MANAGEMENT AND TRAINING OF CAMBODIAN AND LAOTIAN INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS IN A HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTION IN SOUTHERN VIETNAM: THE CASE OF AN GIANG UNIVERSITY, VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY HO CHI MINH CITY

Abstract

International integration in higher education is one of the major missions these days. In the context that there is an increasing number of universities in Vietnam entering world university rankings, international students are becoming an important group of leaners due to their direct contribution to internationalisation indicators in the rankings. This paper aims at investigating the management and training of Cambodian and Laotian international students, the largest group of international students in Vietnam, in An Giang University, Vietnam National University. Employing qualitative approach, the research findings reveal significant efforts from the administrative staffs and faculty members in managing and training Cambodian and Laotian international students, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, bringing satisfaction to the students. Besides, the most significant challenge to the training activities involves in proficient Vietnamese language command of Cambodian and Laotian international students making educational outcomes below expectation. From the findings, the authors propose measures to enhance the efficiency of the tasks of managing and training Cambodian and Laotian international students in An Giang University, Vietnam National University and other Vietnamese universities that enroll Cambodian and Laotian international students in general.