Students will have access to HEX’s degree accelerator platform, will make $1,200 scholarships available to the first 100 students to sign up to celebrate its launch.

The decision to unveil the program comes as the Albanese administration moved to more than double the student visa fees for students wishing to study in Australia.

“In an environment where gaining a student visa to Australia is more uncertain, HEX online programs remain an excellent starting point.

“[It is] an opportunity to study an Australian-designed and credentialed program while in-country at an accessible price,” said CEO Jannette Cheah.

The programs will be coordinated from Ho Chi Minh City, and the students with access to the degree accelerator will be able to gain academic credit from Group of Eight Universities.

“In the event that students still choose to apply for a student visa to Australia, they can arrive onshore holding a transferable academic record from a Group of Eight university, demonstrating genuine study intent,” said Cheah.

In Vietnam itself, Draper Startup House Vietnam will be “co-facilitating” some of the modules and “local elements” of the HEX program.

Aaron Everhart, country director at DSH Vietnam, said the mixing of “international and local trainers and founders is always beneficial”.

In conjunction with the City of Melbourne, HEX will also award two “global exchange” scholarships to two “Melbourne Founders”, who work for companies integral to the city.

[It is] an opportunity to study an Australian-designed and credentialed program while in-country at an accessible price

Jannette Cheah, HEX

Two more of the same scholarship will also be awarded to Vietnamese entrepreneurs who will visit the “Melbourne ecosystem” in September as part of the scholarship.

“We’re thrilled to have created this inaugural Entrepreneur Exchange between our two cities in partnership with HEX,” said Sally Capp, the Lord Mayor of Melbourne.

“[We] look forward to hearing the [startup founders’] insights and continuing to follow their journeys when they return home,” she added.