Health and Wellbeing

Spreading the positive spirit of exercising, healthy lifestyle, living green, Green Sports Day is an annual event at VinUni, receiving great support from students and lecturers at VinUni. The noble sportsmanship was shown in many different categories such as tug of war, water polo, electronic sports, basketball, Zumba, shuttlecock, etc.

Peer Advising Program Under the PAP, every first-year VinUnian is grouped with a Peer Advisor (upper-class student mentor) and a Faculty Advisor, forming an “Advisory Group” that lasts through the first year.

This is a key component of VinUni’s OASIS orientation course and first-year experience. Peer Advisors undergo training to develop mentoring skills, and many serve as Week of Welcome (WOW) team leaders during the orientation week. They lead ice-breakers, campus tours, and skill sessions, helping freshmen acclimate both socially and academically. Throughout the year, Peer Advisors host meet-ups and one-on-one check-ins to share tips on study strategies, time management, and well-being. Faculty Advisors, meanwhile, provide academic and professional guidance.

“The advisory program, especially the Peer and Faculty Advising Group, has brought incredibly valuable support to new students like me,” shares Phạm Minh Phương, a Cohort 5 Nursing student. Initially anxious in an unfamiliar environment, Phương found empathy and steady encouragement from her peer mentor and faculty advisor. They helped her shape an Individual Development Plan (IDP), setting honest short- and long-term goals – something she had never done before.

– “My Peer Advisor’s stories offered a new perspective on life, helping me grow in confidence… The advisory program gave us a precious chance to reflect, understand ourselves better, and break down barriers when meeting new friends,” Phương notes, adding that it laid a foundation for her and fellow freshmen to unlock their potential

– Quantitatively, the Peer Advising Program ensures every freshman (100% of Cohort) gets personalized mentorship. In 2024, over 200 first-year students (Cohort 5) attended a PAP orientation session to meet their advisors and learn about the support available.

– Dozens of dedicated Peer Advisors (sophomores and juniors selected via application) earn leadership experience while giving back to the community. Many go above and beyond – e.g. organizing bonding events, study groups, or city tours for their advisees. VinUni’s PAP thus builds a supportive student-to-student network. By fostering a “students helping students” culture, it eases freshmen integration, boosts retention, and nurtures leadership in the mentors. This peer mentoring model is a cornerstone of VinUni’s holistic education approach.

VinUniversity is dedicated to support students facing financial challenges with tuition, living expenses, healthcare, and emergencies, ensuring financial barriers don’t hinder their education. We offer students with one-on-one financial planning sessions and literacy workshops. By the 2023–2024 academic year, over 882 billion VND has been awarded to students from Vietnam and over 20 countries, empowering them to focus on their studies and personal growth.

Diversity & inclusion for students and staff VinUniversity is committed to cultivating an inclusive environment where everyone – regardless of background – feels supported. This commitment extends to both students and staff, earning VinUni a QS 5-Star rating in Inclusiveness and Social Responsibility

Key initiatives include:
1. Support Center for Minority Groups (SAM): Established to enhance the experience of students from underrepresented backgrounds, the Support Center for Minority Group @ VinUni – often referred to as SAM – offers tailored support services SAM’s mandate covers ethnic minorities, religious minorities, LGBTQ+ students, and others who might face unique challenges. It provides academic mentoring and personal counseling specific to minority students’ needs, organizes informative workshops (e.g. on embracing cultural identity, navigating bias), and even arranges field trips to overlooked rural areas so that students can engage with and learn from different communities SAM also ensures campus facilities accommodate religious practices (prayer rooms, dietary options) and cultural events. By coordinating with various university departments, SAM helps minority students “successfully navigate their university life” and feel a sense of belonging in the VinUni family.

2. Educational Workshops & Research: VinUni actively educates its community on diversity and inclusion topics. As part of the official Well-being program, Gender and Sexual Health Education workshops are offered for all students (with an emphasis on including LGBTQ+ youth). These workshops feature guest speakers – healthcare providers, educators, social workers – who share knowledge on topics like sexual health, consent, and overcoming discrimination. One of the program advisors is Ms. Lien Trinh, a mental health counselor and faculty member, who lends her expertise to ensure the workshops are informative and sensitive.

3. Research: Additionally, VinUni has partnered with the University of East Anglia (UK) on a groundbreaking research project on LGBTQ+ student experiences in higher education in Vietnam. Titled “Lived Experiences of Gender and Sexual Minorities in Higher Education in Vietnam,” this study (funded by a British Council gender equality grant) is the first of its kind and underscores VinUni’s thought leadership in inclusion research. Insights from the research will inform better support policies at VinUni and beyond.

4. Peer Support and Representation: As noted, the Peer Support Group (PSG) initiated in 2021 includes diverse student “peer supporters”, one of whom openly identifies as LGBTQ+. This deliberate inclusion ensures that LGBTQ+ students seeking peer counseling can speak to someone with shared experiences. More broadly, VinUni’s student demographics are increasingly diverse: the university’s ~800 undergraduates (as of 2024) come from 16 different countries across Asia, Europe, and the Americas.

4. The International Students Association (VISA) organizes cultural exchange events and buddy programs to celebrate this diversity. On the staff side, VinUni hires talent globally – its faculty and leadership represent many nationalities and cultures, fostering an international campus atmosphere. Regular intercultural events (food festivals, global days) and the promotion of English as the lingua franca ensure inclusive engagement for all students and staff.

VinUni’s diversity and inclusion efforts create a campus where differences are celebrated. Students from minority groups have access to dedicated resources and communities, while majority students gain exposure to new perspectives – preparing all to become culturally competent leaders.