I recently reached out to a representative of Enterprise Ireland to find out how many Vietnamese students are studying there. (Note: This is a government organization that’s “responsible for the development and growth of Irish enterprises in world markets. We work in partnership with Irish enterprises to help them start, grow, innovate and win export sales in global markets. In this way, we support sustainable economic growth, regional development and secure employment.”)

She informed me that there are “approximately 152 Vietnamese students studying in Irish higher education institution in 2021/22. These are the most up to date figures I have access to.” Click on this link to see international enrollments figures for that year for Vietnam and other countries of interest. According to the Higher Education Authority (HEA), 0.5% of all international students were from Vietnam. (It appears that 127 Vietnamese students were in Ireland that year.) In addition to enrollment figures, these data include host institutions and fields of study, thus making Ireland one of the few countries that provides this useful information.

Suffice to say, Ireland has many competitive advantages among English-speaking countries that translates into considerable untapped potential for the recruitment of Vietnamese students.

Shalom (שלום), MAA