Navigating Higher Education and Monastic Life: Challenges Faced by Buddhist Nuns in Hue, Vietnam
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Abstract
This qualitative case study explored the experiences of Buddhist nuns pursuing higher education at secular universities in Hue, Vietnam. It addressed three objectives: (1) to identify the challenges they encounter, (2) to examine the coping strategies they use, and (3) to analyze how they balance academic responsibilities with religious practices and monastic obligations. Five Buddhist nuns enrolled in undergraduate programs were purposively selected. Data were collected through semi-structured in-depth interviews and analyzed thematically.
The findings revealed four interrelated challenges: time constraints, financial difficulties, psychological and cultural pressures, and academic workload. Participants responded through strategic time management, Buddhist practices such as mindfulness, meditation, chanting, and reflection, and social and institutional support from temples, mentors, fellow nuns, classmates, lecturers, and universities. Balancing academic and monastic life involved both practical adjustment and psychological and spiritual integration. Participants used flexible scheduling and task prioritization while interpreting higher education as compatible with Buddhist values, personal development, and service to society. Rather than viewing secular education and monastic life as opposing domains, they understood university study as a complementary dimension of their religious vocation. The study contributes context-specific evidence to the limited literature on Buddhist nuns in secular higher education and highlights the importance of institutional flexibility, financial and social support, and recognition of the dual academic and monastic responsibilities of religious students.
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