Solutions to students’ intercultural adaptability development in internationalised programmes of Vietnamese universities

Solutions to students’ intercultural adaptability development in internationalised programmes of Vietnamese universities

Luong Minh Phuong* phuonglm@vnies.edu.vn Vietnam National Institute of Educational Sciences, Hanoi University Vietnam
Tran Thi Ly ly.tran@deakin.edu.au Deakin University Australia
Nguyen Thi Thanh Huyen huyennguyen510@vnu.edu.vn Vietnam National University Vietnam
Nguyen Thi My Trinh trinhntm@vnies.edu.vn Vietnam National Institute of Educational Sciences Vietnam
Dang Hoang Giang giangdh@hanu.edu.vn Hanoi University Vietnam
Summary: 
The internationalisation in Vietnamese universities has emerged as an effective vehicle to reform the higher education system. In this process, the intercultural adaptability of students studying in internationalised programmes has been regarded as being critically important for their experiences and outcomes. Drawing on 80 in-depth interviews with education policymakers, programme coordinators, lecturers, students and employers of eight internationalised programmes in five Vietnamese universities, this article addresses four major solutions to student intercultural adaptability development: (i) strong personal dynamics of students; (ii) supportive conditions from academic institutions; (iii) promising employment prospects and preparation; and (iv) adequate supporting legal spaces from policymakers.
Keywords: 
intercultural adaptability
internationalised programme
internationalisation
universities
Vietnam
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