Acumen Releases Vietnam Voices Report on Market Attitudes Towards Transnational Education

January 17, 2023 Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Acumen, part of Sannam S4 Group,  has released a new report on Vietnamese parents’ views about international higher education programs delivered in Vietnam. 

The report, the first of its kind to focus on transnational education (TNE) in Vietnam, is titled ‘Vietnam Voices’, and is based on a survey of over 1000 Vietnamese parents with higher disposable income levels and with children between 8 and 22 years old.  The survey was designed and conducted in collaboration with leading global market research organisation, YouGov.

The survey and the report responds to a recent surge in interest in transnational education in Vietnam from international institutions. The survey was designed to  understand market demand for TNE programmes in Vietnam; to validate who are the key decision-makers; and to understand how best to communicate and engage parents on TNE programs in Vietnam.

The report offers both a concise summary of the survey’s findings, while also providing recommendations to providers looking at options for TNE delivery in Vietnam.  The report confirms some patterns that people might already expect – for example, that parents remain the key decision-makers when it comes to choosing a college or university – while revealing other surprises that many working in TNE might not have suspected to be true, including the price that parents may be willing to pay for international programs delivered in Vietnam.

The survey comes a year after Acumen’s first public report, ‘10K Indian Voices’, which surveyed 10,000 Indian students to understand what they wanted from their futures and how TNE providers could help them to achieve it. With ‘Vietnam Voices’, Acumen is reaffirming its commitment to helping international providers gain important market insights in key markets in South and South East Asia.

The survey was led by Haike Manning, Acumen’s Executive Director for Southeast Asia, based in Ho Chi Minh City. Manning is the former New Zealand Ambassador to Vietnam, with years of experience working in international relations, stakeholder engagement and education.  Prior to joining Acumen, he founded HCMC-based LightPath Consulting Group, a B2B consulting business specialised in international education.

“We’re very excited to announce the release of the Vietnam Voices report,” Manning said. “It’s the culmination of many months of work and it reflects our belief that the Vietnam market will see a step–change in transnational education (TNE) provision in the coming years.” 

“We believe that TNE providers working in Vietnam – as well as those interested in entering this important market – will find the report insightful as they consider how best to establish and deliver their programs in Vietnam.  For example, 85% of parents surveyed indicated an openness to international programs delivered in Vietnam; as well as a clear preference for international over local programs.”

Acumen chose Vietnam as their next survey subject because of the growing demand for international education in the country at a lower price point.  Vietnam’s education market has rebounded strongly in recent months and the demand drivers for international education remain strong.   Prior to 2020, over 200,000 Vietnamese students were studying abroad every year, making Vietnam a top 6 market for key destination markets such as the US, Australia, New Zealand and Canada. 

The Vietnam Voices report is available online and in print from January, 2023.  The report is available for free download at: https://insights.acumen.education/vietnam-voices.