In the first semester of the 2026-2027 academic year, Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology and Engineering (HCM-UTE, formerly Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology and Education) is welcoming 13 international students for study and internships at the University. They include five students from ECAM LaSalle (France), five students from Häme University of Applied Sciences (HAMK, Finland), two students from Rajamangala University of Technology Lanna (RMUTL, Thailand), and one student from Myanmar admitted directly to the University's full-time undergraduate program. These students will study alongside HCM-UTE students in courses taught in English, delivered by the Faculty of Advanced Education and the Institute of International Education.
International students and HCM-UTE students work together in a group activity in class
The group of students from ECAM LaSalle (France) is studying general engineering and has come to HCM-UTE on exchange for this semester. It is also the largest group among the international students on exchange at the University. The exchange program comprises five courses totaling 20 ECTS credits and focuses on three areas: programmable control, robotics and automation; machine manufacturing technology and hydraulic and pneumatic systems in industrial machinery; and the design of reinforced concrete structures.
Welcoming this group is the first concrete step in the cooperation roadmap agreed by the two universities in December 2025. At a working session held at HCM-UTE on May 12, 2026, the two sides, together with Kasetsart University Sriracha Campus (Thailand) and the Institute of Technology of Cambodia, discussed the signing of a tripartite Memorandum of Understanding (MOU). They also discussed dual-degree programs, the University's first master's program taught in English, and training programs imported from overseas partners in fields such as mechatronics, artificial intelligence and embedded systems.
From HAMK (Finland), four students are on exchange in mechanical engineering technology at HCM-UTE for one semester, taking seven courses equivalent to 15 ECTS credits. Most of these courses are practice-oriented and are delivered in workshops and machine rooms, covering CAD/CAM-CNC, advanced CAD/CAM-CNC practice, the application of CAE in mechanical engineering, and practice in automotive powertrain systems. The remaining student from HAMK is on exchange for one academic year in business administration, taking nine courses in management, e-commerce, business statistics, total quality management and supply chain management.
HAMK students exchange ideas with HCM-UTE students
Notably, among these 13 international students, one student from Myanmar was admitted directly to the University's full-time undergraduate program and is studying chemical engineering technology full time at HCM-UTE.
In addition, two students from Rajamangala University of Technology Lanna (RMUTL, Thailand) will come to HCM-UTE for an internship under the management and support of the Institute of International Education. This activity takes the cooperation between the two universities one step further, following the two-way staff exchange program launched in 2023. Under that program, the University sent two staff members on exchange to RMUTL in late 2023 and welcomed a delegation of RMUTL staff in May 2024. RMUTL is one of nine universities in Thailand's Rajamangala University of Technology system, with a focus on applied technology and engineering.
The exchange program for each group of students is designed individually on the basis of agreements with the partner universities, with courses adjusted to suit the students' fields of study. During their time at HCM-UTE, the international students attend classes together with HCM-UTE students and take part in group work and hands-on sessions in workshops and laboratories. This gives the students further opportunities to exchange and learn about professional practice and culture within the learning environment itself.
This semester, HCM-UTE is running three forms of international student intake at the same time: semester-based academic exchange, professional internships, and full-time degree study. Cooperation also continues to expand with universities in Europe and with partners in Southeast Asia. Through this, HCM-UTE is steadily diversifying the sources of international students coming on exchange and broadening opportunities for study and exchange in an international environment at the University.
Students from ECAM LaSalle (France) with HCM-UTE lecturers and students in a class on the design of reinforced concrete structures
ECAM LaSalle students take part in a course on hydraulic and pneumatic systems in industrial machinery together with HCM-UTE students
Students from HAMK (Finland) with lecturers and students of the mechanical engineering technology class at HCM-UTE
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About the University's Name Change:
On December 26, 2025, the Prime Minister of Vietnam issued Decision No. 2809/QĐ-TTg, officially renaming Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology and Education to Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology and Engineering (HCM-UTE). The new name reflects the University's multidisciplinary development strategy, its strengths in technology and engineering, and its current institutional stature.
Before 2007, the University was Vietnam's leading institution for technical teacher education. Following changes to the national higher education program classification system in 2007, the University expanded its focus to technology, engineering, and related disciplines. The name change aligns with Vietnam's Higher Education Network Development Plan for 2021-2030 with a vision toward 2050, addresses the demand for high-quality human resources in the digital transformation era, and reaffirms HCM-UTE's role as a national key university in technology and engineering.
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Text: PP
Photos: Student contributors