The university has received an Investment Registration Certificate for the Hanoi project and a Foreign Branch Campus licence for RMIT Vietnam’s Saigon South campus.
The approvals mark a significant development for RMIT’s long-term presence in Vietnam, where the Australian university has operated for more than 25 years.
The Foreign Branch Campus licence is significant because RMIT describes the approval as the first of its kind for a foreign university under Vietnam’s recent higher education reforms, which aim to further internationalise the country’s higher education sector.
The Saigon South campus, which has been operated by RMIT for many years, is set to receive new buildings and facilities aimed at increasing capacity and enhancing teaching, learning and student services. The university also said the redevelopment would create further opportunities in research and innovation.
In Hanoi, RMIT plans to establish a new campus that will significantly increase its capacity in the capital, building on its existing presence in the city. The university said the development will eventually allow it to triple its Hanoi capacity and broaden its program offering.
RMIT University vice-chancellor and president Alec Cameron said the approvals represented a milestone in the university’s continued investment in Vietnam.
“Receiving this approval is a landmark moment for RMIT and for our continued investment in Vietnam, recognising our significant commitment to the country, spanning more than 25 years,” said Cameron.
Receiving this approval is a landmark moment for RMIT and for our continued investment in Vietnam, recognising our significant commitment to the country, spanning more than 25 years
Alec Cameron, RMIT University
He added that the expanded footprint would strengthen the role of education in the Australia-Vietnam relationship and support the development of “Vietnam’s next generation of leaders, innovators and professionals”.
RMIT Vietnam pro vice-chancellor and general director Scott Thompson-Whiteside said the new Hanoi campus and expanded Saigon South site would allow the university to respond to demand from students and the wider community.
RMIT Vietnam was established more than 25 years ago following an invitation from the Vietnamese government and was the country’s first foreign university.
The university now has more than 28,500 alumni in Vietnam and offers 19 undergraduate programs alongside a number of postgraduate offerings across its Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City operations.
The expansion comes as Vietnam seeks to strengthen its science, technology and innovation capabilities, with the government placing increasing emphasis on international partnerships and the development of a highly skilled workforce.
For RMIT, the latest approvals represent an opportunity to deepen its presence in one of Southeast Asia’s fastest-growing higher education markets, while expanding the scale of its existing operation.
At the 2025 APAIE conference, The PIE Newscaught up with Thompson-Whiteside to hear about Vietnam’s ambitions to increase its number of international students.
Thompson-Whiteside also explained that recent government reforms have signalled a clear intention to attract more international providers and deepen global engagement, with around 200 TNE programs already operating in partnership with overseas institutions, particularly from Australia, the UK and Germany.
Vietnam’s higher education strategy also aims to increase international research partnerships and overseas accreditation, as the country seeks to strengthen its education, science and innovation capabilities by 2030 and beyond.
