Matt Jansen is Head of International Student Recruitment at British University Vietnam. He has spent over a decade working in the field, building his career across the UK, Europe, and now Southeast Asia.
From growing Bloomsbury Institute London from 30 to 2,000 students, to leading international recruitment at Corvinus University of Budapest, and now working at British University Vietnam, he has developed a deep, first-hand understanding of how international higher education is evolving and how universities compete for students in different parts of the world.
In this conversation, he explains how shifts in policies across the “Big Four” destinations, the US, UK, Canada, and Australia, influence the Higher Education environment in Southeast Asia. The region is no longer just a source of students, but increasingly a destination, with Vietnam and Indonesia emerging alongside established hubs like Singapore and Malaysia.
Jansen notes that a key shift comes from students themselves: Gen Z is more pragmatic, more informed, and far more focused on outcomes. Prestige and rankings matter less than they did before. Instead, students are looking closely at return on investment, asking what kind of job opportunities, internships, and practical skills a university can offer.
From London to Vietnam: building a career in international student recruitment
Studyportals: You started your career in international student recruitment in the UK and are now working in Vietnam. How did that journey come together?
Matt Jansen: I studied at the University of Leeds. I’m from London, and it’s quite common for students in the UK to move away from their hometown. I was lucky to get into a Russell Group university and study Economics, and that really paved the way for my career.
In my final year at Leeds, I worked at the university’s Careers Centre. I graduated in 2011, which was a difficult time, just after the global financial crash. I came back to London, but there weren’t many jobs available, so I took a role in recruitment, not student recruitment, but personnel recruitment. It was very difficult, but it taught me everything about sales, how to run a mini business, arrange meetings, and generate revenue for organisations.
“I really believe in British education, partly from my own experience at Leeds, but also from my early career, where I spent a year teaching. So the chance to be in Southeast Asia, at a university delivering a British curriculum, in a country I had never visited before, was very appealing.”
I did this for about nine months, but it taught me a lot. Then there was an opening at a local college in London. When I started, we had about 30 students. I was one of five people in the student recruitment team and became the top performer in my first intake. Over time, with several intakes and some favourable market conditions, we grew to a few hundred students, and eventually, after eight years, to around 2,000 students and a thriving higher education institution. It was a fantastic project to be part of and to see that growth.
Then I moved to Hungary, where I had the opportunity to work at Corvinus University of Budapest, a top business school, and lead international student recruitment. I really enjoyed my time in Budapest. After four years there, I finally made it to Southeast Asia, which had been a long-term goal for me.
I had done business trips in China, Malaysia, and Indonesia, and the region stood out immediately. When you see the infrastructure, the high-rise buildings, and the scale of life, it’s quite striking. Europe felt small in comparison.
About 18 months ago, I found the British University Vietnam. I was exploring new opportunities and came across it. I really believe in British education, partly from my own experience at Leeds, but also from my early career, where I spent a year teaching. So the chance to be in Southeast Asia, at a university delivering a British curriculum, in a country I had never visited before, was very appealing. Vietnam is an incredible place, full of optimism and opportunity, and everything came together nicely. It’s a great place to work and to study as well.
Studyportals: Southeast Asia is becoming an increasingly attractive study destination, and there is a lot of news about Western universities opening campuses there. What is happening?
Matt Jansen: What’s been interesting over the past four years is how the traditional “big four” destinations [US, UK, Canada and Australia] have changed their higher education policies and strategies. That’s had a significant knock-on effect. As a result, students are now looking for alternatives.
In response to these demand-side shifts, international universities are increasingly expanding provision in Southeast Asia and many local institutions have emerged!
In Southeast Asia, countries like Malaysia and Singapore, and to some extent Thailand, are already well-established student destinations. What’s changing now is the rise of Vietnam. I’d like to think I’ve played a small part in that journey; we’ve brought a few international students here. At the same time, things are starting to move in Indonesia as well.
Southeast Asia has gone from being just a source to both a source and a destination region. What we’re seeing is not only internationalisation, but also regionalisation. So a large share of the students in Southeast Asia actually come from within Southeast Asia itself.
