E20 Webinar: “Vietnamese Student Recruitment in the Time of COVID-19”

I enjoyed participating in this recent webinar with my colleague, Ngoc Anh, Capstone’s Hanoi-based educational services manager. Although it started at the end of a long day, Viet Nam time, we were both energized by the content and the many excellent questions we received from colleagues. ​

The E20 Series is a collaboration between Branta and Study in the USA, whose shared goal is “to build a community of international education professionals who are driven by data, strategy, and measurable results.” Thanks to Syed Jamal, Branta’s founder and CEO, for serving as our moderator.

Webinar Questions

If things are back to normal, why is it so very difficult to get the kids that are here in the USA back home?  CW

Although things are back to normal, travel restrictions are still apply all over the world. It takes time for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Embassy and the Vietnamese representative agencies in the United States to coordinate with relevant domestic agencies and US authorities to assist Vietnam Airlines in arranging flights to repatriate Vietnamese nationals in the US and other countries.  All arriving passengers spend two weeks in quarantine.  They are tested three (3) times for COVID-19 and, if all the results are negative, they can go home.

Hi, Mark, good to see you!  Is the US embassy open in Hanoi?  ZZ

As of now, the US Embassy and Consulate in Vietnam are unable to provide an exact date.

Do you happen to have any local, insider info about visa appointments at the US Consulate (sic - Embassy) in Hanoi?  New students for fall 2020 are telling us that they are only open for visa appointments 1 day per week, and the earliest date they can get is in September, which is after our fall start date...  BL

The schedule changes from day to day. In mid-May, the visa appointments in Hanoi were open for only 1 & 2 July and 6 & 7 July.  Late May, it was opened on 7-9 July. And as I checked today (June 2), it's open for 8 & 9 July and from 3 to 6 August. However, it does not mean the embassy will definitely open on those days; things can still change.

I believe the biggest issue now is visas.  And considering Vietnamese obtain 1-year F! visas, not only new students are affected (trying to obtain visas for fall 2020), but also current students that returned home in Feb/March 2020 (most visas will expire May/June 2020 - considering they obtained their visa last year).  Any updates from the US Embassy in Hanoi or US Consulate in HCMC regarding when the visa services will continue? JE

Although the United States Embassy and Consulate in Vietnam have still not made any official announcements about reopening, students can extend their visas vis mail, as usual.

It's good to hear that the economy expects to rebound quickly but do you expect families will continue to support sending their children to the US over the next year or so, or so you expect they will be staying in Vietnam or other countries closer to home?  GF

 There are a few options for students and it depends on each unique situation.

• For those who are currently studying in the US there is a high probability that they will continue studying there.
• Those whose family's financial situation is greatly affected may choose a lower cost option in the US or another country.
• They will choose a third country closer to home and safer, in their opinion, to study for a year or two then return to the US. Another option is to simply remain in Vietnam and study at an international university or a public university before transferring to the US to continue their education. FYI, many universities in Vietnam have partnerships with universities in the US and other countries around the world.

There are definitely students who are determined to study in the US; however, the number will be greatly reduced this year because of their concerns about COVID-19 and safety issues in general (especially the situation in the US right now). In many cases, their financial situation has been adversely affected and, frankly speaking, they prefer in class instruction rather than online lessons.

Are students still interested in studying abroad, or are more starting to look at Vietnamese universities instead? KJ

Please see the previous answer.

With regards to online classes becoming less appealing what would you say is the typical online class format in Vietnam?  Are they mostly pre-recorded videos of self-paced learning?  Do they usually incorporate remote live classes in real-time?  AD

In Vietnam, before Covid-19, online learning was not popular.  No online programs at the higher education level are accepted and recognized by the Ministry of Education. After Covid-19, when institutions quickly switched to online delivery, most of them are remote live classes in real-time. Zoom is the most popular platform. Besides, there are also pre-recorded lessons shown on TV.

Hello, what are students' thoughts on deferring to spring 2021 or considering other countries?  QK

Regarding our confirmed students for 2020-2021, many choose to defer to Spring 2021. No country is considered safe at this moment. We haven’t received any request for a change in location.  However, for those who are still considering where to go, they might change their mind and think of other options as well.

With our university in a budget freeze, are there any free online recruitment events that you can recommend to reach students in Vietnam?  IA

One suggestion is to check with EducationUSA, which has been organizing online events.  If you have a network of education agents, work with them to see what they can arrange for you.  The challenge is that funding is required to market any event, on- or offline, in order to let as many potentially interested parents and students as possible know about it.  Capstone posts marketing material on Facebook and elsewhere free of charge for partner institutions.