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ORCID

https://orcid.org/0009-0002-0043-563X

Keywords

Regionalization of Higher Education; ASEAN Higher Education; Student Mobility; World-Systems Theory; Neo-functionalism and Intergovernmentalism; Semi-peripheral Universities.

Special Issue

EMERGING SCHOLARS Research Summaries 2026 Issue 18(3)

Abstract

This study examines stakeholder conceptions of regionalization of higher education at Vietnam National University Hanoi (VNU). Regionalization remains unevenly understood in Southeast Asia and often overshadowed by internationalization discourses. Drawing on document analysis and semi-structured interviews with administrators, faculty, and students, the study explores how regionalization is enacted through student mobility programs. Findings reveal divergent rationales: administrators highlight political prestige and institutional reputation; faculty emphasize academic quality and professional development; while students focus on cultural and personal growth. Regionalization unfolds largely de facto, driven by bilateral scholarships and East Asian partnerships rather than intentional ASEAN strategies. Challenges include fragmented coordination, language barriers, and unequal access. The study offers a critical snapshot of regionalization in a semi-peripheral context, complicating top-down models.

Abstract - Translated

Nghiên cứu khảo sát quan niệm của các bên liên quan về khu vực hóa giáo dục đại học tại Đại học Quốc gia Hà Nội (VNU). Khu vực hóa vẫn chưa được hiểu đồng đều tại Đông Nam Á và thường bị lấn át bởi diễn ngôn quốc tế hóa. Dựa trên phân tích tài liệu và phỏng vấn bán cấu trúc với cán bộ quản lý, giảng viên và sinh viên, nghiên cứu tìm hiểu cách khu vực hóa được thực hiện qua các chương trình trao đổi sinh viên. Kết quả cho thấy động cơ tiếp cận khác nhau: cán bộ quản lý nhấn mạnh uy tín chính trị và danh tiếng thể chế; giảng viên coi trọng chất lượng học thuật và phát triển nghề nghiệp; sinh viên tập trung vào giao lưu văn hóa và trải nghiệm cá nhân. Khu vực hóa diễn ra chủ yếu tự phát, được thúc đẩy bởi học bổng song phương và quan hệ đối tác Đông Á thay vì chiến lược ASEAN có chủ đích. Các thách thức bao gồm sự phối hợp rời rạc, rào cản ngôn ngữ và bất bình đẳng trong tiếp cận. Nghiên cứu cung cấp góc nhìn phê phán về khu vực hóa trong bối cảnh bán ngoại vi, làm phức tạp các mô hình một chiều từ trên xuống.

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