There are students from neighbouring countries, and of course from China and India, and South Asia more broadly as well. So this is where a lot of the students are coming from.
“Southeast Asia has gone from being just a source to both a source and a destination region. What we’re seeing is not only internationalisation, but also regionalisation.”
Why students are looking beyond traditional study destinations
Studyportals: What’s actually driving this change for students, and why are more of them starting to look beyond the traditional study destinations?
Matt Jansen: It’s becoming increasingly expensive to study in the “Big Four”, both in terms of tuition fees and living costs. Visas are far from certain now, and post-study work policies are changing. For example, in the UK it’s still possible to stay after graduation, but that will change from two years to 18 months [in January 2027].
Also, as an international student, would you feel welcome and want to study in a country where certain statements are being made? In some cases, I’m not sure that I would.
So naturally, students are looking for alternatives. Many are turning to Europe, where there are world-class universities. From my time in Hungary, I can say that it wasn’t traditionally seen as a study destination, but countries like Hungary and Poland now have over 100,000 international students combined. Then you have Germany, the Netherlands, Ireland, and the Nordic countries, where students can often study in English, at a more affordable cost, and with good opportunities to stay and work after graduation.
Then there is Southeast Asia, which is really the next area to watch. On one side, policy changes are pushing students to explore new destinations. On the other, you have supply from institutions, especially from the UK and Australia, setting up branch campuses or franchising programmes in the region. So there is already a strong international education offer there for students to consider.
What Gen Z really wants from a university today
Studyportals: And when students look at these new options, what matters most to them when deciding where to study?
Matt Jansen: Cultural proximity, affordability, and the provision of quality international education are key factors. International students want an international experience, but they also want a strong return on investment.
I think the Gen Z consumer is very smart and pragmatic, and research from Deloitte in 2025 reinforces this. They are focused on outcomes. Students today really want employment opportunities. If a university can’t offer internships, graduate roles, and a curriculum that builds practical skills, they are not so interested.
Today's students are outcome-focused — they want to know about internships, careers, and return on investment. But parents, who remain central to the decision in this region often still look closely at quality signals: accreditation, recognition, global benchmarks. At BUV, we're set up to answer both questions. So if a student can get something of quality closer to home, still international, it can be a great stepping stone. It doesn’t mean they can’t eventually go West.
At the same time, it has to be good value for money. Why spend 40,000 USD or more just on tuition, not including living costs, when you can get something similar for 25% of that, just a two-hour flight away, and with the same quality?
Living conditions abroad can also be difficult. I’m from London, I know how expensive rent is. It’s not always as glamorous as it sounds. The vision is attractive, but the reality doesn’t always match it.
If universities in Southeast Asia can provide those job opportunities, or a curriculum that leads to them, at a much lower cost, then they can compete with traditional universities in traditional destinations. And that’s what we’re seeing.
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Studyportals: Getting a Western education closer to home sounds ideal, but many students wonder about quality. Is it really the same as studying in the UK or US, and how does it compare?
Matt Jansen: Honest answer: not everywhere, necessarily. That’s something students really have to look into.
As higher education professionals, we understand the jargon, accreditation, and standards. So yes, I can safely say that British University Vietnam is world class. We have UK QAA quality assurance accreditation and QS 5-star status, which is an outstanding accolade for a teaching university. There are very good European universities that don’t reach five-star status.
“It’s also important to look at who will be teaching you and who you’ll be studying with.”
It’s also important to look at who will be teaching you and who you’ll be studying with. In our case, we publish academic profiles on our website, so students can check how international our faculty is. Around 65% are PhD holders, and about 80% are from outside Vietnam. Our Vietnamese staff also hold master’s and PhD degrees from abroad. So it’s a very international and high-quality experience.
We also have a world-class campus, with QS 5-star status. It’s a brand new campus. I’ve worked in this sector for a long time, and I haven’t seen anything like it in Europe or the UK. It’s a truly high-quality environment.
