July 2025: APAC Education Trends Highlight Tuition Reform, Talent Loss, and Shifting Study Destinations

We’re excited to continue our monthly content series rounding up recent news and commentary from across the APAC nations. This month’s education news from across the Asia-Pacific region focusses on motivation, access, and talent retention. A school in Singapore describes its approach to building creativity and curiosity. Vietnam is removing tuition fees for public school students and promoting international university options at home. South Korea is also facing faculty and AI researcher departures, which is raising concerns about brain drain. Meanwhile, student motivation to study English is falling as AI translation tools become more common. Read more below:

The Thaiger: “Thai student numbers plummet in Korea as foreign arrivals surge”

South Korea’s popularity with international students continues to rise, but Thai student numbers are sharply falling. In 2024, only 21,000 Thai nationals entered Korea on student or training visas, a 40% drop from the previous year. Meanwhile, Vietnamese student numbers rose by 25%, and overall foreign arrivals for education or training increased 19%. Korea’s sluggish job market may be a contributing factor. The steep decline for Thailand, while other countries show growth, has prompted speculation about visa policies and post-study employment challenges.

Nhan Dan Online: “Tuition waivers and support: A humane, people-centred policy”

Vietnam’s National Assembly has passed Resolution 217, waiving tuition for all preschool to upper secondary students at public institutions nationwide starting in the 2025–2026 school year. This marks a historic milestone in the country’s long-standing commitment to inclusive education. Learners at private or semi-public institutions will also receive tuition support. Officials emphasize the decision is not just a social policy, but a longer term strategy to build human capital. Dr. Nguyen Si Dung noted: “We are on the right path: using institutions to unlock resources, using those resources to invest in people, and using people to build the future.”

The Korea Herald: “Korean students' motivation to study English drops as AI tools rise”

A new report from Korea’s Ministry of Education finds that student motivation to study English is falling, potentially due to the increasing use of AI translation tools. Just 61.3% of ninth-grade students said they were "highly motivated" to study English in 2024, down from 63.8% the year before. Teachers say many students rely heavily on apps like Papago or ChatGPT to complete assignments. One ministry official noted: “With AI tools handling translation so easily, some students are asking themselves why they need to study at all.” The trend is leading to concern over widening learning gaps and long-term language proficiency.

Edarabia: Empowering Global Citizens: A Principal's Vision for Future-Ready Education

At the Global Indian International School’s SMART campus in Singapore, the approach to education is built around curiosity, creativity, and compassion. In this article, the principal of the school outlines how student-led research, cross-disciplinary thinking, and strong community values help develop learners who are ready to thrive in an unpredictable future. He stresses that skills should complement, not compete with, technology. The goal is to create future global citizens who are not only critical thinkers and innovators, but also empathetic contributors to society. 

VNExpress: “Sustainable roadmap to study abroad through international university scholarships”

With traditional study-abroad routes becoming more difficult, international universities in Vietnam are emerging as a popular alternative. Institutions like British University Vietnam now offer international-standard degrees, robust scholarship programmes, and links to global postgraduate opportunities. BUV recently awarded 150 scholarships and introduced the "Graduation Star" scheme, which selects recipients based solely on national exam scores. According to a BritCham-backed study, 49% of Vietnamese parents now prefer their children pursue international education in Viet Nam. The shift reflects both affordability and growing concerns about visa hurdles, culture shock, and economic uncertainty abroad.

The Korea Herald: “South Korea’s brain drain — Why top talent is leaving”

As South Korea tries to position itself as a global innovation hub, it faces a growing crisis: its top researchers and professors are leaving for better-paid positions abroad. Seoul National University alone has lost 56 faculty to overseas posts in just four years. AI talent is particularly vulnerable, with Korea ranking 35th out of 38 OECD nations in AI talent retention. One professor explained: “With a salary gap of over four times, considering the benefits of doing research with abundant resources and receiving support for housing, there is really no reason to turn down a really good offer.” Analysts are now urging the government to shift from preventing brain drain to enabling “brain circulation”—a term used to describe retaining domestic professionals, welcoming international experts, and providing incentives for Koreans who are overseas to come back—by improving pay, infrastructure, and global research connections.