NUS Business School Dean highlights astute business leadership as key to sustaining Vietnam’s growth momentum and strengthening its growing role in ASEAN’s economic transformation.
Distinguished Professor Andrew Rose, Dean of NUS Business School (back row, second from left), with Ms Tara Bal, Head of Corporate Communications, NUS Business School, and alumnus Mr Huy Bian (Bachelor of Business Administration ’16) (back row, first from left and first from right), together with representatives from the Vietnamese media.
Hanoi, Vietnam, 15 January 2026 – Southeast Asia is entering a new era of transformation. As global supply chains realign, digital economies deepen and sustainability becomes a competitive advantage, Vietnam has emerged as one of the region’s most compelling growth stories, poised to shape the next phase of ASEAN’s development.
Once anchored primarily in manufacturing and trade, Vietnam is now moving steadily towards higher‑value industries, digital innovation and services. As growth accelerates, the demand for strong leadership and management capabilities is rising in tandem. Yet, a widening gap remains between the skills the market needs and currently available talent.
Speaking to local media today during a visit to Hanoi, Distinguished Professor Andrew Rose, Dean of NUS Business School, highlighted how Vietnam’s transformation reflects a broader shift across ASEAN, where economies are moving from rapid industrial expansion to more innovation‑ and knowledge‑driven growth.
To sustain this momentum, Professor Rose noted that there is an urgent need for a new generation of business leaders who can recognise regional trends, seize opportunities across borders and work effectively at the intersection of government policy and private‑sector innovation.
“Vietnam’s economy is thriving, foreign investment continues to rise, and a confident middle class is reshaping domestic demand. The country is not only growing quickly but maturing as it does so. For Vietnamese organisations to succeed in this next stage, business leaders must be able to read regional trends, spot new opportunities and leverage connections across borders, while staying agile, internationally attuned and firmly rooted in local understanding for the challenges of a more competitive global environment,” said Professor Rose.
Singapore’s position at the heart of Asia’s trade and capital flows, combined with its strong reputation as a higher education hub, makes it a natural gateway for Vietnamese talent into the region.
Professor Rose also noted that majority of Vietnamese professionals who pursue NUS Business School’s MBA and executive education programmes are mid‑ to senior‑level business leaders seeking to step into larger regional roles, and many draw on the School’s leadership and management expertise, as well as its networks, to move into positions in consulting, technology and regional corporate headquarters.
The MSc in Finance is also a popular option among younger Vietnamese students, reflecting growing interest in deepening financial expertise to support Vietnam’s ambitions in areas such as capital markets, corporate finance and regional banking.
NUS Business School is also supporting access to education through a range of scholarships and financial aid. Vietnamese MBA candidates are eligible for various awards such as the NUS MBA ASEAN Scholarship, the NUS ADB–Japan Scholarship and other merit-based scholarships.
The School has also worked with organisations in Vietnam to build leadership capacity through executive education programmes. Since 2023, executives from Vietnamese companies have joined courses such as the Stanford–NUS Executive Programme, and the Leadership Development and Driving Strategic Innovation programmes, reflecting growing interest in leadership development that is both regionally grounded and globally informed.
Taken together, these efforts reflect a closer alignment between Vietnam’s development priorities and the School’s focus on leadership development in Asian. As Vietnam moves into its next phase of growth, NUS Business School’s programmes offer a ready platform to help bridge talent gaps and support Vietnamese organisations in realising their regional and global ambitions.
For media enquiries, please contact:
Frank CHUA Assistant Senior Manager, Corporate Communications NUS Business School National University of Singapore Tel: +65 9771-7871 Email: frank.c@nus.edu.sg
About National University of Singapore (NUS)
The National University of Singapore (NUS) is Singapore’s flagship university, which offers a global approach to education, research and entrepreneurship, with a focus on Asian perspectives and expertise. We have 15 colleges, faculties and schools across three campuses in Singapore, with more than 40,000 students from 100 countries enriching our vibrant and diverse campus community. We have also established more than 20 NUS Overseas Colleges entrepreneurial hubs around the world.
Our multidisciplinary and real-world approach to education, research and entrepreneurship enables us to work closely with industry, governments and academia to address crucial and complex issues relevant to Asia and the world. Researchers in our faculties, research centres of excellence, corporate labs and more than 30 university-level research institutes focus on themes that include energy; environmental and urban sustainability; treatment and prevention of diseases; active ageing; advanced materials; risk management and resilience of financial systems; Asian studies; and Smart Nation capabilities such as artificial intelligence, data science, operations research and cybersecurity.
For more information on NUS, please visit nus.edu.sg.
About NUS Business School
With 50,000 alumni and 60 global chapters, the National University of Singapore (NUS) Business School is known for providing management thought leadership from an Asian perspective, enabling its students and corporate partners to leverage global knowledge and Asian insights.
The school has consistently ranked first in Asia by independent publications and agencies, such as The Financial Times and Quacquarelli Symonds, in recognition of the quality of its programmes, faculty research and graduates.
The school is accredited by AACSB International (Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business) and EQUIS (European Quality Improvement System), endorsements that the school has met the highest standards for business education.
For more information about NUS Business School, please visit bschool.nus.edu.sg.
To discover our MBA, MSc or Executive Education courses, visit https://mscbiz.nus.edu.sg/, https://mba.nus.edu.sg/ or https://executive-education.nus.edu.sg/