HCMC Open University

What HCMC Open University does

HCMC Open University (Trường Đại học Mở TP HCM) is a Vietnamese public university established in 1990 in Ho Chi Minh City, operating 8 campuses across HCMC, Dong Nai, and Khanh Hoa provinces. The institution serves over 35,000 students across bachelor's, master's, and doctoral programs delivered through four training modalities: regular full-time (đại học chính quy), distance learning (đào tạo t� xa), online/blended (vừa làm vừa học), and international articulation pathways. The university's core academic portfolio spans 13 faculties covering economics, technology, and social sciences, including IT, Biotechnology, Law, Accounting-Auditing, Economics and Public Management, Construction, Foreign Languages, and Business Administration.

The university operates a digital learning ecosystem comprising an LMS (learn.ou.edu.vn), Student Information System (sis.ou.edu.vn), distance learning platform (oude.edu.vn), online learning platform (elo.edu.vn), and a VR campus tour portal (vr.ou.edu.vn). It has developed the OpenEdu EdTech platform combining Blockchain and AI technologies for educational analysis, and partners with Korea National Open University on AI applications in open education. International articulation programs (2+2 linked degrees) are offered with Flinders University (Australia, since 2017, renewed through 2027), University of Southern Queensland (Australia), University of South Wales (UK), and Université Jean Moulin Lyon 3 (France).

The university's revenue is generated primarily from tuition fees across its four modalities, supplemented by government funding as a public institution. Industry partnerships provide practical training pipelines: approximately 80 law firms partner with the Faculty of Law, 7 construction enterprises signed cooperation agreements in 2026, and MOUs with ACCA, Smart Train Academy, Moore AISC, and MBA Audit Firm support accounting-auditing students. Scholarships such as Be Scholar 2025 (20 million VND) and Flinders scholarships (10-20% tuition reduction) form part of the recruitment and retention apparatus.

Name

HCMC Open University

Legal name

Trường Đại học Mở Thành phố Hồ Chí Minh

Website

https://ou.edu.vn

Company type

Private

Founded year

1990

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Open-Access/Non-Selective Liberal Arts Colleges (EDAHACAK)

akta.pro secondary industry

Virtual/Blended Exchange (COIL) Partnerships (EDAIABAH)

Keywords

• Higher education services
• Undergraduate degree programs
• Distance learning programs
• Online education programs
• International articulation programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Ho Chi Minh City

HQ country

Vietnam

HQ region

Asia

Offices8 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Tuition and Academic Fees: Revenue is primarily generated from tuition fees across four training modalities: regular/full-time (đại học chính quy), distance learning (đào tạo từ xa), part-time/blended (vừa làm vừa học), and online. International articulation program tuition is collected for both Phase 1 (at OU) and Phase 2 (at partner universities abroad). Scholarships are funded from operating revenue.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

HCMC Open University (Trường Đại học Mở TP HCM) is a Vietnamese public university founded in 1990 that delivers higher education across four modalities: regular full-time (Đại học Chính quy), distance learning (Đào tạo Từ xa), online (Đào tạo Trực tuyến), and blended work-study (Vừa làm vừa học). It offers 32 bachelor's, 12 master's, and 6 doctoral programs spanning economics, engineering, and social sciences/humanities through 13 faculties, alongside 2+2 international articulation programs with partner universities in Australia, the UK, and France.

Product overview

HCMC Open University offers a comprehensive educational portfolio including regular undergraduate programs, distance learning, online learning, and postgraduate programs across 13 faculties. The institution provides 32 bachelor's degree programs, 12 master's programs, and 6 doctoral programs in economics, engineering, and social sciences and humanities. Key products include the Distance Learning system (oude.edu.vn), Online Learning platform (elo.edu.vn), Student Information System (sis.ou.edu.vn), and international partnership programs with universities in Australia, UK, and France. The university's Special Training Faculty manages high-quality and international linked programs, while individual faculties like IT, Biotechnology, Law, and Accounting-Auditing deliver specialized education. The institution also provides virtual reality campus tours (vr.ou.edu.vn) and operates OUtv television.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Regular University Programs (Đại học Chính quy) Full-time on-campus bachelor's degree programs delivered across 8 campus locations in Ho Chi Minh City, Dong Nai, and Khanh Hoa provinces. Targeted at high school graduates enrolling directly after secondary education.
• Distance Learning Programs (Đào tạo Từ xa)

Named customers4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability4 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

17 partnerships are on record, tiered major, core and minor.

