graduation, with salaries 25-40% higher. Up to 78% of Singaporean students in international transfer programs choose to stay abroad. This shows a shift from the mentality of "studying abroad to stay" to "studying to reach out to the world".

In Vietnam, many universities are also applying this model with 369 programs as of June 2024. However, many choices also require parents to research carefully to "choose the right place to entrust their money to".

In that context, many schools have boldly raised this model to a higher level. To increase the consistency of model and quality, universities such as British University Vietnam (BUV) are currently applying the "international training franchise" model. This model overcomes common problems, such as 100% of degrees are granted directly from prestigious UK universities and are globally certified; the quality of teaching and facilities is equal to, or even surpasses, the degree-granting school, verified by QS 5 stars.

To accelerate on a journey that would normally take decades, BUV has simultaneously accomplished two important goals.

One is to operate according to international standards. BUV has applied and achieved the standards of the UK's Higher Education Quality Assurance Agency, along with the 5-star QS certification. QAA can be considered the "gold quality stamp" of the British education system - where schools such as Oxford and Cambridge must comply. This ensures that every aspect from the training program, teaching methods, to facilities meet strict international standards.

In addition, BUV cooperates with prestigious universities in the UK. For example, the school has become an officially authorized Teaching Center of the University of London, which is a unit authorized to teach and award degrees of the University of London in Vietnam.

The 199-year-old University of London is an alliance of 18 prestigious British universities such as the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), University College London (UCL), King's College London... the world's leading names.

The University of London is renowned for its rigorous set of principles for its Teaching Centres. The Quality Charter covers all aspects of its operations and is continually monitored by a panel of inspectors to ensure the quality of teaching and student experience is on par with that of UK universities.

Impressed with BUV's capacity, in 2025, the University of London officially elevated BUV to "International Partner" status, a rare title in the University of London network.

Not stopping there, from the launching pad in Vietnam, BUV has expanded its international partner network for students to exploit from their second year.

The study abroad map includes many universities in the Russell Group (24 most influential research universities in the UK), Triple Crown recognized business schools (1% of the best business schools in the world).

Students can choose short-term study abroad programs, semester exchanges, transfer to BUV's partner universities abroad for the final year or two, or continue their master's studies at world-leading universities.

Each training program at BUV has its own international partner network. For example, students of the International Business Administration Bachelor program at the Faculty of Business have the opportunity to transfer to obtain a Bachelor's degree at the University of Liverpool (Russell Group), Oxford Brookes University (ranked 6th for teaching quality in the UK), University of New Brunswick (Canada) ..., or transfer to study for a master's degree at the University of Bristol (Top 10 in the UK), University of Exeter (ranked 11th in the Complete University Guide 2026 in the UK), Vancouver Island University (Canada) ...

If studying abroad is not in the goal, students can still enrich their learning experience through short-term international exchange programs, stamping 2-3 countries in their passports during their 3 years at BUV.

This flexible choice brings many benefits to both students and their families. Psychologically, parents can rest assured that their children always have a quality "backup" plan with a British degree right in Vietnam, which can save about 60% of the cost compared to studying abroad. Students will have an additional "buffer" year to experience before making a long-term commitment to a study abroad program based on their actual financial and academic abilities. Regardless of which direction they take, students will still receive a globally recognized degree, and more importantly, a learning journey rich in practical experience.