Foreign Languages and Informatics Center – Banking University of Ho Chi Minh City (FLIC – BUH)

What Foreign Languages and Informatics Center – Banking University of Ho Chi Minh City (FLIC – BUH) does

FLIC – BUH (Foreign Languages and Informatics Center – Banking University of Ho Chi Minh City) is a university-affiliated training and competency assessment center operating under Ho Chi Minh City University of Banking, a public higher education institution in Vietnam. The center delivers short-term language and IT training, administers standardized proficiency examinations, and issues certificates recognized by Vietnam's Ministry of Education and Training.

Its core product portfolio centers on five service lines: (1) VSTEP assessment under Vietnam's 6-level foreign language proficiency framework (bậc 1–6, CEFR-aligned), for which FLIC holds one of only 25 nationwide university authorizations; (2) ICT application training at basic and advanced levels with international certifications (IC3, MOS, ICDL delivered via the June 2023 partnership with ICDL Vietnam); (3) international English test preparation and administration (IELTS under the British Council license, TOEFL, TOEIC); (4) the proprietary HUB computer-based university entrance aptitude assessment exam covering Mathematics, English, Physics, Chemistry, History, and Geography; and (5) supporting digital infrastructure including the BUH-LMS e-learning platform, the VSTEP-HUB exam portal, certificate verification systems, and ICT exam portals. Technology is fundamentally computer-based testing infrastructure with standardized question banks and LMS delivery rather than AI-enabled systems.

The revenue model is fee-for-service across training courses and certification examinations, delivered through a hybrid go-to-market combining direct enrollment (website, Facebook, Zalo, phone consultation), on-campus recruitment of BUH students, and channel partnerships with provincial Departments of Home Affairs for civil servant training programs. Customer segments span four groups: BUH university students (primary, captive due to graduation requirements), provincial government civil servants under the National Foreign Language Program 2019-2030, high school applicants for Banking University entrance, and the general public seeking international English certifications. FLIC operates from two Ho Chi Minh City campuses (District 1 headquarters at 39 Hàm Nghi and Thu Duc at 56 Hoàng Diệu 2) and reports only 13 employees, making it a lean operation whose revenue is not publicly disclosed.

Name

Foreign Languages and Informatics Center – Banking University of Ho Chi Minh City (FLIC – BUH)

Legal name

Trung tâm Đào tạo và Đánh giá năng lực Ngoại ngữ - Công nghệ thông tin, Trường Đại học Ngân hàng Thành phố Hồ Chí Minh

Website

https://flic.edu.vn

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

FLIC – BUH is a public university-affiliated training and assessment center under Banking University of Ho Chi Minh City that delivers VSTEP, IELTS, TOEFL, TOEIC, and IT certification courses and exams to BUH students, provincial government civil servants, and the general public in Vietnam.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Education and Training Services

NAICS

Exam Preparation and Tutoring (611691), Language Schools (611630)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Language Proficiency Exam Prep (CEFR, TOEFL, IELTS, Duolingo English Test, PTE) (EDANACAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

English Proficiency & International Admissions Exams (TOEFL/IELTS/PTE/Duolingo) Prep (EDANABAC), English Test Preparation (IELTS, TOEFL, Duolingo English Test, etc.) (EDAAACAJ), Language Assessment, Placement Testing & Proficiency Certification Tools (EDAFAOAH)

Keywords

• Foreign language training
• IT certification programs
• English proficiency testing
• Computer-based assessment
• Civil servant training

Headquarters

HQ city

Ho Chi Minh City

HQ country

Vietnam

HQ region

Asia

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Training and Certification Fees: Revenue generated from course fees for language and IT training programs, examination fees for certifications (VSTEP, IT certificates), and test administration fees for university entrance assessments

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

FLIC – BUH delivers short-term foreign language and information technology training along with official competency assessment and certification services. Core offerings include VSTEP 6-level English proficiency testing authorized by Vietnam's Ministry of Education, international English test preparation (IELTS, TOEFL, TOEIC), IT certification programs (Basic IT, Advanced IT, IC3, MOS via ICDL Vietnam), and a proprietary computer-based university entrance aptitude assessment (VSAT) for admission to Banking University.

