Tighten brand management
According to the draft decree detailing and guiding the implementation of several articles of the Law on Higher Education , which the Ministry of Education and Training is seeking feedback on, the naming of higher education institutions will differ from current regulations. Notably, universities will not be allowed to arbitrarily choose names that reflect special status, such as "national" or "international".
Specifically, the draft decree stipulates that the first general principle when naming a university is that it must not cause confusion regarding the type, ownership structure, scope of operation, governing body, quality, or status of the higher education institution; and it must not use words that indicate titles or rankings.
The second principle is to avoid using words or symbols that are identical or similar to, and likely to cause confusion with, the names of state agencies; armed forces units; political and social organizations; other domestic educational, vocational or higher education institutions; or foreign educational institutions.
The third principle is that the name must accurately reflect the legal form, the authority to grant degrees, and the level of training as prescribed by law. The use of the words "university," "college," or "institute" must be consistent with the establishment conditions and organizational structure approved by the competent authority.
Next, the name of a branch campus of a Vietnamese higher education institution must include the phrase "branch campus"; the name of the higher education institution; and the name of the locality where the branch campus is located.
The next principle is that names must not use words or phrases that are "national" in nature or express a special status, such as "international," "national," "Vietnam," " Ho Chi Minh ," "International," "National," or "State," unless reviewed and decided upon by a competent authority.
Currently, several universities have the word "international" in their names, such as: Hong Bang International University, Saigon International University (private), Bac Ha International University, Western International University, and International University (Vietnam National University Ho Chi Minh City). Some universities have the same Vietnamese name but different English names.
According to the Ministry of Education and Training, the current naming convention for higher education institutions lacks strict regulations, causing confusion between different types or forms. Therefore, the drafting agency has proposed several new points as mentioned above to address these shortcomings.
Dr. Pham Hiep, Director of the Institute for Educational Research and Knowledge Transfer (Thanh Do University), assessed that adding stricter regulations on naming higher education institutions is necessary. According to Dr. Hiep, the draft decree prohibiting the use of words like "national" and "international" in school names (unless authorized by the competent authority) is a key point to avoid confusion in society.
Because these terms imply special status, scope, or quality, their widespread use could mislead students and parents about the true nature of the educational institution. "International" is not just a fancy term that schools can arbitrarily attach to their names; it relates to investment, accreditation, rankings, etc. Mr. Hiep further suggested that the State should have stricter regulations on the use of titles such as "institute" or "academy," to prevent businesses or organizations from arbitrarily naming institutions in a way that misleads about their function, role, and authority.
Don't chase after quantity.
The draft decree also clarifies that higher education institutions wishing to be recognized as universities must fully meet the prescribed conditions. Among these, the institution must have at least 5 schools within its organizational structure (each school having a minimum of 5 training programs at all levels of higher education; a regular training scale of 5,000 students or more...). The current regulation stipulates 3 schools.
The draft regulations stipulate that valid applications for changing the name of a higher education institution, converting a university into a university, changing the name of a branch campus, etc., that are under review by the competent authority but have not yet received approval before January 1, 2026, shall be processed according to the provisions of Decree No. 99 guiding the implementation of the 2019 Higher Education Law.
At the same time, there must be at least 25 doctoral-level training programs according to the current list and regulations, with a regular training scale of 25,000 or more students at the time of application (the current regulation is 15,000 students).
Regarding the teaching staff, the proportion of international lecturers participating in teaching must reach a minimum of 5%, and the proportion of full-time lecturers with doctoral degrees must reach a minimum of 60%...
The leader of a major university in Hanoi argues that setting seemingly high numbers as a "barrier" to improve the quality of training at universities actually has the opposite effect. Currently, there is a "secret race" to transform from a university into a university. The numbers set will lead to a situation where students are recruited at all costs. The regulation stipulating a minimum of 25,000 students for regular training programs, as proposed in the draft, easily leads to expansion of the scale of the program.
In reality, Vietnam currently has three models of universities: national universities (2); regional universities (3); and universities (7). National and regional universities include independent universities with their own seals and diplomas bearing their names. The remaining universities, such as Hanoi University of Science and Technology, National Economics University, Hanoi University of Industry, and Phenikaa University, although having affiliated schools, do not have their own seals, and diplomas are issued by the "parent" university.
Source: https://tienphong.vn/het-thoi-truong-quoc-te-tu-xung-post1808525.tpo
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