Foreign Trade University

Foreign Trade University
Name	Foreign Trade University
Native name	Đại học Ngoại thương
Established	1960
Type	Public
President	Dr. Nguyễn Quốc Chính
City	Hanoi
Country	Vietnam
Campus	Urban
Students	26,000
Affiliations	ASEAN University Network, AUN-QA

Foreign Trade University is a major public institution in Hanoi known for specialized training in International Trade, Business Administration, and Finance. Established in 1960, the university has evolved through decades of policy shifts tied to Đổi Mới reforms and Vietnam's integration into regional mechanisms such as ASEAN and global frameworks like the World Trade Organization. It maintains strong links with ministries, multinational firms, and international academic networks that shape curricular and research agendas.

History

The university was founded amid post-colonial reconstruction and Cold War-era development under the influence of leaders in Hanoi and ministries responsible for external commerce. During the 1970s and 1980s it expanded training to meet demands generated by participation in treaties and negotiations such as the lead-up to United Nations Conference on Trade and Development engagements. The 1990s marked a turning point with Đổi Mới economic reforms, accelerating cooperation with partners including Japan International Cooperation Agency, United States Agency for International Development, and European Union programs. Admission of international students and establishment of English-medium tracks paralleled Vietnam’s accession to the World Trade Organization in 2007 and increased exchange with universities in Singapore, United Kingdom, United States, Australia, and South Korea.

Campus and Facilities

The main campus in central Hanoi features lecture halls, faculty buildings, and specialized centers for Asian Studies and European Studies. Facilities include modern libraries housing collections relevant to International Law, Customs Administration, and Marketing, alongside computer labs with access to databases maintained by partners such as World Bank, International Monetary Fund, and UNCTAD. Satellite campuses and training centers serve regions including Ho Chi Minh City and provincial hubs, while language labs support instruction in English, French, Chinese, Japanese, and Korean. The campus hosts conferences attended by delegations from Ministry of Industry and Trade officials, representatives from Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and multinational corporations.

Academic Programs

Degree offerings span undergraduate, master’s, and doctoral programs with majors in International Business, International Economics, Finance and Banking, Marketing, Accounting, and Law as it pertains to cross-border transactions. Joint programs and double-degree arrangements exist with institutions such as University of Economics, Prague, Griffith University, and University of New South Wales, while exchange options link students to National University of Singapore, Seoul National University, Peking University, Fudan University, London School of Economics, and University of California, Berkeley. Professional certification preparatory courses include pathways aligned with CFA Institute, ACCA, and APICS. Postgraduate research supervises theses on subjects connected to negotiations in forums like Trans-Pacific Partnership discussions and analyses of Belt and Road Initiative impacts.

Research and Partnerships

Research centers at the university focus on trade policy analysis, supply chain management, and international finance, producing reports cited by Ministry of Finance (Vietnam), World Trade Organization, and Asian Development Bank. Collaborative research projects and grant-funded studies involve partners including United Nations Development Programme, European Commission, Japan External Trade Organization, and think tanks such as Institute of World Economics and Politics and Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences. Memoranda of understanding have been signed with universities in France, Germany, Netherlands, Canada, and China to foster faculty exchange, joint conferences, and publication in journals indexed alongside papers presented at gatherings like the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forums.

Student Life and Organizations

Student life features cultural clubs, professional societies, and student-run enterprises that interact with alumni from companies including Vietcombank, Vingroup, PetroVietnam, and Unilever. Organizations include debate teams competing in tournaments such as ASEAN University Games and model negotiation simulations referencing WTO procedures. Language clubs promote intercultural ties with programs run in cooperation with foreign embassies such as the Embassy of France in Vietnam, Embassy of Japan in Vietnam, and Embassy of the United States, Hanoi. Career fairs bring recruiters from multinationals, export-import firms, and international organizations like United Nations, International Labour Organization, and World Bank Group.

Admissions and Rankings

Admissions employ national examination scores and competitive international-track criteria used across Vietnamese higher education institutions including Hanoi National University peers. The university ranks highly in national assessments for fields related to Finance, Business, and Trade and appears in regional evaluations by bodies such as QS Asia University Rankings and Times Higher Education subject listings. Scholarship partnerships and tuition schemes are offered with support from donors like Asian Development Bank scholarships, bilateral cultural programs administered by Japan Foundation, and corporate sponsorships from firms such as Samsung and Toyota.

Category:Universities in Vietnam