Product overview

FLIC – BUH operates as a training and assessment center under the Banking University of Ho Chi Minh City, offering a portfolio of language training, IT certification, and proficiency testing services. The core offerings include VSTEP foreign language assessment aligned with Vietnam's 6-level NLNN framework (equivalent to CEFR A1–C2), IT application training at basic and advanced levels with IC3/MOS international certifications, and international English test preparation (IELTS, TOEFL, TOEIC). The center also organizes computer-based university entrance aptitude exams and provides online portals for certificate verification and exam management. The product portfolio functions as a suite of training programs and certification services rather than a unified software platform.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• VSTEP 6-Level Foreign Language Proficiency Assessment Vietnamese national foreign language proficiency assessment framework aligned with CEFR, covering 6 levels (bậc 1–6). FLIC is one of 25 universities nationwide authorized by the Ministry of Education and Training to organize testing and issue official certificates.
• Basic IT Application Training and Certification (Ứng dụng CNTT Cơ Bản) Basic information technology application training and certification program aligned with the national IT competency standards required for university students and civil servants.
• Advanced IT Application Training and Certification (Ứng dụng CNTT Nâng Cao) Advanced information technology application training and certification program for higher proficiency levels, aligned with national IT competency standards.
• IC3 & MOS IT Certification International computer literacy certifications (Internet and Computing Core Certification / IC3 and Microsoft Office Specialist / MOS) delivered through partnership with ICDL Vietnam.
• IELTS Preparation and Official Testing International English Language Testing System preparation courses and official test administration. FLIC is licensed by the British Council as an official IELTS test venue in Ho Chi Minh City.
• TOEFL Preparation and Testing Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL iBT) preparation courses and test scheduling services for international English certification candidates.
• TOEIC Preparation and Testing Test of English for International Communication (TOEIC) preparation courses and test scheduling services for workplace English certification.
• VSAT – Computer-based University Entrance Aptitude Assessment Proprietary computer-based university entrance aptitude assessment administered by FLIC for high school students (THPT) applying to Banking University, covering Mathematics, English, Physics, Chemistry, History, and Geography.

Quantifiable outcome

• 103 civil servants from Long An province certified in English proficiency (bậc 3, bậc 4)
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• British CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 25 November 2024Licensed by British Council as an official IELTS testing venue, authorized to conduct and administer IELTS examinations for the British Council in Ho Chi Minh City.
• ICDL Vietnam (Công ty Cổ phần ICDL Việt Nam)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 June 2023Partnership for implementing the International Computer Driving License (ICDL) program - an international standard for IT skills certification. The agreement was signed with ICDL Vietnam and Vietnam Electronic Books and Learning Materials Development and Investment Joint Stock Company to deliver ICDL certification courses.
• Ba Ria - Vung Tau Province Department of Home Affairs (Sở Nội vụ tỉnh Bà Rịa – Vũng Tàu)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 8 January 2023Partnership for English language training (bậc 4/6) and certification under the national foreign language competency framework for civil servants of Ba Ria - Vung Tau province, under the National Program for Foreign Language Learning 2019-2030.
• Long An Province Department of Home Affairs (Sở Nội vụ tỉnh Long An)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 24 September 2022Partnership to provide English language training (bậc 3/6) and certification under the national 6-level foreign language framework for civil servants of Long An province. Includes examination and certification services.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• ILA Vietnam: Major private English training provider in Vietnam serving children, teens, and adults. Comparable as a competing English training and certification provider with multiple sites across HCMC and other Vietnamese cities.
• Ho Chi Minh City University of Social Sciences and Humanities (USSH): Public university with foreign language training and assessment programs. Comparable as a competing public university offering VSTEP and foreign language certification under the 6-level framework, competing for the same student and government demand.
• VUS (Anh Văn Hội Việt Mỹ): Largest private English language training chain in Vietnam. Comparable because both compete for Vietnamese learners seeking international English certifications (IELTS, TOEFL, TOEIC) and operate test prep and certification services.
• University of Languages and International Studies (ULIS) - VNU Hanoi: National university language center authorized by MoET for foreign language proficiency assessment. Comparable as one of the 25 competing authorized universities offering VSTEP/6-level certifications and language training.
• Vietnam-USA Society English Centers (VUS): Vietnamese-American joint venture offering English language programs and certifications. Comparable to FLIC's general public segment for international English test preparation and certification delivery.
• IDP Education Vietnam: Co-owner of IELTS and operator of IELTS test centers across Vietnam. Comparable as a direct competitor for IELTS test volumes and as a channel for international English test preparation that FLIC also offers.

Broad incumbents

• Apollo English: Established English training provider in Vietnam offering courses across proficiency levels. Comparable as a competing consumer-facing English training brand that competes for the general public segment FLIC also targets for international English certifications.
• British Council Vietnam: Global operator of IELTS testing and English training in Vietnam. Comparable because FLIC is now a licensed IELTS testing venue, putting it in direct operational relationship with British Council which also delivers competing in-house English programs.

Regional players

• Hanoi University (HANU) - Center for Foreign Languages: Public university language center in northern Vietnam authorized for foreign language assessment. Comparable as a MoET-authorized assessment center competing for the same national VSTEP and 6-level certification market, but operating primarily in northern Vietnam.

Others

• ICDL Vietnam: Licensor of ICDL/IC3/MOS IT certification programs in Vietnam. Comparable as a strategic partner and adjacent ecosystem participant that defines the international IT curriculum FLIC delivers to its students.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/flic.edu
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/foreign-languages-and-informatics-center-%E2%80%93-banking-university-of-ho-chi-minh-city-flic-%E2%80%93-buh

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Foreign Languages and Informatics Center – Banking University of Ho Chi Minh City (FLIC – BUH)