AUF Scholarships: How Vietnamese, Cambodian and Lao Students Access Francophone Universities

What AUF is

The Agence Universitaire de la Francophonie is a global network of French-language higher education institutions, with an Asia-Pacific regional office that has operated out of Hanoi for around three decades. Its member network in the region includes universities and research institutes in Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos, alongside other Francophone-linked institutions across Asia. AUF's scholarships exist to support this network directly, so the starting point for eligibility is different from most government scholarships: you generally need to already be enrolled in a Francophone program at an AUF member institution, or in some cases employed by one, before you can apply.

This matters for planning. If your current university is not an AUF member and does not run a French-medium track, you will not be eligible for most AUF student mobility funding, regardless of your French level. Check your institution's status and its Francophone program offerings with the AUF Asia-Pacific office in Hanoi or through auf.org before building an application plan around AUF funding.

Master's-level mobility funding

AUF runs regional allocations for master's-level mobility, letting a Francophone student move from their home country to another Asia-Pacific member country to complete a Francophone master's program. This is aimed specifically at Francophone-track students who want to study in a different country within the region rather than staying at their home institution, and it is limited to students who did not already choose to study in their own country.

A separate master's excellence scholarship track exists for outstanding Francophone graduates, including students from French-medium medicine programs, funding a further year of study abroad through a 10-month study allocation for a second master's year. This route has run in past cycles specifically for medicine graduates from Francophone programs who want to extend their training internationally, though exact terms and open fields can change between calls.

Doctoral research training grants

AUF also funds doctoral-level research training grants for students enrolled in or affiliated with member institutions who want to complete part of their thesis research abroad at another AUF member university. These grants can cover research stays for up to 3 years, structured around a co-supervision arrangement between the home and host institutions. This route suits Vietnamese, Cambodian or Lao doctoral candidates already working with a supervisor at an AUF member university who want to add an international research component to an existing thesis project, rather than students starting a doctorate from scratch abroad.

How to apply

1. Confirm your university is an AUF member and that you are enrolled in, or affiliated with, a Francophone program there

2. Identify which AUF mobility call fits your level, since master's, doctoral and excellence tracks run as separate calls with separate eligibility rules and deadlines

3. Contact your university's international office or the AUF Asia-Pacific regional office in Hanoi for the current call's application form and supporting document list

4. Submit your application within your home institution first in most cases, since AUF calls are usually routed through the member institution rather than accepted directly from individual students

The AUF Asia-Pacific office in Hanoi can be reached for excellence scholarship inquiries and current call details through the regional contact channels listed on auf.org. Because AUF opens and closes specific calls throughout the year rather than running one fixed annual cycle, check the current list of open calls for Asia-Pacific directly on auf.org rather than assuming a program mentioned in a past year's announcement is still open.

Where this fits alongside Campus France

AUF funding is separate from Campus France, which handles broader French government scholarships, visa procedures and general study-in-France guidance for students heading to France specifically, whether or not they come from a Francophone-track background. AUF's own mobility grants are narrower and network-based, moving Francophone-track students between AUF member countries and institutions, which can include destinations across Asia-Pacific and not only France. Students planning a Francophone academic path from Vietnam, Cambodia or Laos often use both. AUF for network-based mobility grants tied to their current institution, and Campus France for the wider range of French government scholarship and visa information when France itself is the destination.

Why the AUF network matters for Francophone students

Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos each have a long history of French-medium education dating back to the French colonial period in Indochina, and French-taught programs still run today at a number of universities in all three countries, particularly in law, medicine, engineering and the sciences. AUF's role is to keep this Francophone academic track connected internationally, funding movement between member institutions rather than funding French study from scratch for students with no existing Francophone program connection.

For a student already committed to a French-medium track at a member university, this network offers mobility options beyond what a single national scholarship program typically provides, including regional destinations within Asia-Pacific rather than only France or Europe. For a student not currently in a Francophone program, building AUF eligibility means first choosing a French-medium track at a member institution, which is a longer-term academic decision rather than something to arrange right before a specific mobility deadline.

Getting started

• Ask your current university's international relations office whether it holds AUF membership and which Francophone programs it runs

• If you are not yet in a Francophone program but want this option, research which universities in Vietnam, Cambodia or Laos offer AUF-linked French-medium tracks in your intended field

• Once enrolled, monitor your institution's AUF-related announcements directly, since mobility calls are often circulated internally rather than heavily advertised outside the member network