University of Languages and International Studies

What University of Languages and International Studies does

The University of Languages and International Studies (ULIS) is a public, state-operated university established in 1955 and operating as the dedicated foreign-language and international-studies constituent institution of Vietnam National University, Hanoi (VNU-Hanoi). Its functional mandate is broad-spectrum language education and training of Vietnam's foreign-language workforce; the institution delivers 19 undergraduate programs, 11 master's programs, 8 doctoral programs, a Post-Graduate Diploma in TESOL, joint international master's programs (notably with Southern New Hampshire University, USA), and a portfolio of short-term Vietnamese-as-a-foreign-language courses and study tours targeting international learners.

ULIS combines traditional academic delivery with selective technology integration. Its core technology stack includes the KTA Online AI-powered essay-grading platform — built with OMT Online Management Training JSC applying large language models to VSTEP, IELTS, and VNU Tests — and an English B1 course hosted on the VNU-wide Learning Management System. The institution runs the Journal of Foreign Studies as its peer-reviewed research output, co-organizes international scientific conferences on applied AI in language teaching, and operates dedicated innovation platforms including the annual ULIS FIRE Day and ULIS Student Forum. Internationalization is structurally embedded: a network of 168 international scholars supplements permanent faculty, the Faculty of French Language and Culture holds a French Government Order of Academic Palms (2026), and partnerships span universities in the US, China, France, Korea, Japan, and Malaysia, plus Francophone bodies (OIF, AUF).

ULIS's business model rests on four revenue streams: (i) annual recurring tuition across undergraduate, master's, doctoral, and joint-international degree programs; (ii) short-term Vietnamese language, culture, and exam-preparation courses for foreigners (including a 14-day Discover Vietnam study tour); (iii) conference and event services, including co-organized international conferences (e.g., AI in Language Teaching) and the APEC Innovation Competition; and (iv) overseas-Vietnamese language dissemination programs delivered with the Vietnamese Youth and Student Association in France. Enrollment scale is material — 2,400+ new students in academic year 2024–2025, a QH2025 cohort of 2,555, and 617 graduates in September 2024 — supported by a 6,000+ alumni network and 381-organization Academic and Employer Engagement Project. Customer segments span domestic undergraduate and graduate students, international exchange and non-degree learners, secondary-school students under the affiliated Foreign Language Specialized School, and English teachers participating in the National Foreign Language Project 2020. The institution operates from a primary Hanoi campus at Pham Van Dong Ward, a secondary Hoa Lac location under development, and an admissions office in the A1 Building.

Name

University of Languages and International Studies

Legal name

University of Languages and International Studies - VNU-Hanoi, Vietnam

Website

https://en.ulis.vnu.edu.vn

Company type

Private

Founded year

1955

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

ULIS is a public university under Vietnam National University, Hanoi, established in 1955, delivering undergraduate, master's, doctoral, and joint international degree programs in 19 foreign languages, plus short-term Vietnamese-as-a-foreign-language courses for international learners.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education – Foreign Language and International Studies

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (611310), Language Schools (611630)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYEDAHAAAB

Land-Grant Public Research Universities

Education/Higher Education (Colleges & Universities)/Public Research Universities

SECONDARYEDAIAEAI

Teacher Training & Language Teaching Certifications (e.g., CELTA/DELTA)

Education/International Education & Study Abroad/Overseas Language Schools & Immersion Programs

SECONDARYEDAIAAAA

Faculty-Led & Custom Group Study Abroad Programs

Education/International Education & Study Abroad/Study Abroad Program Providers (Multi-Country & Multi-Discipline)

Keywords

• Foreign language education
• Higher education services
• TESOL training programs
• Vietnamese language courses
• International studies degrees

Headquarters

HQ city

Hanoi

HQ country

Vietnam

HQ region

Asia

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Academic Tuition and Program Fees: ULIS generates primary revenue from tuition and fees charged across its 19 undergraduate programs, 11 MA programs, 8 PhD programs, Post-Graduate Diploma in TESOL, and joint international degree programs with partner universities such as Southern New Hampshire University. Fees are charged per program and cohort.
2. Short-term Vietnamese Language and Culture Courses for Foreigners: Revenue from intensive Vietnamese language courses, study tours (14-day Discover Vietnam program), Vietnamese exams, and speaking courses offered to international learners and foreign teachers. Tuition payment is required prior to visa assistance.
3. Conference and Event Services: Revenue from organizing academic conferences, symposia, and competitions including the APEC Innovation Competition, international scientific conferences, and the FIRE Day entrepreneurship festival.
4. Vietnamese Language Teaching Programs for Overseas Vietnamese: ULIS collaborates with the Vietnamese Youth and Student Association in France to deliver Vietnamese language dissemination programs for overseas Vietnamese communities, potentially generating revenue through program delivery and materials.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

