Pioneering in Educating Chinese for Science and Technology

A technical manager at an industrial park in Bac Giang shared his "secret" to overcoming language transfer challenges: "We used to spend weeks just to accurately translate a single technical document from China. Then, we hired an interpreter skilled in Chinese for Science and Technology. Everything changed, then!"

It's clear that as global technology companies flock to Vietnam, a "new competency" is in high demand: proficiency in specialized Chinese for Science and Engineering. With a strong shift in investment from China to Vietnam, hundreds of factories, FDI projects, and R&D centers are emerging in Bac Giang, Hai Phong, and Quang Ninh. These require personnel who not only have basic technological knowledge but also understand the language of technology in Chinese.

Leaders of HUST and its School of Foreign Languages with speakers at the International Conference, "Training in Chinese for Science and Technology: Cooperation and Development," held at HUST (April 2025).

A new wave: The rise of Chinese for Science and Technology

The craze for learning Chinese began around the year 2000, when the wave of labor exports to Taiwan was at its peak. Today, learning Chinese for tourism or general interpretation has become commonplace.

In the context of a national economy focused on industrial development and modernization, Chinese within the environment of smart manufacturing, high technology, electronics, mechanics, and IT represents a new but extremely promising field. It opens up many attractive job opportunities and demands a high-quality workforce that is fluent in the language and possesses deep professional knowledge.

In an August 2024 discussion with Dan Tri newspaper, Ms. Tran Thi Hoan—Deputy Director of Navigos Search for the Northern region—observed: "The surge in recruitment for personnel with Chinese language skills in technical industries is causing a major shortage. Not everyone who knows Chinese understands technical terminology. And engineers who are skilled in technology are rarely proficient in Chinese."

And that is precisely why Hanoi University of Science and Technology (HUST) sought to create a "crossover" between language and technology.

With over 20 years of experience in training foreign language majors, HUST's School of Foreign Languages has established its pioneering position with two English Language programs accredited by the ASEAN University Network-Quality Assurance (AUN-QA). It has supplied the labor market with thousands of foreign language graduates who are capable of working effectively in academic environments, agencies, organizations, and businesses.

Building on this success, starting in 2023, Hanoi University of Science and Technology—a university renowned for its engineering disciplines—began researching a special training direction: the Chinese for Science and Technology program (FL3). In 2025, FL3 was launched, enrolling its first cohort based on thorough preparations in curriculum, faculty, and facilities. This is the first program in Vietnam to integrate Chinese language training with foundational technical knowledge.
Students in the FL3 program will not only learn Chinese but will also master specialized vocabulary, understand how to communicate in a technical environment, translate technical documents, read drawings, report errors, and communicate effectively with Chinese partners.

"Whereas previously, just knowing Chinese was enough to get a job in an industrial park, companies now need people who can speak the language of technology. And to do that, you can't just study general Chinese," commented a recruitment officer at Huawei Vietnam.

Envisioning a Practical, Hands-On Chinese for Sci-Tech Class

Exploring the FL3 Chinese for Science and Technology curriculum is truly exciting—it feels just like being in a real-world work environment.

In a "Chinese for Information Technology" class within the FL3 program, students don't learn Chinese in the conventional way. Instead, they are guided by their instructors to:

* Use specialized Information Technology concepts and terminology in Chinese across various in-depth topics.

* Apply specialized vocabulary and language structures to conduct simulated communication scenarios in an IT environment using Chinese.

 Explain technical content (e.g., operating systems, databases, networks, AI) in Chinese to peers or professional partners.
Similarly, in a "Chinese for Electrical and Electronics Engineering" class, students learn how to:

* Accurately use specialized Chinese terminology in activities such as reading technical documents, writing reports, and engaging in basic professional communication.

* Present technical information in Chinese by designing presentations or writing reports related to the field of Electrical and Electronics Engineering.

"With the FL3 program, students not only become proficient in the Chinese language but also gain a deep understanding and mastery of Science and Technology knowledge," shared Dr. Pham Van, a lecturer in the FL3 program at HUST's School of Foreign Languages.
  FL3 Trains "Crossover Talent"!

MA. Bui Thu Phuong, a lecturer in the FL3 program, noted: "In the past, many parents would anxiously ask me, 'What can my child do after studying Chinese?' But now, the question has changed: 'What is Chinese studied in combination with?'" This reflects the current desire of parents and students for proficiency in both a foreign language and a professional specialization.

In reality, with China being the number one investor in Vietnam across numerous sectors—including electronics, industrial manufacturing, automotive, and energy—the ability to use Chinese in a technical context is a strategic advantage.

"My child loves technology but is also good at languages. When I learned that this major combines both, it felt like he had found his own unique path. It's an option that not everyone has," shared Ms. Nguyen Thu Huong, a parent from Hanoi, after learning about HUST's Chinese for Science and Technology (FL3) program.

Beyond classroom instruction, FL3 students also work in groups to translate actual technical reports from corporate partners.
  The job opportunities for those who know Chinese for Science and Technology are incredibly vast. Graduates of the FL3 program are not limited to being interpreters. A recruiter at the electronics company Luxshare once affirmed: "A candidate who knows both technology and Chinese, and also understands Chinese workplace culture? We would hire them on the spot, without waiting for the resume screening round."

A representative from a Chinese electronics component manufacturer located in Bac Ninh stated: "We don't just need someone who is good at Chinese or good at engineering. We need someone who is good at both."

Accordingly, with their foundational technical skills, HUST's FL3 students have a myriad of options:

* Technical Assistant to a Chinese director.

* Technical staff in Chinese factories.

* Technical document translator and interpreter.

* Teacher or teaching assistant for specialized technical Chinese.

* Researcher, trade officer, or corporate personnel.

While traditional career paths are becoming increasingly competitive, integrated, interdisciplinary options like the FL3 program at HUST's School of Foreign Languages are becoming a "golden land" for forward-thinking young people who know how to "tune in" to the future.