FPT University (FPTU) provides free access to educational resources for people who are not enrolled at the university. As stated in [Chapter VIII – Article 36B: Ensure universal, equitable, and comprehensive access, promoting the mission of inclusive education and lifelong learning for community] of FPTU’s Sustainable Development Policy, the university extends access to its educational resources beyond its enrolled students. To put this commitment into practice, the university provides a range of learning resources, platforms and facilities free of charge to community members, external learners and disadvantaged groups in society. These include free courses leading to certificates, enabling external learners to develop their knowledge and skills and gain formal recognition of their learning. Through these provisions, FPTU aims to promote lifelong learning and broaden equitable access to quality education.
1. Free Courses Leading to Certificates: Coursera Learning for Alumni and the Community
Coursera is one of the world’s largest online learning platforms, connecting learners with courses and programmes developed by leading universities, educational institutions and companies. Its content ranges from digital literacy, entrepreneurship and English to artificial intelligence, information technology and other professional skills in demand on the labour market. Alongside its online courses, Coursera offers professional certificates and credentials from partner universities and companies, enabling learners to document their learning and build skills for further study, work and career development.
Free Coursera accounts with internationally recognised certificates for FPTU alumni
Under its Memorandum of Understanding with Coursera, FPTU has integrated the platform into its teaching and learning and has extended access to these learning resources to its graduates. Since 2022, FPTU alumni have received free Coursera accounts. In 2025 alone, 2,006 accounts were issued, allowing alumni to take courses and obtain certificates at no cost. Keeping this access open after graduation enables alumni to update their knowledge, add the skills their careers require and continue learning throughout their lives.
Free online artificial intelligence courses for upper secondary and vocational students in the AI Young Guru competition
AI Young Guru is an artificial intelligence learning and application competition organised by FPTU for upper secondary and vocational students nationwide, and participation is entirely free. To prepare for the competition, FPTU developed a series of online artificial intelligence courses in 2025. From January 2026, the series opened free of charge on Coursera as the first stage of AI Young Guru, with 13,398 Coursera accounts issued to participating students. Because learning is the compulsory first step of the competition, every participant benefits from the courses, whatever their result in the later rounds. Students become familiar with how artificial intelligence works and how to use its tools responsibly while still at school. The online format lets them learn at their own pace and from anywhere, so students in remote areas are not disadvantaged. The certificates they earn on completion also give them evidence of their competence as they prepare for the next stage of their education.
FPTU’s contribution to online education has been recognised by Coursera. On 9 September 2025, at the 13th Coursera Global Conference in Las Vegas (United States), FPTU received the Outstanding Partner Award for AI Innovation in Teaching and Learning as the representative of the Asia-Pacific region.
Free AI Literacy learning materials with international certificates for students in disadvantaged areas
Through the “Spring of Knowledge – Opening the Future” project, FPT Corporation and FPT Education donated the AI Literacy learning materials, a set of 12 video lessons, to secondary school students free of charge. The materials were adapted from an artificial intelligence training programme for young people under the AI Ready ASEAN initiative. Students who complete the course receive a certificate from the ASEAN Foundation and Google.org.
In January 2026, more than 2,100 students in Dien Bien Province received the materials at the Dien Bien Provincial Ethnic Minority Boarding High School and Le Quy Don High School for the Gifted, most of them from ethnic minority groups. Earlier, nearly 900 students in Con Dao Special Zone had also benefited. From March 2026, the programme opened free registration to educational institutions nationwide.
The materials help students build skills in using artificial intelligence, together with an awareness of ethics and responsibility. For students in areas with limited resources, this is a valuable opportunity to complete a structured artificial intelligence course with an international certificate at no cost.
2. Free Access to Campus Facilities and Equipment
Free public access to libraries and study spaces on all five FPTU campuses
Under the FPTU Library Policy (updated 29 September 2025), the libraries on the five campuses in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Da Nang, Can Tho and Quy Nhon serve everyone. External visitors can register to use computers, the Internet and Wi-Fi, study spaces and reading rooms, as well as printed books and learning materials on site, free of charge.
