Inside VGS's Global Exchange Program: Stories from Students Who Studied Abroad

Opening Doors to the World

When Phan Ngoc Linh boarded her flight to London last September, she carried two suitcases and a heart full of anxiety. "I had never been away from my family for more than a week," the 17-year-old recalls. "The idea of spending an entire semester at a school where I knew no one, in a country I had only seen in movies, was terrifying." Ten months later, Linh returned to Ho Chi Minh City a different person — more confident, more independent, and with a clarity of purpose she had never felt before.

Linh is one of 24 VGS students who participated in the school's Global Exchange Program during the 2025-2026 academic year. The program, which has been running since 2021, places students at partner institutions in the United Kingdom, Australia, France, and most recently, Canada and South Korea. More than just a study-abroad experience, the program is designed to develop the intercultural competence, adaptability, and global perspective that VGS considers essential for twenty-first-century leadership.

Learning Beyond the Classroom

For Tran Duc Minh, a Grade 12 student who spent his exchange semester at a partner school in Sydney, the most transformative experiences happened outside the classroom. "The academic classes were excellent, but what really changed me was the everyday life," he says. "Learning to cook for myself, navigating a new city's public transport, handling a bank account in a foreign currency — these practical life skills gave me a confidence I did not know I was missing."

Minh's host family, an Australian-Vietnamese couple in Sydney's Inner West, played a crucial role in his adaptation. "They showed me that you can honor your Vietnamese identity while fully embracing a global lifestyle. The father was a software engineer from Da Nang who had lived in Australia for twenty years, and the mother was an Australian architect who had learned Vietnamese. Seeing them navigate two cultures so naturally gave me a new model for what my future could look like."

Cultural Exchange in Both Directions

The exchange program is designed to be reciprocal. While VGS students study abroad, students from partner schools spend time on the VGS campus in Ho Chi Minh City. This year, the school hosted 18 international exchange students, creating a truly multicultural environment on campus.

"Having international students in our classes completely changed the dynamic," explains English teacher Ms. Nguyen Thu Ha. "Vietnamese students who were shy about speaking English suddenly became animated conversation partners. And the international students brought perspectives and teaching methods from their home countries that enriched our classroom discussions immeasurably."

Discovering Unexpected Passions

Perhaps the most significant impact of the exchange program is how it helps students discover interests and career paths they never would have considered otherwise. Le Hoang Yen went to Paris planning to study fashion design, but returned with a passion for urban planning after taking an elective in sustainable city design at her host institution. "Paris opened my eyes to how cities can be designed for people, not just cars," she says. "Now I want to bring those ideas back to Ho Chi Minh City."

Vo Quang Huy had a similar revelation during his exchange in Edinburgh. Originally focused on business studies, he discovered marine biology through a weekend field trip to the Scottish coast. "Standing on the shores of the North Sea, watching a marine biologist explain the effects of ocean acidification on local ecosystems, I felt something click. For the first time, I understood that business success means nothing if we do not protect the natural systems that sustain us. I am now pursuing a double major in business and environmental science."

Building a Global Alumni Network

Beyond individual transformation, the exchange program is creating a powerful alumni network that spans continents. Former exchange students regularly stay in touch, visiting each other, collaborating on projects, and providing mutual support as they navigate university and early career challenges. The VGS Global Alumni Association now has active chapters in Melbourne, London, Paris, Seoul, and Vancouver.

"The friendships I made during my exchange are the most valuable thing I took away from the experience," says 2024 graduate Nguyen Anh Thu, now studying international relations at Sciences Po in Paris. "These are people who understand what it means to leave home for the first time, to struggle with a new language, to miss your family while building a new life. That shared experience creates bonds that last a lifetime."