Abstract

In the context of globalization and the rise of Asian countries as new study abroad destinations, this research explores the factors motivating Lao and Cambodian students to study abroad and the specific factors attracting them to choose Vietnam. Employing a multiphase mixed-methods design, including exploratory interviews, survey instrument development, and concurrent data collection through quantitative surveys (N=67 Lao and Cambodian students) and qualitative interviews (N=11 students and diplomatic representatives), the study identified key push pull factors behind the students’ mobility decisions. The findings indicate that the primary "push" factors include the desire for an international student experience and the perception of higher quality and greater value of foreign degrees. The most significant "pull" factors attracting students to Vietnam are the availability of scholarships, followed by positive bilateral relations, Vietnam's economic development, and the increasingly recognized quality of its higher education. This study contributes to the understanding of international student mobility to non-traditional destinations, particularly within ASEAN, and offers management implications for Vietnamese universities. These implications include maintaining and expanding scholarship programs, promoting international experiences and cultural exchange, leveraging bilateral relations and economic growth, communicating educational quality, and enhancing people-to-people diplomacy through comprehensive international student support. Such measures can help Vietnamese universities more effectively attract students from Laos and Cambodia, enrich their academic communities, strengthen regional ties, and enhance their international standing.