Vietnam: Colonisation, decolonisation and recolonisation in higher education internationalisation

Over the past three decades, Vietnam’s higher education sector has undergone significant transformation, with internationalisation emerging as a central strategy to enhance quality, workforce capacity and international engagement. It is increasingly positioned as a key mechanism for improving institutional performance and advancing international visibility. This presentation examines Vietnam’s evolving landscape of international education through the lens of colonisation, decolonisation and recolonisation. Shaped by historical layers of Chinese, French and American influences, Vietnam pursued educational decolonisation following its reunification in 1975, aiming to rebuild a nationally grounded system. However, key reforms, particularly the adoption of “advanced” programmes and transnational education models, point to an ambivalent phase in which global integration coexists with renewed external influence. Drawing on recent research and policy developments, the presentation explores how internationalisation has unfolded in Vietnam and how ambitions to develop a regional education hub are conceptualised and mobilised within this context. It highlights the geopolitical forces shaping these dynamics and reflects on the tensions and possibilities for more inclusive and context-sensitive approaches to internationalisation in Vietnam.