Vietnamese universities scramble to offer fintech, e-commerce courses

In the 2023-24 school year the Ho Chi Minh City University of Food Industry is offering four new majors — law, data science, financial technology (fintech), and e-commerce – and hopes to enroll 60 students in each.

Pham Thai Son, director of the university’s admission and communications center, said the additions are based on demand from businesses.

Recruitment site VietnamWorks said demand for information technology workers quadrupled over last decade.

Fintech offers the highest average salary of US$1,115 per month and e-commerce ranks third at $895, it said.

Son said in recent years fintech and e-commerce have grown significantly in Vietnam and are increasingly accessible to consumers.

“The school had the idea years ago, but only now has enough experience to offer such courses.”

Fintech is also one of four new programs offered by Hanoi’s Banking Academy besides digital banking, logistics and supply chain management and tourism management.

Head of the university’s training department, Tran Manh Ha, said the new courses are meant to meet the evolving human resources needs of the economy.

The University of Commerce has a new major for the upcoming school year: business analytics in the digital environment.

The HCMC University of Economics has five new programs related to the digital economy, financial technology, marketing technology, digital business, robotics and artificial intelligence engineering, and logistic technology engineering.

According to the Ministry of Education and Training, last year 467,400 students entered university, 26% enrolling in business and management courses, 13% in computer and information technology and 9% in technology.

It said soon it would issue a list of new majors for trialing at universities, courses that would enable students to easily find jobs on completion.

Universities would also be assisted with reviewing and jettisoning majors that are no longer relevant, it said.