HCM CITY — Hồ Chí Minh City Open University and Monash University’s Faculty of Education have signed an agreement to formally establish a Master of Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL), providing a transnational education pathway for Vietnamese students.

Monash University is the only university in Australia's Group of Eight offering this programme in Việt Nam. Graduates will earn a globally recognised Monash qualification, gaining the advanced knowledge, practical teaching expertise and international perspective needed to advance their careers in English language education across diverse educational settings.

Students will have the opportunity to engage with the world-leading Monash academics, build international professional networks and experience innovative approaches to education, giving them a competitive edge as demand for highly qualified English language educators continues to grow across the region.

The agreement was exchanged between Professor Mary Ryan, dean of the Faculty of Education, and Professor Nguyễn Minh Hà, president of Hồ Chí Minh City Open University, at the Việt Nam–Australia: Tech Connect Forum in Sydney.

The partnership will deliver immediate value to students through seamless study routes and international collaboration opportunities. Past graduates have gone on to work as language teachers, translators and TESOL leaders across national and international contexts.

This collaboration directly addresses Việt Nam’s landmark policy shift from treating English as a foreign language to establishing it as a functional second language nationwide – targeting compulsory English from Grade 1 by 2030 and universal coverage by 2035.

Ranked number one in Australia for Education (ShanghaiRanking GRAS 2025), the Monash Faculty of Education is a leader in innovative learning design and is committed to advancing excellence in language education across Victoria.

Ryan said the partnership reflects Monash’s commitment to expanding access to world-class education across the Asia-Pacific region.

“This collaboration creates an exciting pipeline opportunity for students in Việt Nam to gain an international qualification, equipping them with the critical skills and global perspectives needed to transform education in their communities,” Ryan said.

“By combining our research strengths with the deep local expertise of our partners in Việt Nam, we are not only opening doors for individual students, but building lasting capacity across our shared educational landscape.”

Hồ Chí Minh City Open University is one of Việt Nam’s largest single autonomous universities and is recognised among the top 13 Vietnamese universities in the THE Impact Rankings for social and educational impact. The institute operates across seven campuses in southern Việt Nam, and its speciality education areas include foreign languages and TESOL, business and economics. — VNS