ULIS delivers higher education and training services centered on foreign languages, linguistics, and international studies, offering 19 undergraduate programs, 11 MA programs, 8 PhD programs, a Post-Graduate Diploma in TESOL, and joint international degrees (notably with Southern New Hampshire University). It also runs short-term Vietnamese language and culture courses, 14-day study tours, intensive programs, exam preparation, and teacher training courses for foreign English teachers in Vietnam. These programs are sold directly to individual students (domestic and international) and through exchange and joint-degree partnerships with universities worldwide.

Product overview

ULIS offers a comprehensive portfolio of educational products and services centered on language education and cultural training. The core offerings include 19 undergraduate courses and graduate programs (11 MA, 8 PhD, Post-Graduate Diploma in TESOL) across multiple foreign languages (English, French, Chinese, Korean, Japanese, Russian, Arabic). Short-term programs include Study Tours (14 days), Vietnamese Intensive Courses, and Vietnamese Exams and Speaking Courses for foreigners. The institution also provides specialized teacher training (TESOL) and operates innovation platforms including the annual ULIS FIRE Day and Student Forum. Technology-enhanced offerings include AI-powered essay grading via the KTA Online system and English B1 courses on the VNU LMS platform.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Foreign Language Undergraduate Programs (19 courses) Comprehensive undergraduate training across 19 foreign language programs, including English, French, Chinese, Korean, Japanese, Russian, Arabic, and others, delivered through specialized language faculties. Designed for Vietnamese students admitted via national entrance examinations and direct admission.
• Graduate Programs (11 MA, 8 PhD, Post-Graduate Diploma in TESOL) Postgraduate qualifications including 11 Master's programs, 8 Doctoral programs, a Post-Graduate Diploma in TESOL, and two joint international programs. Targets Vietnamese graduates seeking advanced academic research and internationally recognized degree pathways.
• International Joint Master's Program with Southern New Hampshire University (USA) Joint Master's program in Research on Teaching English as a Foreign Language delivered in collaboration with Southern New Hampshire University (USA) for Vietnamese graduate students. Cohort-specific tuition applies.
• Undergraduate Program in Vietnamese Language and Culture Undergraduate major providing systematic and academic understanding of Vietnamese language and culture, including teaching Vietnamese as a foreign language. Primarily for international students.
• 14-day Study Tour – Discover Vietnam Short-term intensive program delivering essential Vietnamese language skills for daily life, cultural knowledge through field trips in Hanoi, and excursions to UNESCO World Heritage sites (Ha Long, Hue, Hoi An). Tuition is paid prior to visa assistance.
• Vietnamese Intensive Courses Intensive Vietnamese language program designed to greatly enhance Vietnamese language proficiency for foreign learners through concentrated instruction.
• Vietnamese Exams and Speaking Courses for Foreigners Eight distinct courses tailored to varied needs of Vietnamese language learners, including exam preparation and speaking skills development.
• Vietnamese Language and Culture Courses for Foreigners Suite of Vietnamese language and culture courses for foreign learners covering everyday conversational Vietnamese and cultural orientation. Registered through the Faculty and Language Education (FLE) office.
• TESOL Course for Foreign Teachers in Vietnam Specialized professional development program offering comprehensive training in English language teaching methodologies for foreign English teachers working in Vietnam.
• University Exchange Programs Semester- or year-long academic and cultural exchange opportunities for students from partner universities worldwide (e.g., University of St. Andrews, Peking University, Guangxi University for Nationalities) and non-partner applicants.
• KTA Online – AI-Powered Writing Assessment Platform Automated writing assessment platform using AI and Large Language Models to score English essays in standardized proficiency exams (VSTEP, IELTS, VNU Tests). Built with OMT Online Management Training JSC, drawing on expertise of Fulbright scholar Prof. Antony John Kunnan.
• English B1 Course on the VNU Learning Management System Online English B1 course hosted on Vietnam National University's Learning Management System, organized in collaboration with the Institute for Education Quality Assurance. Available to students of VNU member schools in morning and afternoon sessions.
• Vietnamese Language and Culture Experience Program for COE University (USA) Customized two-month Vietnamese language and culture immersion program delivered for COE University (USA) students, comprising classroom lessons and cultural activities in Hanoi.

