Understanding Vietnamese students’ reasons to drop out of overseas phd programmes and implications for education policies

Abstract

Research about PhD drop-out has received increased attention, as a response to concerns over mental health of doctoral students in academic environments. This research takes on a new approach to understanding the educational experience of international doctoral students, through a case study of Vietnamese doctoral students who received full scholarships to study their PhD in social sciences but decided to drop out. Findings of this research show that, the decision to drop out of doctoral students was shaped by their low level of personal adaptability and the lack of attention from their supervisors and educational institutions. These findings would help educational administrators re-evaluate the existing supporting structures for Vietnamese doctoral students and propose viable solutions to improve the current situation.