APU Education Development Group - 30 years of Cultivating Academic Excellence
The year 2024 marks a double milestone for APU Educational Development Group. It signifies 30 years of dedication to creating American-standard education in Vietnam and over 20 years since welcoming the first students at APU American International Schools.
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Looking back on this journey, founder Dr. Tran Nguyen Thy Binh can be proud of the numerous milestones APU Educational Development Group has achieved. These include consistently receiving awards for developing educational careers and gradually establishing as a leader in international education.
These brilliant "milestones" showcase continuous efforts towards the noble mission of Vietnamese education
APU American International Schools and the American University in Vietnam (AUV) were recently awarded the prestigious "TOP 10 STRONG NATIONAL BRANDS" title at the 2024 Entrepreneur's Tet Program in Ho Chi Minh City. This prestigious award joins a long list of recent achievements.
- In recognition of outstanding achievements in sustainability, APU and AUV were honored with the "Recognition of Significant Impacts from an ESG Initiative in Vietnam" award at The AmCham Vietnam ESG Impact Showcase 2023. This prestigious award, presented among over 500 AmCham member companies and organizations, highlights APU's commitment to environmental and social responsibility, measurable impact, and strong corporate governance.
- Award "TOP 10 Excellent Leaders for International Integration" at the ASIA 2023 International Economic Forum.
- List of “The Most Successful International Schools in Asia, 2023” by The Education View magazine.
- List of "The Most Valuable Schools to Watch in Vietnam 2022" by Knowledge Review magazine.
- List of “International Schools of the Year” by SiliconIndia magazine.
- List of “Most Trusted Boarding Schools in 2021” by Knowledge Review magazine.
- Accredited by the world's largest educational accreditation organization Cognia™.
- In addition, World Schools, a leading international education evaluation organization, has honored APU with several prestigious categories, including: “Best American International School in Southeast Asia”, “Best American Schools in Asia”, and Best World Schools around the World”.
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| At The AmCham Vietnam ESG Impact Showcase 2023, APU Educational Development Group, led by Dr. Thy Binh, was recognized with the prestigious "Recognition of Significant Impacts from an ESG Initiative in Vietnam" award. This honor highlights APU's outstanding achievements among AmCham's over 500 member companies and organizations. |
These achievements solidify APU and AUV's reputation for quality American education on both the national and international academic landscape. They also unlock new opportunities for collaboration with leading universities in the US and worldwide, further strengthening APU Educational Development Group's impressive track record of domestic and international success.
Journey to a pioneering position in education cooperation between Vietnam and The United States
Dr. Tran Nguyen Thy Binh is a highly respected leader in the eyes of the teachers and staff at APU American International Schools and the American University in Vietnam (AUV). They admire her thoughtful, gentle nature, decisiveness, and bravery in her work. Dr. Thy Binh's passion and enthusiasm for education fueled her dream of providing Vietnamese students with access to world-class, high-quality education, and her leadership turned that dream into reality.
Initially, upon returning to Vietnam from the US, Dr. Tran Nguyen Thy Binh focused on volunteering to help those in need, particularly orphans and disadvantaged children. However, a pivotal moment came when she encountered Vietnamese children with a deep desire for education despite their difficult circumstances. This inspired her to pursue her vision of establishing an international-standard education system within her homeland.
While waiting for a license to establish the American University in Vietnam - AUV in 1999, in order not to waste time, APU American International School was created in 2004 with the first campus placed in Ho Chi Minh City. Continuing the success of the city facility in Ho Chi Minh City, APU added APU American International School in Da Nang City in 2015, with a campus size of more than 30 hectares. And not stopping at the secondary and primary education levels, APU Group has improved the quality of university education in Vietnam by establishing the American University in Vietnam - AUV with a facility in Da Nang. In addition, to meet the unique learning needs, conditions, and desires of students, APU American International School opened the Bilingual Program in the 2020-2021 academic year, and started the new two-program teaching of the Vietnam – United States program. Moreover, APU Educational Development Group is planning the American Education Village - a new milestone in the group's development journey. It is expected to be deployed shortly in the Southern Key Economic Region, bordering Ho Chi Minh City.