FPTU Open Day: opening laboratories, studios and learning equipment to students
From late November to December 2025, FPTU opened all five campuses to upper secondary students through its Open Day series, welcoming more than 8,000 students. Visitors entered classrooms, laboratories, studios and libraries, used robotics, virtual reality and augmented reality equipment first-hand, and joined taster classes in artificial intelligence and programming, all free of charge. By opening its facilities and learning equipment to learners from outside the university at no cost, FPTU gives secondary students, including those from localities that cannot yet invest in modern laboratories, equal access to the learning environment and tools of higher education. Hands-on practice with real equipment also sparks curiosity, encouraging students to explore technology on their own and to build lifelong learning habits before they move on to the next stage of their education.
3. Free Access to Online Resources
Free access to research articles and graduation theses through the FPTU digital library
Under the FPTU Library Policy, which applies to everyone, users can access research articles and the annual graduation theses of FPTU students free of charge through the university’s digital library. These materials allow learners and researchers outside the university to consult academic work produced at FPTU. The library also serves as a gateway to the university’s online learning resources.
FPTU’s free Vietnamese edition of the International Higher Education journal for education professionals
Since 2016, FPTU has partnered with the Center for International Higher Education at Boston College, United States, to translate and publish the Vietnamese edition of International Higher Education, a specialised journal on higher education. Published quarterly, each issue is made available free of charge, with printed copies distributed to lecturers, education administrators and universities. By providing this publication in Vietnamese, FPTU enables education professionals across the country to access international research, insights and emerging trends in higher education in their own language.
“Vibe Coding”: free online courses helping teachers apply AI in education
As part of its “Teachers in the Digital Age” training programme, FPTU offered two free online courses titled “Designing Secure AI-Powered Teaching Web Tools – Vibe Coding” for upper-secondary school teachers. Held from 28 July to 7 August 2026, each course comprised two practical sessions delivered via Zoom. The programme received 2,796 registrations from multiple provinces and cities.
The courses enabled teachers from outside FPTU to acquire the knowledge and skills needed to apply AI in developing their own tools for lesson preparation, test creation and student feedback. No prior programming knowledge was required, making the training accessible to teachers across different subject areas. The courses also covered student data protection to promote the safe and responsible use of AI in schools. According to a post-course survey with 214 responses, 83.6% of respondents attended both sessions, overall satisfaction reached 8.07 out of 10, and instructors received a rating of 4.34 out of 5.
4. Bringing Free Learning Resources to the Community
Free learning activities and reading spaces for local pupils at Thu Duc Book Street, Ho Chi Minh City, with FPTU’s support
Thu Duc City Book Street is a public reading space open to residents free of charge. Since 2024, FPTU has worked with the Book Street to make it an accessible place of learning for the local community. In 2025, FPTU organised free learning activities there, such as the talk “Reading for Happiness” and the English-language activity “Ring the Golden Bell”, giving local pupils additional opportunities to learn English and develop a reading habit close to home. These contributions were recognised by the People’s Committee of Thu Duc City in 2025.
Free artificial intelligence learning materials and e-libraries for students in disadvantaged border areas of Dien Bien Province
In September 2026, FPT Corporation and FPT Education donated nine e-libraries to nine boarding schools in the border areas of Dien Bien Province. Each e-library includes 15 tablets and headphones preloaded with interactive lessons, videos and practice exercises. Artificial intelligence learning accounts were also provided to all students in the province.
In areas where reference books and learning equipment are still scarce, the e-libraries give students additional materials for self-study outside class hours, which is particularly valuable for boarding students. The artificial intelligence learning accounts help students in disadvantaged areas take their first steps in digital knowledge and skills, helping to narrow gaps in learning opportunities.
Through these initiatives, including free courses, online learning resources, access to campus facilities and equipment, and educational activities for the wider community, FPT University promotes educational equity and broadens access to learning opportunities at both local and national levels.