Cornell’s Role in Vietnam’s First World-Class Private University

In 2017, Vietnam’s higher education landscape was poised for a transformation. The country’s rapid economic growth demanded a globally competitive university, one that would develop top talent, elevate academic standards, and connect Vietnam to the world’s leading research institutions.

With that goal, Vingroup, one of Vietnam’s largest corporations, turned to the Cornell SC Johnson College of Business to help build VinUniversity (VinUni), the country’s first private, nonprofit university designed to meet international standards. Over the next seven years, 450 faculty and staff from across Cornell worked alongside VinUni leadership to design academic programs, mentor faculty, and shape a research-driven institution from the ground up.

By the time the formal collaboration concluded in December 2024, VinUni had graduated its first class and earned a prestigious five-star QS Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) rating, the highest possible recognition in the QS Stars system, signifying exceptional performance and academic excellence.

Cornell’s role in the VinUni project extended beyond consultation. The SC Johnson College led the academic consulting for the establishment of VinUni’s College of Business and Management, College of Engineering and Computer Science, and College of Arts and Sciences, while the University of Pennsylvania guided the development of VinUni’s College of Health Sciences.

Faculty from Cornell’s SC Johnson College, College of Engineering, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, and Computing and Information Science played a hands-on role in advising 14 degree programs, validating more than 40 course syllabi, and recruiting and mentoring VinUni’s founding faculty.

Beyond faculty mentorship, Cornell provided leadership mentoring at the highest levels. Wendy Wolford, vice provost for international affairs, mentored VinUni President Le Mai Lan, while Cornell deans and department chairs advised VinUni deans and vice deans, strengthening the institution’s governance and strategic direction.

Building a university requires more than a curriculum. Cornell’s team helped shape VinUni’s governance structures, accreditation strategy, and faculty development programs, ensuring that it would compete with the world’s top institutions. The work was meticulous, focusing on aligning every academic and operational element with global higher education standards.

“This collaboration wasn’t solely about launching a university—it was about shaping the future of responsible global education,” said Andrew Karolyi, Charles Field Knight Dean of the Cornell SC Johnson College of Business “Cornell’s ability to integrate across disciplines and mobilize its faculty at scale is what makes us unique, and this project illustrates that strength on the world stage. Our college faculty and staff are very proud to have been integral to VinUni’s successful launch and to continuing our partnership beyond.”

VinUni welcomed its first students during the pandemic in 2020, and its impact was immediate. By June 2024, the university’s first cohort of 132 students graduated, with 75 percent securing employment within three months and 21 percent moving on to top graduate programs at institutions including MIT, Harvard, and Cornell.

That same year, VinUni became the youngest university ever to receive a five-star QS rating, a recognition that often takes decades to achieve. Enrollment surged, with 450 students joining for the 2024-25 academic year.

For Linda Barrington, associate dean at the SC Johnson College, this rapid success demonstrates what’s possible when universities commit to global impact at scale.

“This was academic entrepreneurship on a whole new level,” she said. “We assembled expertise from across Cornell to help VinUni build a strong, self-sustaining foundation. We didn’t set up a branch campus; we provided the consultative know-how and direction for VinUni to succeed independently — partnering closely with Cornell faculty, especially in engineering, to bring this vision to life.”

The collaboration sparked cross-border research that expanded opportunities for both Cornell and VinUni faculty. Joint research projects tackled sustainability, economic development, and artificial intelligence in healthcare, strengthening research networks between the two institutions.

Several Cornell faculty have taught courses and led research collaborations at VinUni. Among them, Cornell’s Helen Chun and VinUni’s Jenny Le are exploring how AI-based digital apps could improve healthcare access for women and children in underserved communities. Chris Anderson partnered with VinUni professor Thuc Anh Phan to develop sustainability benchmarks for Vietnam’s tourism industry. Other projects examined environmental intelligence, data science, and emerging markets, demonstrating how research partnerships can shape policy and industry standards.

Cornell students have gained hands-on experience through immersive learning programs at VinUni. In 2022 and 2023, the Vietnam Adverse Childhood Experience Pathfinders (VACEP) program gave students the opportunity to collaborate with VinUni peers on public health initiatives. This summer, a new cohort of Cornell students will research and intern at VinUni and VinAI, working on computer science and engineering projects in Vietnam.

A 3+2 accelerated degree program allows VinUni students to spend three years in Vietnam before transitioning to Cornell for two years, where they finish their VinUni bachelor’s degree and earn a Cornell master’s degree in Applied Economics and Management (MPS) at Dyson, Applied Statistics (MPS) at Cornell Bowers CIS, or Mechanical or Systems Engineering (MS) at Cornell Engineering.

Though Cornell’s formal consulting role has concluded, the relationship between the two universities continues. New opportunities include ongoing research collaborations and student engagement, particularly in engineering and business, as well as potential collaborations with Vingroup’s growing technology and business ecosystem.

For Thao Ly Bui Tran, Director of the Cornell-VinUniversity Project, the partnership culminated in an enduring relationship.

“We not only worked on this collaboration for a single outcome; we built a long-lasting friendship between our two institutions,” she said.

The partnership also reinforced Cornell’s presence in Southeast Asia, strengthening its reputation as a leader in global education and research.