[REVISION HISTORY]

Vietnam STEM education and strategic technology expansion

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2026-08-20 04:06 UTC → 2026-08-21 04:40 UTC · added ~~removed~~

In July 2026, the Vietnamese government launched a large-scale rollout of state-funded scholarships to boost talent in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). Decree No. 179/2026/ND-CP, effective 15 July, provides monthly awards to top-performing students in 15 designated STEM fields, covering about 30% of higher-education enrolments and aiming to raise STEM enrolment to 35% by 2030. The program funds up to 30,000 recipients with an annual budget of roughly 1.3 trillion VND. Under this decree, eligible candidates must rank among the top 30% of admissions in 51 listed majors, including artificial intelligence, semiconductor design, and biotechnology. Scholarships, ranging from 3.7 million to 5.5 million VND monthly, are awarded automatically via a central management platform. Decree 176 (effective 7 July) added a specialised stipend scheme for the nuclear power sector, offering undergraduates monthly allowances exceeding 5 million VND and merit-based scholarships for graduate and doctoral candidates. On 25 July, Decision No. 995 approved 90 new STEM programmes across 23 universities, focusing on semiconductor chips, robotics, and automation. This decision also introduced a 2027 post-graduate regime requiring doctoral candidates to study full-time and refrain from other employment. Expanding the scope of international training, Deputy Prime Minister Le Tien Chau signed Decision No. 1600/QD-TTg to award 1,500 full scholarships for training in strategic technologies at leading global universities. This initiative, targeting completion by 2035, will support 100 undergraduates, 400 master’s students, 500 doctoral candidates, and 500 postdoctoral researchers to drive national digital transformation and innovation. To qualify for these international awards, PhD candidates must hold a master’s degree with a minimum score of 8.0 out of 10, while postdoctoral researchers must demonstrate significant scientific achievements, such as patents or publications in reputable international journals.

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