Students are devastated that their foreign-awarded university degrees are not recognized by the Ministry of Education and Training; what does the university have to say about this?

VHL (Hanoi) earned a master's degree in the UK and then returned to Vietnam to work as a lecturer. However, after only about a month, L. was shocked to learn that her undergraduate degree, awarded by the foreign university (where she studied in Vietnam), was not recognized by the Ministry of Education and Training.

London College of Design and Fashion at 98 To Ngoc Van Street, Tay Ho District, Hanoi - Photo: Nguyen Bao

Many former students of the London-Hanoi College of Design and Fashion are extremely worried because they studied at a foreign school but received training in Vietnam, and their diplomas are not recognized by the Ministry of Education and Training .

I only found out I was studying illegally when I went to get my diploma verified.

Speaking to Tuoi Tre Online , NTQ (25 years old, Ha Dong, Hanoi ) said that she has been studying at the London Fashion Academy since 2018 at the college level (licensed name: London College of Design and Fashion - Hanoi, abbreviated LCDF - Hanoi).

According to Q., by 2024, she was introduced by the London-Hanoi College of Design and Fashion to a fashion specialization program: design and communication, in collaboration with Liverpool John Moores University (UK).

Her university studies were mostly conducted in person at the London College of Design and Fashion - Hanoi, with online classes only being used for short periods when lecturers were away from their home countries. All university tuition fees were paid into the account of the London College of Design and Fashion - Hanoi.

In July 2025, Q. will graduate from university and receive a degree from Liverpool John Moores University.

In October 2025, Q. submitted her diploma verification documents to the Quality Management Department of the Ministry of Education and Training for the purpose of applying for jobs and pursuing a master's degree. Only then did she realize that her university degree did not meet the requirements for recognition in Vietnam.

In response to the processing of Q.'s diploma verification application, the Quality Management Department of the Ministry of Education and Training stated that, based on information published on the website of Liverpool John Moores University, the undergraduate program in Fashion: Design and Communication is offered online.

However, this program has not been licensed by the Ministry of Education and Training for training in Vietnam while students are studying and residing in Vietnam. Therefore, Q.'s university degree is not yet eligible for recognition in Vietnam.

The Department of Quality Management, Ministry of Education and Training, sent a document notifying the results of processing Q.'s application for diploma verification. - Photo: Provided by the interviewee.

"I was extremely shocked to receive the information that my university degree is not recognized by the Ministry of Education and Training. With this result, I cannot apply for jobs at public institutions that require diploma verification. I also cannot pursue a master's degree in Vietnam."

"The school's website always states that its university degrees are recognized worldwide. The school continues to teach and openly advertise, using many images of celebrities in its advertisements, so we have no doubt about whether the teaching and learning are legitimate," Q. said.

According to Q., her total tuition for college and one year of university is approximately 360 million VND, of which university tuition alone is about 170 million VND, not including the cost of learning materials, assignments, and graduation projects.

A university degree was discovered to be illegitimate while the person was working as a lecturer.

Having just returned from England after completing her master's program, VHL was devastated to learn that her undergraduate degree was not recognized in Vietnam, meaning her master's degree was also invalid. - Photo: NGUYEN BAO

Similarly, VHL (25 years old, Tay Ho, Hanoi) - a former student of Tran Phu High School (Hanoi) - said that in 2018 she passed the entrance exam for the regular program in graphic design at the Hanoi University of Industrial Fine Arts with a high score. However, trusting the recruitment advertisements and the long history of training since 2004 of the London College of Design and Fashion - Hanoi, she decided to switch to studying graphic design there.

L. stated that after graduating from college, in 2022 she was introduced by the academy to a joint Bachelor's degree program in Graphic Design and Illustration with Liverpool John Moores University, so she enrolled and became one of the first students in the joint program specializing in graphic design. She graduated with a Bachelor's degree in July 2023.

In September 2024, L. continued her master's studies in the UK and graduated in July 2025. After returning to Vietnam for a week in early September, L. began working as a full-time lecturer in graphic design at the London College of Design and Fashion - Hanoi.

However, in early October, she was shocked to learn that her university degree was not yet eligible for recognition in Vietnam, after her friend NTQ went to verify it.

"After hearing the news, my whole family was shocked and devastated. I also decided to submit my resignation in October. The information that my university degree is not recognized in Vietnam felt like a break, closing the chapter on my academic and research career in Vietnam."

"At the same time, it 'blocks' other opportunities such as being unable to pursue another master's degree in Vietnam, unable to do doctoral research in Vietnam; unable to work at places that require verification of university or master's degrees...", L. shared, her voice choked with emotion.

Information about the undergraduate graphic design and illustration program on the school's official website states: Graduates receive an internationally recognized degree valid worldwide - Photo: Screenshot

What did the school say?

After learning that her university degree was not recognized in Vietnam, NHA (25 years old, Hanoi) and several other former students of the London College of Design and Fashion - Hanoi filed a complaint with the authorities, accusing the London College of Fashion - Hanoi Co., Ltd. (LCDF), whose legal representative is Ms. Ha Thi Hang - General Director and Principal of the London College of Design and Fashion - Hanoi.

According to the complaint, LCDF established the London-Hanoi College of Design and Fashion to recruit and train students. From 2022 to 2025, LCDF and the London-Hanoi College of Design and Fashion continuously organized final-year bachelor's degree programs.

In its admissions advertisements, the LCDF website publicly announces its academic programs, promising students "internationally recognized and globally recognized qualifications."

"Because they trusted LCDF's promises, many people registered for the courses. The courses had a total of over 40 participants. The tuition fee for the final year of the university-level program was approximately 289 million VND, and about 300 million VND for the college-level years," the complaint stated.

Speaking to Tuoi Tre Online on the afternoon of December 10th, Ms. Ha Thi Hang, Executive Director of the London College of Design and Fashion, stated that students studying in Vietnam and receiving a bachelor's degree from Liverpool John Moores University (UK) have international value, but this is not a joint program.

"In Vietnam, there are currently some conditions stipulated in the regulations that prevent this diploma from being recognized. The school will have to work specifically with the relevant authorities," Ms. Hang said.

According to Tuoi Tre Online , although the school's official name is London College of Design and Fashion, its official website actually uses the name "London Academy of Design and Fashion".

Regarding training programs, the school only offers the following: university degrees, short-term summer courses, and part-time courses.

NGUYEN BAO

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/nguoi-hoc-suy-sup-khi-bang-dai-hoc-do-nuoc-ngoai-cap-khong-duoc-bo-gd-dt-cong-nhan-truong-noi-gi-20251211004559441.htm