“Hello! I am an international student in Vietnam.”

Konaka Yuichiro came to Vietnam in 2018 after an internship while he was a freshman at a university in Tokyo, Japan. Because of his love, this young man left his family and hometown to study at the Faculty of Vietnamese Studies - University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Vietnam National University, Ho Chi Minh City.

“I have many friends in Vietnam, I really like Vietnam so I decided to learn Vietnamese so I can talk to my friends. Studying here, I can not only learn the language but also the culture, history and geography of Vietnam. I like to travel so I want to explore everything about Vietnam,” Konaka Yuichiro said.

Studying in Vietnam, the Japanese student cherished the wish that after graduating from university, he could help Vietnamese people living in the land of cherry blossoms.

“There are many Vietnamese people living and working in Japan, many of them have difficulties with procedures and money and I want to help them,” Konaka Yuichiro shared.

Although he has only been in Vietnam for 3 years, the Japanese student has traveled to 23 provinces and cities from the North, Central, South and down to the West, attending many Vietnamese cultural and culinary festivals, and learning how to wrap Chung cakes for the Lunar New Year.

Currently studying in his second year at Hanoi University, Lee Yeong Woong - from Korea feels that Vietnam is truly a beautiful country for international students.

“Apart from the language, I did not have any major difficulties during my time here because the school supports students in registering for dormitories, which are very spacious and convenient. I was also impressed by the school library, which is spacious and modern. Whenever I need information or documents, I can easily find them. Although the campus is not as large as universities in Korea, the air is very fresh and there are many trees. The students are very friendly, so from the first days of school, I received a lot of help from teachers at school as well as classmates,” Lee Yeong Woong shared.

Lee Yeong Woong will graduate in 2 years and really wants to stay in Vietnam to work.

Coming from Russia, Danila Lopatchenko is one of the prominent faces of Hong Bang International University (HIU). In early 2022, Danila Lopatchenko and many students from India, Nigeria, Honduras... came to Vietnam to study Medicine at HIU.

This is an important milestone for the Vietnamese education sector in general and the school in particular, gradually becoming a destination for international students; aiming to export education; at the same time marking the maturity of the reputation and level of medical training in Vietnam.

Danila Lopatchenko chose Vietnam after graduating with honors with a perfect GPA of 5.0 from Nushy Penaty School, Russian Federation. This young man can speak 4 languages: English, Spanish, Chinese, Korean and is a gamer who participates in international competitions.

Danila shared that she had dreamed of studying abroad since she was a child, so she always tried her best to study to achieve the best results, and was accepted by universities from Germany, Poland, and China. However, Danila decided to choose Vietnam to study.

For the Russian male student, the learning environment at HIU helps him feel comfortable and easily connect with people because part of the program is in English and he can communicate in English with everyone.

“Many people speak English so I can find friends right away, but I also plan to learn Vietnamese. Even though I just came to Vietnam, I have introduced this learning environment to my friends. I have also taken photos of my memories at HIU and in Vietnam and sent them to everyone. At school, I can be myself. The school has many international connections, multi-national and multi-ethnic cultural festivals so that students can learn about other cultures, even their own culture,” Danila Lopatchenko expressed.

The Russian male student also revealed: “When they heard that I would go to Vietnam to study, my friends asked me why I chose Vietnam because they thought this was an underdeveloped country, the schools were not up to standard and were outdated. Everyone was worried about me. But when I arrived in Vietnam and started experiencing life here and taking pictures to send to my relatives, everyone was surprised at the development of Vietnam” - Danila Lopatchenko said.

Studying at Hanoi University of Science and Technology was a wonderful opportunity for Mayomi Withanage, from Sri Lanka. Mayomi Withanage is currently a final year student majoring in Electrical Engineering.

“I was really impressed with Vietnam in terms of lifestyle, street food and many other things. When I decided to hunt for scholarships in Vietnam, I searched for the phrase “Best university for engineering in Vietnam” and Hanoi University of Science and Technology was the top search result.

To be more certain, I asked some people who have experience in hunting for scholarships in Vietnam and it was interesting that they were all excited and said: “This is one of the top universities in Vietnam. This school is excellent but also very difficult to get into. The school's ranking is not inferior to other universities in the world”. That is why I chose to study at this university”, Mayomi Withanage shared.

Studying in Vietnam, Mayomi Withanage was still able to meet many friends both Vietnamese and international.

Not only stopping at undergraduate training, educational institutions in Vietnam are also the choice of many students to study postgraduate.

Eva Luong from Canada I am currently studying for a Master's degree in Banking Finance and Financial Technology at the International Francophone Institute (IFI), Vietnam National University, Hanoi.

“When I was studying in Singapore, I was very interested in Financial Technology. When I searched on Google to find the most suitable school, I found the International Francophone Institute which had a schedule that fit my schedule. I have been studying in Vietnam for more than a month now but I am still quite bewildered, this is quite a new experience. I have to face “culture shocks” but they are interesting things and I cherish every moment of it,” Eva Luong shared.

Because of the self-funded program, students from Canada have to pay their own tuition at IFI, but in return, they also receive an internship salary at IFI of about 1,500 USD/month. For Eva Luong, this cost is quite reasonable for studying for a master's degree. Studying is also basically convenient because Eva Luong can absorb a lot of knowledge when taught by Vietnamese and French teachers.

“I learned new things from both cultures, which made me feel like I was “doubled in knowledge”. What I liked most was getting to know my classmates and teachers - people with in-depth knowledge in teaching. They have traveled to many countries around the world and know how to teach in the best way” - IFI students shared.

After completing her bachelor's degree in Information Technology at Cuu Long University, Phomvongsa Nisa from Champasak Province, Laos continued to enroll in a master's degree in Business Administration.

“When I was in college, my teachers taught me so enthusiastically that I decided to pursue a master’s degree. Before coming here, I didn’t think I would have such close feelings. Vietnamese people are very kind and dedicated, always helping us like family. The teachers in class are lecturers, but outside of class, they are as close as brothers and sisters in a family,” Nisa shared.

For Nisa, Vietnam has become her second home. That is why, even though she has been studying in Vietnam alone for a long time, the Laotian student still does not feel the lack of family affection.

“Vietnam is a very interesting country with many beautiful landscapes, so when I have the opportunity, I will visit and learn more. My parents are very reassured when I come here to study and I am confident that I can do a good job after returning home,” Phomvongsa Nisa shared.

Laodong.vn