EMI collaboration between the UK and Viet Nam: Oxford EMI and UEH

HO CHI MINH CITY – Oxford EMI is delighted to announce that they have officially deepened their partnership with the University of Economics Ho Chi Minh City (UEH), Viet Nam. This landmark collaboration was formalised on Friday March 27th through the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). This marks a significant step forward in their shared mission to enhance EMI course design and delivery at UEH and across Viet Nam.

A shared vision for internationalisation

During the ceremony, Oxford EMI Director Julie Dearden highlighted that this MoU is more than just a document, it is a commitment to empowering educators. As she noted, the partnership aims to:

“design and deliver EMI training programmes that equip academic staff with the language skills, the pedagogical confidence, and the professional tools they need to thrive in an international classroom – to embed a culture of internationalisation that runs through every faculty, every department, and every encounter with the wider academic world.”

Echoing this sentiment, Associate Professor Bui Quang Hung, Interim President of UEH, emphasised the strategic value of this important collaboration:

“Our partnership with Oxford EMI, an internationally recognised leader in EMI training, will enable us to strengthen the education capacity of our academic staff.”

Associate Professor Bui Quang Hung

This is set to play an important role at UEH as it continues on its national and international ranking successes and celebrates its 50th anniversary at the end of 2026.

High-level support for EMI training

The virtual event was attended by distinguished guests who spoke to the broader impact of this partnership. In terms of the impact on the wider Vietnamese educational landscape, Counsellor Mr. Dao Nguyen Trung at the Embassy of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam in the UK remarked:

“The partnership between the UEH University and Oxford EMI is both timely and meaningful. It will help improve teaching capacity, especially in English Medium Instruction, and support the internationalisation of higher education in Vietnam.”

Counsellor Mr. Dao Nguyen Trung

UK Government International Education Champion, Professor Sir Steve Smith, watched on by Richard Leach and Mark Henebury from the UK Government Department of Business and Trade, also highlighted the importance of such agreements with regard to the UK Government’s commitment to share best practices with international partners. He noted that providers like Oxford EMI, “enable transnational education partnerships by addressing linguistic and academic challenges in English medium delivery” and hoped “this agreement marks the beginning of a long relationship with universities in Vietnam that are internationalising and using EMI.”

Looking Ahead

Oxford EMI look forward to continuing our collaboration with UEH, in part through Oxford EMI’s online trainer-led courses. The active participation of UEH educators on these courses signals their dedication to designing and delivering world-class EMI instruction to their students.

Oxford EMI would like to thank all distinguished guests in the UK and Viet Nam who attended this milestone event. They look forward to a long and fruitful collaboration with UEH as they continue to bridge linguistic and pedagogical gaps in EMI education.