British University Vietnam announces next phases of $165M campus development plan

A ceremony was held on June 15 to introduce the expansion plan as part of a long-term investment strategy to provide the young generation of Vietnam with the opportunity to access British higher education programs in a world-class learning environment.

The event took place on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Vietnam and the U.K.

A ceremony kicks off the next phases of BUV’s $165-million campus development plan. Photo by BUV

The ceremony took place at the student hub and food court, making phase 2A of the campus expansion plan that was completed in the first quarter of 2023, with the participation of Marcus Winsley, British deputy ambassador to Vietnam, Deputy Minister of Education and Training Nguyen Van Phuc, and other dignitaries from the ministry, Office of the National Assembly and the Hung Yen Department of Education and Training.

At the ceremony, Prof. Dr. Raymond Gordon expressed his gratitude to government agencies, corporate partners, organizations, and individuals for their continuous support to BUV’s journey to foster education in Vietnam.

In particular, the investment in facilities to meet the needs of learning, research, and teaching is considered one of the key activities.

“This facility stands as a testament to BUV’s commitment to education in Vietnam and is indicative of the successful outcomes emanating from the bilateral relations between Vietnam and the United Kingdom. For half a century our two nations have cultivated strong diplomatic ties and embarked on a journey of ongoing cooperation.”

The campus, situated in the Ecopark urban area, has already seen phase 1 and the first half of phase 2 completed, which includes learning theatres, a modern library with 24/7 classrooms, an academic building with administrative rooms, functional classrooms, a sports complex, and the student hub and food court.

3D view of BUV’s three-phase campus upon completion. Photo by BUV

The second phase is scheduled to be finished in early 2025, with the entire campus completed in early 2028.

At BUV, along with academic knowledge, students are able to carry out project exercises and develop practical skills using modern equipment and technology.

To enable this, BUV focuses on developing a system of functioning classrooms for game design & programming, computer science, and tourism and hospitality.

Students are encouraged to actively participate in sharing knowledge and ideas, as well as in the discovery and enhancement of their learning and research capacities.

The classrooms for Computer Games Design and rogramming are equipped with cutting-edge technology valued at up to $2 million, assuring functionality and ease of use for students practising game production.

The motion capture studio has a lighting system and a collection of cameras and devices that enable Chroma Key technology, serving as an effective assistant for students in the creation of creative and visual works.

Tourism and hospitality students have the opportunity to practice professional and business skills in functional learning rooms that imitate parts of a five-star hotel, such as the training restaurant, housekeeping room, learning kitchen, and so on.

The classroom resembles the working environment of the reception department and is linked to hotel management software in order to optimize conventional learning techniques and online learning.

3D view of Sport Terrace Pavilion at BUV campus. Photo by BUV

At BUV, many sections, such as a tea corner and an outdoor fountain area, have been optimized to become event venues with their capacity ranging from 100 to over 2,000 people.

The student hub and food court building, which has a capacity of nearly 2,000 and serves as an eating area and free living space for students, opened earlier this year. The structure was designed to provide students with the experience of relaxing, eating, and chatting with friends after class, and it has a designated area equipped with a sound and lighting system, and projection equipment, to host indoor events.

Furthermore, BUV provides a gym, free yoga for students, and amenities such as an international standard football field, basketball and badminton courts and others for rest and relaxation after long hours of studying.

Along with its educational mission, BUV is working to minimize CO2 emissions in all of its operations with the goal of becoming one of Vietnam’s first carbon-neutral educational institutions.

This is consistent with the core value of sustainability and responsibility that BUV strives to uphold. The BUV architectural space is meant to maximize natural light and ventilation while reducing energy use by 20%.

BUV staff and students are encouraged to use buses to travel to campus instead of personal vehicles to reduce emissions.

Professor Raymond said the vision for the campus was “a testament to the university’s provision of a world-class educational environment that facilitates discovery-based pedagogy, collaborative problem-solving, and cross-cultural understanding.

“It represents a space where students from diverse backgrounds can come together, to both create and exchange ideas. It illustrates how at BUV the acquisition and creation of knowledge is not confined to classrooms, but rather, extends to every corner of this campus.”

Over the years BUV has been recognized as a successful educational collaboration model between the Vietnamese and UK governments.

It has received five-star recognition from the QS organization (Quacquarelli Symonds) and accreditation from the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education.