On 13 August 2026, National Economics University (NEU) and the University of Waikato, New Zealand, marked another important milestone in their long-standing academic partnership with the formal exchange of a cooperation document signed by the leaders of the two universities. Professor Nguyen Thanh Hieu, Vice President of NEU, and Professor Neil Quigley, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Waikato, formally exchanged the document on behalf of their respective institutions, witnessed by Vietnam’s Minister of Education and Training Hoang Minh Son and New Zealand’s Minister Tertiary Education Penny Simmonds.

The formal exchange took place during the State visit to New Zealand by General Secretary and President To Lam, against the backdrop of growing educational cooperation between Vietnam and New Zealand and the two countries’ shared commitment to developing more substantive, sustainable and mutually beneficial partnerships.
For NEU and the University of Waikato, the cooperation document builds on an established record of successful collaboration in transnational education and provides a foundation for broader cooperation in education, research and academic exchange.

Prof. Nguyen Thanh Hieu, Vice President of NEU, and Prof. Neil Quigley, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Waikato, formally exchange the cooperation document signed by the leaders of the two universities, witnessed by Vietnam’s Minister of Education and Training Hoang Minh Son and New Zealand’s Minister Tertiary Education Penny Simmonds

Building on a Successful Undergraduate Partnership
At the heart of the NEU–Waikato partnership is the Bachelor of Business (BBus) program, jointly delivered by the two universities and coordinated by the NEU School of Trade and International Economics and Waikato Management School. Delivered in English and leading to a Bachelor of Business degree awarded by the University of Waikato, the program offers students a choice of two distinct majors: Digital Business and Supply Chain Management

The program is designed with flexibility in mind. Students may complete their studies at NEU in Vietnam, while those wishing to gain further international academic experience have the option to transfer to the University of Waikato in New Zealand for part of their studies. This pathway is not compulsory; however, a significant number of students have chosen to take advantage of the opportunity, adding an important mobility dimension to the partnership and enabling them to experience both Vietnamese and New Zealand academic environments.
A defining feature of the program from its inception has been the substantial academic involvement of University of Waikato faculty in program delivery. Waikato academics teach alongside their NEU counterparts, giving students direct access to the expertise, teaching approaches and international perspectives of faculty members from both institutions.
By embedding joint academic delivery, direct faculty engagement and optional student mobility into the program, NEU and the University of Waikato have developed a substantive model of transnational education in which the international partner plays an active role in the student learning experience. This approach also aligns closely with Vietnam’s evolving direction for international joint education, which increasingly emphasizes substantive academic engagement between Vietnamese higher education institutions and their international partners.

Having successfully completed its first five-year cycle, the BBus program enters a new phase in 2026, with Cohort 6 marking the beginning of the second five-year cycle of cooperation. The program has developed into a successful example of transnational education cooperation between a leading Vietnamese university and a leading New Zealand university, reflecting the sustained academic and institutional commitment of both sides.
The partnership is further strengthened by the University of Waikato’s international standing. The University is ranked equal 293rd globally in the QS World University Rankings 2027. Its Waikato Management School, which directly coordinates the BBus programme with NEU, also holds the prestigious Triple Crown accreditation from AACSB, EQUIS and AMBA, placing it among the select group of business schools worldwide to hold all three major international accreditations.

From Undergraduate Success towards Postgraduate Collaboration
Building on this proven undergraduate partnership, the newly formalized cooperation document provides a foundation for NEU and the University of Waikato to explore the next stage of their academic cooperation.
One important direction currently under development is a potential joint master’s degree in the field of Digital Business. If successfully developed and approved, the program would represent a natural progression in the partnership—from a proven model of jointly delivered undergraduate education towards a broader academic relationship encompassing undergraduate and postgraduate education, research and academic exchange.

Contributing to Vietnam–New Zealand Education Cooperation
Also on 13 August, in the presence of General Secretary and President To Lam and New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon, Vietnam’s Minister of Education and Training Hoang Minh Son and New Zealand’s Minister Tertiary Education Penny Simmonds exchanged an education cooperation agreement between the two countries. The agreement provides a broader framework for strengthening educational ties on the basis of reciprocity and mutual benefit, creating further opportunities for higher education institutions in Vietnam and New Zealand to expand substantive cooperation.

The Minister of Education and Training of Vietnam and the Minister for Education of New Zealand Exchange Cooperation Agreement

Against this broader bilateral backdrop, the NEU–University of Waikato partnership demonstrates how government-level cooperation can be translated into concrete university-level initiatives that create meaningful opportunities for students, academics and researchers.
It also reflects a wider shift in international higher education—from individual activities towards deeper institutional partnerships combining academic programs, faculty engagement, mobility, research and long-term capacity building.

A New Chapter in the NEU–Waikato Partnership
The formal exchange of the cooperation document marks another important milestone in the evolving partnership between National Economics University and the University of Waikato.
With the BBus program successfully completing its first five-year cycle and Cohort 6 opening the second cycle in 2026, the two universities are now well positioned to broaden their cooperation. The potential joint master’s program in Digital Business represents one important future direction, subject to further academic and institutional development, a specific MOA between the two universities, and all relevant approval procedures.
This progression reflects the growing depth and maturity of the NEU–Waikato partnership and their shared commitment to cooperation on a substantive, quality-driven and sustainable basis.

For NEU, the partnership also aligns with its broader internationalization strategy: developing high-quality international programs, strengthening engagement with reputable universities worldwide, expanding international opportunities for students and faculty, and enhancing the global relevance and impact of its education and research.

Article and Photos: Communications Department, International Cooperation Department and School of Trade and International Economics

Media outlets reporting on the event:

People’s Deputies Newspaper: Vietnam – New Zealand Expand Educational Cooperation in a Substantive Direction

Education & Times Newspaper: Vietnam – New Zealand Higher Education and Vocational Education Forum