Internationalizing the curriculum in Vietnam: recommendations for policy and practice based on a case study of lecturers’ perceptions

In Vietnam's higher education sector, internationalising the curriculum is a promising strategy. However, while institutions plan to keep up with change, the accompanying ecosystems are incompatible. The current study, therefore, is an effort to look into part of the concern. Employing a mixed-methods approach, quantitative data were collected from 63 lecturers and supplemented with qualitative insights from 11 interviews, including both semi-structured and structured, written ones. Drawing on reflections of the lecturers based on descriptive analysis, Spearman and thematic analysis, findings of the study reveal that: (1) The significance of curriculum internationalisation features is well recognised by lecturers, (2) the curriculum's internationalisation aspects are considered to be sparsely included, (3) financial support for curricular internationalisation remains insufficient and (4) a list of immediate things is advised. The study's findings may offer insights for policymakers and institutional leaders seeking to formalise curriculum internationalisation, enhance facilities, expand teacher training programs and provide further support to the process. Overall, the study highlights a notable gap between lecturers' recognition of the importance of curriculum internationalisation and the limited institutional conditions supporting its implementation. These findings provide empirically grounded implications for more coherent and sustainable internationalisation strategies in Vietnam's higher education context.