Studyportals: So this is a completely new campus. Can you tell us more about it and what kind of student experience it offers?
Matt Jansen: That's right. At the moment we can accommodate 5,500 students, but in the final phase it will get to 8,000 – 10,000. In 2018 we’ve moved to this place, It's called Eco Park, and it is about 40 minutes from downtown Hanoi, by car. Very peaceful and serene and green. It's a smart city and I live here as well.
Studyportals: How do universities in Southeast Asia work, especially those connected to Western institutions?
Matt Jansen: There are three main types, I would say. First, there are local universities, where you can earn a local qualification. I checked, and there are eight universities in Southeast Asia in the QS top 200. So if students care about studying at a well-ranked, reputable university, there are options in the region.
The second type is the branch campus. I mentioned RMIT in Vietnam, but there are also examples in China, and new developments in India and Indonesia. The branch campus model is quite common in Southeast Asia. This is where a UK, Australian, American, or other international university operates a subsidiary campus in the country.
The third model is what we have, which is a collaborative degree delivery model. British University Vietnam is an independent institution with university status in Vietnam. We collaborate with both the British and Vietnamese governments and are licensed to use the name. Some of our degrees are awarded by British University Vietnam and are Vietnamese-accredited, but the majority, around 80 to 85 percent, are UK degrees delivered through collaborative degree partnerships. This includes University of London programmes, under the academic direction of of the London School of Economics (LSE).
So, coming back to your question, these options can be very valuable for students. It depends on what you want. Do you want a local qualification? Do you want to study at a branch campus and receive a degree from a well-known international university? Or do you want a top-quality qualification, in our case from the University of London, delivered in Vietnam by our academics? All of these pathways can lead to strong outcomes for students.
Studyportals: Are programmes designed more for the local job market or for global careers, and how do universities align with both?
Matt Jansen: That’s a difficult question, and a very good one. I think the local and global job markets are becoming increasingly merged. What we do in Vietnam is becoming more similar to what happens in Europe, the UK, or the US.
At the same time, the Vietnamese economy is booming. There are sectors like tourism, for example, Vietnam had around 20 million tourists last year, and there are strong opportunities in these areas.
“Universities today need to offer a strong practical component. In our case, internships are embedded in the curriculum”
Because we offer a UK curriculum and work with partner universities in the UK, we are selective in choosing programmes that align with labour market needs and demand in Vietnam. This involves working closely with local employers, while also collaborating with our UK partners to ensure the right programmes are delivered.
More broadly, universities today need to offer a strong practical component. In our case, internships are embedded in the curriculum. That’s essential in 2026 if universities want to stay relevant.
At the end of the day, universities are also businesses, and to remain competitive, they need to offer programmes that lead to real outcomes.
Studyportals: How easy is it for international students to apply, and get a study visa in Southeast Asia, and what does the process look like in Vietnam specifically?
Matt Jansen: Southeast Asia is generally much more accessible for international students from a visa perspective than the traditional study destinations we’ve discussed.
In Vietnam, for example, I’ve spent 14 years in higher education, and the student visa process is very open and supportive. It’s very straightforward. There are no bank statement requirements like in the UK. Students need to be academically accepted, pay a tuition fee deposit, and then a visa application fee of around 145 USD.
The university actually handles the visa application on their behalf. Our visa compliance team arranges a one-to-one meeting with students, and their families can join if they wish. They explain all the required documents and give students the option to collect the visa either from the embassy in their home country or on arrival in Vietnam.
“The university actually handles the visa application on their [the students’] behalf. The process is quick and transparent.”
The process is quick and transparent. In most cases, it takes no more than 20 days, with a maximum planning time of around 45 days. For someone working in this sector, it’s very positive. It allows us to diversify the student body and offer opportunities to students who might face difficulties elsewhere.
In my home country, for example, many students have their visas rejected. So [Vietnam’s open policy offers] a big advantage. Students in Vietnam can also work during their studies. They do need to be proactive, and opportunities, especially in English, may be limited, but they are there. Overall, it’s a very strong value proposition to international students.
