Universities in Vietnam are enthusiastic about involvement in JICA-RI’s Research on the Impact of Study Abroad Programs in Developing Countries

On April 4 and 5 2019, the JICA Research Institute (JICA-RI) conducted field studies in Hanoi City, capital of Vietnam, for its research project titled “Empirical Research on Impacts of Study Abroad in Developing Countries - based on Study Abroad Experiences of Academic Professionals of Major Universities in ASEAN.”

This project aims to analyze the impact that university academic professionals with study abroad experience from developing countries can have on universities in their home countries. As part of the data collection process, the researchers will design an online questionnaire survey targeting all academic professionals—more than 10,000 individuals —at a total of 10 universities in Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Vietnam. In addition, they will investigate any changes in circumstances related to study abroad programs in each country and university, and interview academic professionals who have studied abroad. Through these quantitative and qualitative analyses, the researchers will attempt to verify the impact of study abroad programs on the bilateral relationship between the home country and the host country in terms of the development of universities.

During the field study visits, Nobuko Kayashima, principal research fellow at JICA-RI, Kazuo Kuroda, visiting fellow at JICA-RI and professor at Waseda University, and Atsushi Tsujimoto, research officer at JICA-RI, met with key stakeholders at target universities in Vietnam to outline the research project and obtain their understanding, and to discuss how to conduct the questionnaire survey.

The mission team went to the Hanoi University of Science and Technology, a prestigious technical university that leads Vietnam’s science and technology education and research, and met with its President, Hoang Minh Son. In addition to pledging proactive cooperation in research activities, President Hoang said he intends to apply the research results to the university’s faculty training plans and other programs. After meeting with the President, the mission team had further discussions about detailed procedures and the conditions for the online survey with Nguyen Phu Khanh, director of the International Cooperation Department.

The mission team received a positive response from Vietnamese universities for the project. This may reflect the trust-based relationships that have been built by JICA, Japan’s universities, and Japanese companies with these Vietnamese educational institutions.

JICA-RI will launch the questionnaire survey in cooperation with participating universities in 2019.