Oxford University Press Signs MOU with iSmart and OEG to Advance Education Reform in Vietnam

HANOI, Vietnam, Nov. 28, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Oxford University Press (OUP), celebrating 30 years of supporting Vietnamese education, today announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with two leading education partners, iSmart Education and Oxbridge Education Group (OEG), to deliver world-class curriculum, qualifications, and teacher professional development programmes across Vietnam's public schools.

This milestone comes at a pivotal time as Vietnam accelerates education reform and global integration. Recent policy initiatives such as Decision 2371/QĐ-TTg, which aims to make English a second language and Decrees 202/2025/NĐ-CP and 222/2025/NĐ-CP emphasise the expansion of international programmes and the implementation of rigorous quality assurance for foreign language instruction. These directives reflect Vietnam's strong commitment to bilingual education and international academic standards.

By embedding the Oxford International Programme within Vietnam's dual diploma framework, this collaboration supports the nation's ambition to rank among the world's leading education systems by 2045.

About the Collaboration

Under the agreement:

• iSmart Education will serve as OUP's preferred partner for Early Years and Primary education in public schools.
• OEG will act as OUP's preferred partner for Lower and Upper Secondary education in public schools.

The collaboration will introduce the Oxford International Programme, which encompasses the Oxford International Curriculum (OIC) and OxfordAQA qualifications, supported by:

• Teacher professional development through OIC and OxfordAQA Train-the-Trainer model.
• Oxford International Standardized Assessments (OISA) for benchmarking student progress against global standards.
• Globally recognised resources from Oxford University Press, covering the Oxford International Curriculum, OxfordAQA international qualifications, and English language learning, available in both print and digital formats to support students' learning journeys.

Celebrating Success in Vietnam

Oxford has already seen strong engagement and achievement in Vietnam's education sector. A testament to this success is Vietnam's outstanding performance in the prestigious OxfordAQA Go Further Awards, which celebrate the successes of the top performing OxfordAQA students from around the world.

This year, two Vietnamese students were recognised for their outstanding achievement:

• Tran Nam Khanh Ngo, from Sentia School, achieved the highest mark in the world for International GCSE Business
• Tra My Nguyen, also from Sentia School, received the highest mark in the world for International AS Psychology

These achievements highlight Vietnam's growing strength in international education and its commitment to preparing students for success in an interconnected world.

Quotes

"We are excited to celebrate this collaboration that will directly support the goal for Vietnam to align its education system with regional and international standards by 2030. With our high quality and trusted resources, assessments, professional development, and international qualifications, we are proud to support the expansion of bilingual and international programs in Vietnam. Working with partners such as iSmart Education and OEG, we are very happy to be working on this opportunity to make a positive impact on teaching and learning, further adding to student success and setting them up for a fulfilling life and career."

— Alex Sykes, Managing Director, International Education, Oxford University Press

Next Steps

The collaboration will begin with a pilot phase from November 2025 to November 2027, targeting select public schools in Hanoi. Full-scale implementation aims to reach over 20,000 students within five years, contributing to Vietnam's ambition of becoming a regional hub for international education.

More information about the Oxford International Programme is available at www.oxfordinternationalprogramme.com

About Oxford University Press

Oxford University Press (OUP) is a department of the University of Oxford. It furthers the University's objective of excellence in research, scholarship, and education by publishing worldwide. OUP is the world's largest university press with the widest global presence.

In Education Division, we enhance teaching and learning worldwide. Today, we support more than 55 million learners across 160 countries in 71 languages. While our expertise spans the entire curriculum, we are globally recognised as leaders in children's literacy and reading—a cornerstone of our mission.

About OxfordAQA
OxfordAQA is a partnership between Oxford University Press – a department of the University of Oxford, and AQA – the UK's largest provider of GCSEs and A-levels. This means OxfordAQA is built on unrivalled knowledge, experience and expertise in education and high-quality qualifications.

OxfordAQA qualifications are built for international students. They are designed to develop the skills they need to succeed in the future and ensure they are prepared to achieve success in their exams. Students can be confident that OxfordAQA opens doors to further study with recognition from universities worldwide including the UK's Russell Group, the USA's Ivy League and Australia's Group of Eight, plus an extensive and ever-growing list of universities worldwide, particularly across Europe, the Middle East and Asia.

SOURCE Oxford University Press