A Rising Soft Power: India and the Advantage of India-Vietnam Educational Cooperation from 2014 to 2021

Abstract

The objective of this article is to generalize salient points of India-Vietnam educational cooperation from the perspective of India with the hope of providing a better understanding of this tie since the Act East Policy (AEP). This research paper employs qualitative methods, together with data collection and a thematic and grounded theory approach to draw some new findings. First, there is a slight increase in Vietnamese students in India’s education, and this country became a new provider of scholarships for Vietnamese students. Besides, the role of student exchange programs, together with India’s investment in Vietnam’s academic institutes, is a typical example of the rising soft power of India in the case of Vietnam. Meanwhile, activities of Indian Studies institutes in Vietnam shouldered the role of organizing a wide range of academic conferences and educated Vietnamese people about Indian culture and its influences. It is expected that India would perform its strong commitment to educational cooperation with Vietnam to pull off AEP. The continuation of Vietnam’s open-door policy along with the AEP of India would stimulate the role of Vietnam and India in a close interaction in the Southeast Asian stage down the road.