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At-home international education in Vietnamese universities: impact on graduates’ employability and career prospects

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Abstract

This article reports a study that explored how at-home international education, known as advanced programs, offered by Vietnamese universities contributes to students’ employability and career prospects. Data included 30 interviews with third- and fourth-year students, two institutional reports, and a national report on the progress of these programs after 10 years of implementation. The data were analyzed using a content-analysis approach. The results showed that advanced programs could help students develop human capital, expand their social network, enrich cultural understanding via mobility, enhance their career adaptability, and develop professional identity. However, despite quality learning outcomes, approximately one-third of graduates appeared not to successfully secure relevant employment within a year post-graduation. This article explains possible factors causing the gap between students’ employability and employment outcomes and suggests ways to fill the gap.

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Notes

  1. This university is well known as among the first university in Vietnam to adopt the credit-based education system. It is also a role model in applying information technology for students’ on-campus learning, using student-centered teaching, and building online learning resources. To protect the university’s and participants' identities, references are not included.

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to express special thanks to Associate Professor Nguyen Thu Thuy, all participants and individuals for assisting us in completing this research project.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Informetrics Research Group, Ton Duc Thang University, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

    Tran Le Huu Nghia

  2. Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities, Ton Duc Thang University, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

    Tran Le Huu Nghia

  3. Victoria University, Victoria, Australia

    Hoang Truong Giang

  4. Department of English Language and Culture, School of Foreign Languages, Can Tho University, Can Tho, Vietnam

    Vo Phuong Quyen

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  1. Tran Le Huu Nghia
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  2. Hoang Truong Giang
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  3. Vo Phuong Quyen
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Correspondence to Tran Le Huu Nghia.

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Nghia, T.L.H., Giang, H.T. & Quyen, V.P. At-home international education in Vietnamese universities: impact on graduates’ employability and career prospects. High Educ 78, 817–834 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10734-019-00372-w

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