Quantifiable outcome

• QS Top 300 worldwide ranking in Linguistics and Modern Languages (QS WUR by Subject 2026)
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability4 records

Feature2 records

Partnerships

26 partnerships are on record, tiered major and core.

• APEC InnovationmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 May 2026APEC Innovation Competition Season II organized in cooperation with ULIS. Final Round held May 17, 2026 at ULIS Sunwah and Nguyen Van Dao Hall, attracting 468 competition entries nationwide to promote entrepreneurship among students.
• Regional English Language Office (RELO), U.S. Embassy in HanoimajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 13 May 2026Official launch of the 'American English Viewing Marathon 2026' as part of the ULIS CONNECT initiative, May 13, 2026. RELO supports English language education programs and teacher development activities.
• University of Artois (France)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 16 April 2026Co-organizer of the international scientific conference 'Artificial Intelligence: A Lever for Language Analysis and Foreign Language Teaching' (April 16–17, 2026) alongside ULIS and Inalco. Partnership represents deep academic research collaboration in applied linguistics and AI.
• Inalco – National Institute for Oriental Languages and Civilizations (France)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 16 April 2026Co-organizer with ULIS and University of Artois of the international conference on AI in language teaching (April 16–17, 2026). Part of broader Francophone academic network including OIF and AUF collaboration.
• Organisation internationale de la Francophonie (OIF)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 16 April 2026OIF participates as a supporting organization in international Francophone academic conferences at ULIS. Representatives attend and contribute to events promoting French language education and research.
• Agence Universitaire de la Francophonie (AUF)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 16 April 2026AUF supports Francophone research, academic initiatives, and the international scientific conference on AI in language education held at ULIS in April 2026.
• COE University (USA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 15 April 202620-year partnership for the Vietnamese Language and Culture Experience Program. The 2026 program ran from February 28 to April 15 with 2 months of classroom lessons and cultural activities including visits to the Old Quarter, Vietnam Museum of Ethnology, and cooking classes.
• Tsinghua University (China)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 14 April 2026Co-organizer with Vietnam National University, Hanoi of the Vietnam–China Forum on 'Cooperation in Higher Education, Science and Technology, and Innovation' held in Beijing during General Secretary To Lam's state visit. ULIS staff participated in interpretation and translation tasks.
• Peking University (China)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 13 April 2026Cooperation agreement for jointly developing a four-volume Chinese language textbook series (elementary to intermediate levels) to be published by Peking University Press. Pilot implementation planned from September 2026. Peking University is the developer of the widely used 'Boya Chinese' textbook series.
• Beijing International Studies University 2 (China)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 13 April 2026Additional agreement to existing MOU for expanded student exchange in Vietnamese and Chinese language studies, joint research in digital education and AI, translation and interpretation, and plans to establish a Vietnamese Language and Culture Center at Beijing International Studies University 2.
• King Sejong Institute Foundation (Korea)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 26 March 2026King Sejong Institute Hanoi 2 operates at ULIS under the Faculty of Korean Language and Culture. Opening ceremony of 2026 academic year held March 26, 2026, with Dr. representing the institute.
• Diponegoro University, Semarang (Indonesia)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 23 March 2026MOU between Faculty of Psychology and Liberal Education (ULIS) and Faculty of Psychology (Diponegoro University) for the Undergrads Southeast Asian Psych-Film Fest 2026.
• Hosei University (Japan)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 21 March 2026Co-organizer of the 11th Hosei Cup Japanese Speech Contest under the theme 'What We Can Do to Protect the Future'. Final round held March 21, 2026 at ULIS.
• Vietnamese Youth and Student Association in FrancemajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 23 February 2026Meeting organized February 23, 2026 to promote cooperation in implementing a Vietnamese language dissemination program for overseas Vietnamese communities in France. Three online classes established attracting many learners who are children of Vietnamese people.
• Guangxi University for Nationalities (China)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 28 February 2025Exchange training course for 22 international students at Guangxi University for Nationalities. Closing ceremony held January 10, 2025 with Vice President Hoa Ngoc Son extending congratulations to participants.
• University of St. Andrews (Scotland)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 28 February 2025MOU exchange ceremony held February 28, 2025. Ms. Lesley Thirkell expressed honor at the official MOU signing and hoped for productive cooperation between the institutions.
• Singapore Ministry of EducationmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 21 February 2025Meeting and exchange session with Singapore Ministry of Education delegation as part of the 'Teacher Leaders Programme' held February 21, 2025 at ULIS.
• Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public AdministrationmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 February 2025Meeting and communication with students from the Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration held February 10, 2025 at ULIS, involving students from the Faculty of Russian Language and Culture.
• Southern New Hampshire University (USA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 24 September 2024International joint Master's program in Research on Teaching English as a Foreign Language. Cohorts 40 & 41 graduated 45 students in September 2024. This is a flagship joint degree program providing internationally recognized graduate qualifications.
• OMT Online Management Training JSCmajorTechnology or Integration · 19 September 2024Technology partner for the AI-powered essay grading project. OMT developed specialized databases and applied Large Language Models (LLMs) for the KTA Online automated writing assessment system used in VSTEP, IELTS, and VNU Tests.
• Taizhou University (China)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 18 October 2016ULIS boosted cooperation with Taizhou University October 18, 2016. Event attended by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ngo Minh Thuy (Vice-President) and Dr. Do Minh Hoang (Cooperation and Development Office).
• Wenzao Ursuline University of Languages (Chinese Taipei)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 15 October 2016President Do Tuan Minh visited and worked at Wenzao Ursuline University of Languages October 15–16, 2016. Working visit in response to invitation from President Shieu Ming Chou of WUUL. A representative office of Wenzao was later opened at ULIS.
• International University of Japan (IUJ)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 13 October 2016Delegation from IUJ welcomed at ULIS October 13, 2016. Attended by Dr. Do Tuan Minh (President) and Assoc. Prof. Ngo Minh Thuy (Vice-President) to discuss cooperation activities.
• University Malaysia Sabah (UMS), MalaysiamajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 12 October 2016Cooperation agreement signed October 12, 2016. Ceremony attended by Do Minh Hoang (Director of Cooperation and Development Office) and Vu Hai Ha (Dean of Faculty of English Language Teacher Education).
• National Geographic LearningcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 October 2016Partnership for English teacher training under the National Foreign Language Project 2020. Co-organized symposium on Classroom English Proficiency Improvement for English Teachers (October 11, 2016) with Assoc. Prof. Donald Freeman. National Geographic Learning coordinated with 838 core lecturers nationwide.
• Japan Alumni of Vietnam (JAV) and Japan Association for Promotion of Internationalization (JAPO)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 9 September 2016Four-sided cooperation agreement signed September 9, 2016. By 2016, ULIS-VNU had officially taught Japanese for over two decades. This agreement expanded cooperation for learning and practicing Japanese among students.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Foreign Trade University (FTU): Vietnamese public university with heavy emphasis on foreign languages (especially English, French, Japanese, Chinese) for business and trade. Overlaps with ULIS in language training and attracts similar international student segments.
• Hanoi University (HANU): A Vietnamese public university with a strong focus on foreign language teacher training and international programs, competing with ULIS for similar domestic applicants in language and international studies. Closest direct competitor in Vietnam's capital.
• University of Social Sciences and Humanities (USSH, VNU-HCM): A VNU-HCMC member school with substantial foreign language and international studies programs. Operates as the HCMC counterpart to ULIS within the national university system, competing for students and international partnerships.
• Wenzao Ursuline University of Languages: Taiwan's leading language-focused university and a long-standing ULIS partner. Highly comparable as a specialized, multi-language degree-granting institution with active international student exchange.

Broad incumbents

• Vietnam National University, Hanoi (VNU-HN): ULIS's parent institution. Operates as the broad umbrella system under which ULIS functions; comparable at the system level rather than as a single focused unit.
• Inalco (National Institute for Oriental Languages and Civilizations): France's specialized national institution for Oriental languages and civilizations, co-organizing the 2026 AI-in-language-teaching conference with ULIS. Comparable as a state-funded, language-specialized higher education institution with deep international partnerships.
• Peking University: Top Chinese university and an active ULIS partner for the Chinese language textbook co-development. Comparable as a broad-incumbent Chinese-language education provider in the regional language-education ecosystem.
• Vietnam National University, Ho Chi Minh City (VNU-HCM): Sister VNU system in southern Vietnam, hosting USSH and other language-bearing member schools. Competes with ULIS at the system level for cross-border partnerships and international rankings.

Regional players

• University of Malaya: Malaysia's flagship research university with substantial language and linguistics capacity and strong ASEAN-wide reach. Comparable on regional research standing and inbound international student flows.
• Chulalongkorn University: Thailand's top comprehensive university with well-established faculties covering major Asian and European languages. A natural regional benchmark for scale and global ranking positioning.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/vnu.ulis
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/vnu_2

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about University of Languages and International Studies