Project 89 – Training Lecturers and Managers of Higher Education Institutions (2019–2030)

Project 89 scholarship for future university lecturers in Vietnam

You get a full government scholarship to complete a PhD abroad. It covers your tuition up to about EUR 23,000 per year (USD 25,000) plus a monthly living allowance of about EUR 1,030 (USD 1,120). The state also pays your international flights, travel allowances and health insurance abroad (up to about EUR 920 / USD 1,000 per year). Funding usually runs 3.5 to 4 years, the standard length of a PhD. This is a national programme of Vietnam's Ministry of Education and Training (MOET), which trains lecturers and university managers up to 2030. If you enrol at the Asian Institute of Technology (AIT) in Bangkok through AITCV, you get about EUR 11,200 (USD 12,140) of extra support: a free English bridging course, a monthly top-up of USD 240 for three years, funding for two international conferences, and help settling in when you arrive.

Who can apply

• Nationality: You are a Vietnamese citizen.
• Degree level: This funds a PhD. For culture, arts and sport, a master's degree also counts.
• Who you are: You lecture or work as a manager at a Vietnamese university (state or private). Scientists and PhD holders working abroad or outside universities can also apply if they meet the standards to become a lecturer.
• Commitment: You agree to work as a lecturer at a Vietnamese university after your studies.
• Field of study: All fields are open. Universities ranked in the world top 500 for your subject are preferred, but not required.
• No double funding: You are not already funded by the earlier Project 911 programme.

How to apply

First apply to a partner university abroad and get a PhD admission offer. With that offer, apply for the Project 89 scholarship through your Vietnamese university (your sending institution) or directly to MOET/VIED, who decide on the award. There is no fixed public deadline. MOET and each partner university announce their own dates.

How realistic are your chances?

The programme is large, aiming for around 7,300 PhD scholarships by 2030, so there are many places. But the target group is narrow: you must be Vietnamese, on track to lecture at a Vietnamese university, and admitted by a partner university first. If you already work at or are heading into a Vietnamese university and you secure that admission offer, your prospects are solid. Your home institution runs the selection, so a clear, well-supported application there matters most.