Twelve Vietnamese high school students have been selected to join the AFS high school study abroad programs in China, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, and Thailand starting in the second semester 2024. Most of these students have received full scholarships for their programs. Additional scholarship opportunities for students and teachers will be available later this year, with programs for host families expected to start in Vietnam in 2025.
Find out more about AFS in Vietnam.
Empowering Students with Personal Growth and Global Citizenship
In this first year, more than 850 students from Vietnam started their applications, resulting in a highly competitive process. Most applicants come from public schools in 36 cities across Vietnam, they have a good English language proficiency, and high academic performance. The selected students demonstrated exceptional skills in five key areas: communication skills, ability to cope with challenges, open-mindedness and tolerance for differences, realistic and positive expectations, and contribution to collective well-being.They will join the AFS high school year and trimester abroad programs.
The students are eager to get to know new cultures first-hand and to connect with the global AFS community. Many of them were motivated by the desire to learn about the way of life in the countries they applied for, to make new friends and showcase the culture of Vietnam abroad. Hear from two scholarship winners, Pham Kim Chi and To Cong Hoang Minh, about their expectations from this experience:
We thank the AFS alumni based in Vietnam for their local support during the interviews and information sessions and the following AFS Partners for the support in providing the hosting scholarships: AFS France, Germany, Italy and Thailand.
Advancing Global Understanding in Vietnam
AFS has not been present in Vietnam since 1975, although some bilateral programs with specific AFS organizations such as Japan, Italy, and Germany have existed. Restarting AFS in Vietnam will allow us to expand educational and intercultural exchanges between Vietnam and the rest of the world.
More than a quarter of Vietnam’s population is between the ages of 16 and 30, and Vietnam has the fastest-growing middle class in Southeast Asia. Bringing AFS programs to Vietnam promotes intercultural understanding, enhances education, fosters global citizenship, and contributes to the country’s social and economic development. It empowers Vietnamese youth to become more globally aware and prepares them to thrive in an increasingly interconnected world.
More Scholarships and Opportunities in Vietnam Coming Up
In July 2024 AFS will open scholarship applications for Vietnamese students to participate in the Global You Changemaker (GYC), a 12-week interactive virtual exchange program to develop global competence skills, create innovative social impact projects, and earn certification from the University of Pennsylvania Center for Social Impact Strategy.
Starting in July 2024, AFS will also provide full scholarships for Vietnamese teachers to complete the Global Up Educator program, a 6-week virtual learning certification designed for educators to build the skills needed to become globally competent leaders and foster global competence in their school communities and beyond. We anticipate providing 10-20 scholarships for educators each year.
In 2025, AFS plans to continue offering our high school study abroad programs to even more destinations, including full and partial scholarships and our GYC and Global Up virtual programs to students and teachers. Foreign students will also have the opportunity to study abroad in Vietnam, giving a unique opportunity to Vietnamese families and schools to experience the #AFSeffect.
Visit vietnam.afs.org to find out more, or subscribe to our newsletter to stay informed.