• Construction Industry Enterprises (7 companies)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 12 August 2026Cooperation agreements signed with 7 construction enterprises to enhance practical training quality in the Construction sector, providing internship and industry exposure opportunities for students.
• Suan Sunandha Rajabhat University (Thailand)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 28 July 2026International academic exchange program. Students and faculty from SSRU visited OU for an international exchange program covering public administration, digital technology in public sector, and cultural exchange. Focus on academic exchange and research collaboration.
• University of Southern Queensland (Australia)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 13 July 2026International articulation program partner for IT and other disciplines. OU and USQ are developing cooperation relations to expand training linkages in Information Technology programs. Program signed in 2026 with aim to broaden joint offerings.
• Be Group (Công ty Cổ phần Be Group)minorGTM or Marketing Partner · 25 December 2025Scholarship provider and mobility partner. Be Group provides the 'Be Scholar 2025' scholarship fund (20 million VND) and monthly discount codes for student transportation to campus.
• Smart Train Academy (Học viện Smart Train)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 11 December 2025MOU signed for internship opportunities and practical training for Accounting and Auditing students. Smart Train provides hands-on professional experience in accounting practices.
• Moore AISC (Audit and IT Services)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 11 December 2025MOU for internship and professional development cooperation for Accounting and Auditing students, providing real-world audit and accounting practice exposure.
• MBA Audit Firm (Hãng Kiểm toán MBA)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 11 December 2025MOU for internship and professional development for Accounting and Auditing students, with emphasis on AI applications in audit practice.
• ACCA (Association of Chartered Certified Accountants)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 6 August 2025Partnership to expand career development opportunities for Accounting and Auditing students. ACCA credentials provide professional qualification pathways for graduates.
• KNOU - Korea National Open UniversitymajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 25 July 2025Partnership involving AI application training in open education, with KNOU providing sponsorship and expertise on open and distance learning technologies.
• Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) MalaysiamajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 11 December 2024Academic exchange and cooperation with UiTM Malaysia, including visits to UiTM's Terengganu campus and ongoing collaboration with the Faculty of Accounting and Auditing.
• Universiti Utara Malaysia (UUM)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 December 2024Cooperation agreement signed with UUM in Malaysia, focusing on student and faculty exchange and academic collaboration in business/administration disciplines.
• University of South Wales (UK)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 26 November 2024International articulation partner offering direct bachelor's degree pathways to UK education. Part of the multi-partner international program portfolio of OU's Faculty of Special Programs.
• Vos Discovery Co. Ltd / Organoid Sciences (Korea/Vietnam)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 7 August 2024Cooperation with Vos Discovery (Vietnam branch of Organoid Sciences, a Korean biotech spin-off from CHA University). Focus on biotechnology research, student internships, and scientific exchange. Organoid Sciences is a pioneer in Asia for organoid platforms used in medicine and drug testing.
• Viettel TP.HCM (Military Telecommunications Group)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 28 July 2024Student support cooperation agreement with Viettel TP.HCM, providing internship and career development opportunities for students.
• Université Jean Moulin Lyon 3 (France)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 11 January 2024Cooperation agreement signed in January 2024 covering student and faculty exchange, joint research, academic exchange, and quality enhancement in law education. Jean Moulin Lyon 3 is one of France's leading law and economics universities with over 4,000 international students annually.
• Various Law Firms and Legal Companies (Khoa Luật)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 7 September 2023Khoa Luật has signed cooperation agreements with nearly 80 law firms, legal companies, and notary offices to support student internships, moot courts, and professional skill development.
• Flinders University (Australia)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2017The flagship international articulation partnership, signed in June 2017. Students complete Phase 1 at OU (2 years) and Phase 2 at Flinders in Adelaide, Australia. The 2+2 program covers Business, Commerce, and Languages. The agreement was renewed through 2027 for the second 5-year cycle.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves2 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• The Open University (UK): The global pioneer of open/distance higher education and a benchmark for the HCMC Open University model. Operates at vastly larger scale and represents the established international incumbent in the open-learning category.
• Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU): The world's largest open university by enrollment, operating under a public mandate with massive distance-learning infrastructure. Provides a long-tail benchmark for scale, cost structure, and open-access delivery in an emerging market.

Direct peers

• Foreign Trade University (Vietnam): Vietnamese public university specializing in business, economics, and foreign trade with comparable international articulation partnerships and southern Vietnam operations. Directly competes in international business programs.
• University of Economics Ho Chi Minh City (UEH): A leading public economics and business university in HCMC with overlapping program portfolios (economics, accounting, business, IT) and a similar ranking profile. Competes directly for the same southern Vietnamese student pool.
• Korea National Open University (KNOU): Korea's national open university and an active partner of HCMC Open University on AI in open education. Closely comparable in open/distance learning mission and public-sector delivery model, providing a benchmark for technology-enabled scale.
• Hanoi Open University: Vietnam's sister open university based in Hanoi, offering the same open-access, multi-modal (regular, distance, in-service) higher education mission to northern Vietnam. Directly comparable in mandate, structure, and student profile.

Emerging players

• Duy Tan University: Large Vietnamese private university with broad program offerings and growing international partnerships. Competes with HCMC Open University for the same working-adult and undergraduate student segments.
• FPT University: A leading Vietnamese private university with strong technology, AI, and business programs and corporate-backed delivery model. Represents the private-sector competitive threat for IT and business enrollments.

Regional players

• Open University Malaysia (OUM): Malaysia's premier open and distance learning university, serving a similar Southeast Asian market with flexible, multi-modal higher education. Comparable in scale, mission, and learner demographics.
• Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology (HCMUT/BK): Vietnam National University-HCM member school specializing in engineering and technology. Competes for technically oriented students in southern Vietnam and shares overlap in IT and engineering faculties.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCZ9Jp8D-B5RsJG9CqDZJT7w
• Facebookfacebook.com/daihochcmc
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/hcmc-open-university
• Instagraminstagram.com/ou.hcmc

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about HCMC Open University