For the first time ever, students at the Vietnam National University in Hanoi can apply for an exchange semester at China’s Tsinghua University, the nation’s top university and the most prestigious in Asia, for free.
According to an announcement by Vietnam National University in Hanoi, starting this year, students from their second year onward at Vietnam National University-Hanoi with strong academic achievements and proficient foreign language skills, either an IELTS score of 7.0 for English or at least an HSK 5 level for Chinese, can apply for a tuition-free semester at Tsinghua.
Applications for the fall semester (September 2025–January 2026) must be submitted by April 30, while applications for the spring semester (February–June 2026) are due by Nov. 30.
Selected students will receive free tuition for the duration of their exchange at Tsinghua, but will be responsible for their own living expenses, insurance and visa fees.
This program is part of a broader cooperation agreement signed between VNU and Tsinghua University on March 2. Similar agreements were also made with Vietnam National University in Ho Chi Minh City and Vietnam’s National Economics University.
Tsinghua University has been recognized as the most prestigious institution in Asia by Times Higher Education. In the THE World Reputation Rankings 2025, it ranks eighth globally, surpassing both Yale University and the University of Tokyo.
In THE World University Rankings 2025, it stands at number 12, the highest position of Chinese universities, followed by Peking University, another top-tier institution in the country.
Tsinghua currently maintains exchange agreements with about 200 universities worldwide.
