All New Zealand public universities offer special support for Vietnamese applicants

ENZ is New Zealand’s government agency in charge of promoting the country’s education internationally.

The eight universities, including the University of Auckland, University of Otago, Victoria University of Wellington, University of Canterbury, University of Waikato, Massey University, Lincoln University, and Auckland University of Technology, all rank in the top two-percent worldwide.

These universities will provide extensive academic, research, and living support specifically tailored for Vietnamese lecturers and education administrators pursuing master's and doctoral degrees.

According to ENZ, New Zealand remains among the most affordable English-speaking study destinations.

The average doctoral tuition fee ranges from US$3,600 to $6,000 per year—roughly $24,000 for the entire four-year program—which is significantly lower than the funding provided by Project 89 at $25,000 per year.

The living allowance of about $12,000 annually aligns well with Vietnam's current funding.

Postgraduate students can also bring their spouses and children, are allowed to work full-time during their studies, and enjoy comprehensive support services, including health insurance, airport transfers, psychological counseling, and career guidance.

Ben Burrowes, ENZ’s regional director for Asia, emphasized that investing in Vietnamese academics and researchers will not only enhance their individual capabilities but also build lasting educational and research collaboration between the two countries.

Each university is offering distinct support packages.

The University of Otago provides domestic tuition rates for PhD candidates, unlimited working hours for students, open work visas for spouses and children, personal mentoring, healthcare, and comprehensive career development services.

The University of Auckland offers research funding accounts ranging from NZD1,200 ($717) to NZD2,900 ($1,730) per year, advanced academic courses, and ongoing research capability enhancement.

Victoria University of Wellington stands out with a no pre-application supervisor confirmation policy, extensive research assistance, professional development, health counseling, and 24/7 international support services.

Massey University delivers free immigration advisory, cultural integration support, personalized academic guidance through the Scholars for Massey program, and flexible tuition payment aligned with scholarship disbursements.

The University of Waikato allocates personal workspace, provides laptops, and organizes academic networking events, community activities, airport pick-up, and cultural orientation for international students.

The Project 89, officially approved under the Prime Minister’s Decision 89 in 2019, was initiated by the Vietnamese Ministry of Education and Training to enhance the capabilities of university lecturers and educational administrators in Vietnam during the 2019-30 period.

The project targets doctoral training for about 10 percent of university lecturers nationwide, of which seven percent are trained full-time abroad, while the other three percent will receive scholarships for domestic doctoral programs.

Till now, hundreds of candidates have already studied and conducted research in developed countries under this initiative.