CAS-CHS research team represented by Ms Lien Trinh (PI) and Dr Pranee Liamputtong, respectively, in collaboration with University of East Anglia (UK), has successfully received a research grant, valued at £25,000 from British Council. This is part of the Going Global Partnerships’ funding round focusing on gender equality in four countries: Bangladesh, Indonesia, Peru and Vietnam. Call for submission was announced in January 2022, and within a short timeframe, the team put together a research proposal that addresses the economic disparities faced by gender and sexual minority individuals belonging to the LGBTQ+ community, evaluating the lived experiences of these minority groups in the higher education context in Vietnam.

The objectives of this study are to:

• Identify the lived experiences and the perceptions of equal opportunities faced by gender and sexual minorities in the higher education sector in Vietnam, with perspectives from both students and educators.
• Examine attitudes and perceived social norms toward gender and sexual minorities in specific areas such as assessment, class activities, academic support, social inclusion, wellbeing, and mental health support.
• Identify target areas and provide tailored recommendations to stakeholders (institutions and policymakers) to address any unequal opportunities and/or treatment that gender and sexual minorities face in the higher education context.

It is hoped that the results of this study will inform education providers and policymakers in Vietnam of the specific area(s) to target, with the aim of both increasing the representation, and improving retention and success, of gender and sexual minority students in higher education.