Vietnam Education Forum opens UK Education Mission's Hanoi visit

Held on October 6, the event facilitated strategic dialogue across a plenary morning session and focused afternoon breakout symposia.

The forum took place at a pivotal juncture as Vietnam accelerates fundamental educational reforms, heightens quality accreditation criteria, and recognises workforce upskilling as an essential cornerstone for the future economy, notably underpinning the development of international financial centres.

Photo: BritCham

The Vietnam Education Forum (VEF 2026) delivered actionable market intelligence, high-level panel debates, and pragmatic frameworks to develop highly skilled knowledge workers equipped for international financial centres and value-added service sectors.

Addressing the event, Iain Frew, British Ambassador to Vietnam, said, "Education has always been at the heart of our partnership. Together, we have expanded English language learning, strengthened higher education links, developed transnational education programmes, enhanced skills and vocational training, and supported research and innovation partnerships."

"This commitment will be further demonstrated by the upcoming visit to Hanoi of Baroness Smith of Malvern, UK Minister of State for Skills, and Sir Steve Smith, the UK's International Education Champion, for the Ministry of Education and Training's International Conference and Exhibition on Education from October 8-9," he added. "Their visit reflects our ambition to deepen educational cooperation and strengthen partnerships between government, institutions, and industry."

Frew noted that as Vietnam advances towards becoming a high-income, innovation-driven economy, education will play a critical role in developing talent for sectors such as semiconductors, AI, advanced manufacturing, digital technology, green energy, healthcare, and financial services.

At the event, participants discussed Vietnam's national quality agenda, how education systems worldwide are responding to rapid change, and what that means for quality, access, and the future of learning.

Panel discussions also examined the strategic milestones and structural impediments surrounding educational internationalisation, drawing insights from the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales Southeast Asia, Manchester Metropolitan University, the British Council, and the Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam. They also evaluated sustainable pathways to enhance graduate employability.

Chris Jeffery, chair of the BritCham Education Working Group, said, "Education is a key element joining our two countries, and this is shown by the broad range of involvement from kindergarten, language learners, language teaching qualifications, A Levels, vocational and professional, as well as higher education."

Paul Bennett, chief marketing officer at British University Vietnam, analysed the divergence between parental expectations, real-world corporate recruitment criteria, and career readiness originating at the K-12 level.

"Employability can no longer be defined as preparing a student for one job. Parents want their children to have the freedom to choose, while employers need graduates who can create value," Bennett said. "That means universities should build capability more deliberately, combining academic depth with professional skills, human capability, real-world experience, and international exposure."

Across its core thematic pillars, market data, academic quality, future learning frameworks, and technology-driven workforce capability, the forum reaffirmed its role as an impactful bilateral nexus linking governments, higher education institutions, professional bodies, and enterprise leaders to bolster the enduring educational partnership between Vietnam and the UK.

VEF 2026 marks the opening engagement of the official UK Education Mission's visit to Hanoi. As part of this bilateral initiative, the British Embassy, the British Consulate-General, and BritCham Vietnam will participate in the International Education Collaboration in the Digital Era & EdTech Expo 2026 (IECEE 2026).

Scheduled for October 8-9, IECEE 2026 features a dedicated UK Pavilion supported by British University Vietnam, with participation from institutions including the British International School Ho Chi Minh City and City St George's, University of London. The event bridges an international policy conference with an educational technology showcase, establishing a dialogue platform for multi-stakeholder collaboration while exhibiting innovative teaching models and emerging EdTech solutions to foster a lasting digital ecosystem and broaden global educational partnerships.