Vietnam's top economics university makes English a second language in landmark move

Updated: 10:10, 04/08/2025

The National Economics University has announced an ambitious plan to make English the institution's second language by the end of the decade, a first for any Vietnamese university.

The public university in Hanoi will raise the graduation requirement to IELTS 6.0 and teach nearly a third of courses in English by 2030.

Students at the National Economics University (NEU) in Hanoi, Vietnam.

Under the initiative, at least 30% of all courses will be taught in English by 2028, a shift from the current system where English instruction is mainly limited to advanced and international joint programs.

By 2030, all NEU graduates will need a minimum B2 level on the Common European Framework, equivalent to an IELTS score of 6.0. The current requirement for Vietnamese-taught programs is IELTS 5.5.

The university will also increase English use across campus. Measures include bilingual administrative documents, "English zones" in student spaces, academic events in English and set hours where faculty and students are encouraged to speak the language.

NEU says it has the resources and student base to make the plan work. Since 2017, the school has accepted international English certificates for admissions, and by 2020 began considering SAT and ACT scores. Applicants with such credentials have surged from just 50 in 2017 to 25,000 this year.

Currently, more than a third of NEU's 25 programs are taught in English. That number will rise to 35 programs within five years, with English-taught content increasing from 50% to 65%.