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| Dr. Thy Binh welcomed the delegation from the University in Missouri City - Kansas (UMKC) and delegates including Dr. Chandra Agrawal (Chancellor), Dr. Jennifer Lundgren (Provost) and Dr. Kevin Truman (Vice Provost and Dean of Science and Engineering School) came for the annual exchange. |
Dr. Thy Binh's leadership has empowered the APU American International Schools to overcome challenges and pave the way for generations of Vietnamese students to integrate seamlessly into the global education landscape. APU holds a unique position as the only international school in Vietnam licensed by both the Vietnamese Ministry of Education and Training and a US educational agency to offer accredited US curricula to Vietnamese and international students. Beyond offering AP programs where APU serves as a College Board testing center, the school actively encourages students to explore the College Bridge Program (Dual Enrollment Program) in collaboration with prestigious US universities. This program, exclusive to APU, reflects Dr. Thy Binh's and APU Educational Development Group's commitment to strategic partnerships with leading US institutions. These partnerships include esteemed universities like Florida Institute of Technology, Virginia Commonwealth University, the University of California system (UC Berkeley, UC Davis, UC Irvine), Wentworth Institute of Technology, University of Missouri Kansas City, Central Michigan University, University of Texas A&M, California State Universities, Arizona State University, and Central Washington University. Through these partnerships, APU brings American-standard programs with relevant majors directly to Vietnamese students.
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| Holding a unique position in Vietnam, APU is the first and only international school licensed by both the Vietnamese Ministry of Education and Training and the US educational agency to offer accredited US educational programs to Vietnamese and international students. |
A blooming harvest of student success continues to blossom
To date, over 5,000 APU students have successfully transferred to prestigious universities in the US, Australia, Canada, and beyond. Annually, over 90% of APU graduates receive scholarships to pursue higher education at top institutions worldwide, with the majority in the United States. These scholarships often reach tens of millions of USD, and students benefit from waived requirements for IELTS, SAT, or ACT scores. AUV students enjoy a seamless path to a master's degree. They can complete 3-4 years of their bachelor's degree (BA, BS) in Vietnam and directly enter master's programs (MA, MS) at partner universities without taking the GRE or GMAT. APU and AUV provide a strong foundation for success, as evidenced by the achievements of their alumni. Many graduates hold prominent positions in global companies like Boeing, Abbott, KPMG, Google, Tesla, Amazon, the Big 4 (PWC, Deloitte, Ernst & Young, KPMG), and even NASA.
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| Beyond offering AP programs for which APU serves as a College Board testing center, APU also encourages students to explore the College Bridge Program - a unique dual enrollment program in partnership with prestigious US universities, currently available only at APU. |
Even during the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, APU American International Schools demonstrated remarkable success. The school facilitated over 500 prestigious scholarships exceeding $25 million for graduating students. Few international schools can match APU's 100% transfer visa success rate for students pursuing their education in the United States.
Dr. Thy Binh's journey was not without obstacles. The concept of international education was still novel, presenting countless challenges. However, these challenges only fueled her determination to realize her dream. Her passion for education ignited a fire that inspires generations of teachers and students within APU American International Schools and the American University in Vietnam - AUV. Dr. Thy Binh shared her relentless work ethic: "My students, generations of APU and AUV learners, inspire me. They confidently enter the international academic arena, excelling in prestigious universities worldwide from their first semesters. This success is the driving force behind my dedication to providing the best education possible."
One parent once posed a heartwarming question to Dr. Thy Binh: "How do you make your child love school so much? They don't want to graduate and just want to stay at APU forever!" This remark filled Dr. Binh with a sense of both pride and satisfaction. Confiding her thoughts, she shared, "At that moment, I was truly happy. Happy for our students. When they feel connected and love their school like a home, it naturally fosters a strong motivation to learn."
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| American Educational Urban Village Project - A new milestone on the development journey. |
Over the past 30 years, APU Educational Development Group under the leadership of Dr. Binh has strongly grown, and become one of the prestigious and pioneering education systems in Vietnam as well as the region. This is the most flagrant proof of Dr. Thy Binh's stature, thinking, and desire to innovate education and training in Vietnam in recent years. “Every woman has the power to make a difference, to take leadership positions anywhere, as long as she puts her heart into her work,” Dr. Thy Binh once said. Dr. Thy Binh is such a different woman. She has an enterprising spirit, is a guiding light, and inspires the passion for dedication in all teachers, staff, and students of APU and AUV throughout her life career.
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| Graduates of APU and AUV leverage strong foundations to achieve remarkable success. Graduates secure prestigious degrees from universities worldwide and pursue fulfilling careers across the globe. Many hold prominent positions in renowned companies like Boeing, Abbott, KPMG, Google, Tesla, Amazon, the Big Four (PWC, Deloitte, Ernst & Young, KPMG), and even NASA. |
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