Vietnam’s smart shift in education

That is what Sasha Stubbs, Manager of Learning Design at RMIT Vietnam, would like to highlight about Vietnam's emergence as a rising star in educational innovation.

Building the infrastructure of future-ready education

While Vietnam is still emerging in the field of learning innovation, momentum is undeniable.

According to a report by the Vietnam National Institute of Educational Sciences, by 2023, learning management system (LMS) platforms had been widely adopted across Vietnamese universities as part of the national digital transformation strategy in higher education.

"Vietnam is a newcomer in the field of learning innovation, with significant untapped potential in blended and online learning design," Stubbs explained. 

The rise of grassroots EdTech firms like OOOLab, the emergence of a national learning design community, and programs like Hanoi University of Science and Technology's Bachelor of Education Technology show the field's growing credibility. 

Designing for lifelong learning

As Vietnam's economy moves toward high-tech manufacturing, automation, and AI, learning itself must transform.

"It will no longer be enough to complete a single degree and be guaranteed a lifetime of work," Stubbs said. "Lifelong learning will become a necessary and normal part of our lives."

This means universities must shift to modular, flexible offerings like micro credentials and stackable degrees.

Stubbs believes Vietnamese institutions will follow the lead of top international universities already pioneering such formats. Blended learning, combining online flexibility with in-person engagement, is rapidly gaining traction.

 Stubbs sees AI as a transformative force, not just for students but also for educators.

"AI can support learning designers by automating routine tasks, helping to generate initial content drafts, creating interactive simulations, and personalising learning experiences at scale," she said.

Creating global impact

Stubbs also pointed to the rise of "third space" careers – learning designers, technologists, and digital content specialists – as a growing professional frontier.

"Vietnam, with its young, dedicated, English speaking, and technically skilled workforce, could become a hub for these professionals, serving both domestic and international markets," she remarked.

The global Online Program Management (OPM) market is projected to reach US$7.7 billion by 2025, according to HolonIQ.

Stubbs sees this as a major opportunity: "Vietnam has the potential to develop learning technology companies and design studios that provide outsourced services at competitive rates while ensuring high quality."

For that potential to be realised, systemic support is needed. Stubbs called for government incentives for EdTech start-ups, formal recognition of learning design roles, and more investment in training centres at universities.

"Educators urgently need support to transition from traditional lecture-based teaching methods to more student-centred, active, blended learning approaches," she said.

What excites Stubbs most? The prospect of building a new profession in Vietnam that merges creativity, pedagogy and technology.

"I'm particularly enthusiastic about Vietnam's potential to become a hub for learning design expertise that serves not only our own institutions but also creates economic opportunities through providing services internationally," she said.