University merger: No more small, fragmented schools

An unprecedented large-scale restructuring of Vietnam's higher education system is about to take place, with about 140 public universities nationwide to be considered for merger, reorganization or dissolution.

Part of the Ho Chi Minh City National University area (Linh Xuan ward and Di An ward, Ho Chi Minh City). The merger aims to create large universities of regional and international stature - Photo: TRI DUC

Speaking at the Higher Education Conference on September 18, Minister of Education and Training Nguyen Kim Son said that in the coming time, higher education will enter a phase of arrangement, merger, and streamlining.

The merger would likely be mandatory, not based on the voluntary participation of schools.

Overcoming the fragmented and small-scale situation after university mergers

According to Minister Son, implementing Resolution 71 of the Politburo on breakthroughs in education and training development requires decisiveness: "If we ask schools whether they want to merge or not, it will definitely not be possible. Therefore, the restructuring will be carried out according to the plan and implementation requirements. The consultation is for reference only."

Currently, in addition to police, military and private schools, the country has about 140 public universities subject to merger and streamlining.

"The specific number cannot be announced yet, but the policy is to reduce deeply, reduce a lot of units," Minister Son emphasized. According to Mr. Son, the ministry's viewpoint on the merger is to overcome the fragmentation, small-scale, and lack of connection between schools, especially those with training majors close to each other. The ultimate goal is to help schools become stronger.

The Steering Committee of the Ministry of Education and Training has developed a plan and reported to the Prime Minister , awaiting instructions before implementation. Deputy Prime Minister Le Thanh Long will work with the ministry on a plan to implement the arrangement and planning of the university network.

The country currently has 264 higher education institutions, including 11 universities (2 national universities, 3 regional universities, 4 other universities, 2 private universities); 173 public universities and academies (not including schools belonging to national universities and regional universities); 60 private universities and 5 foreign universities...

A practical lesson of students at Ho Chi Minh City University of Medicine and Pharmacy - Photo: DUYEN PHAN

How to merge?

On August 22, the Politburo issued Resolution 71 with specific requirements: "Implement the arrangement and restructuring of higher education institutions; merge and dissolve substandard higher education institutions; eliminate intermediate levels, ensure streamlined, unified and effective governance;

Research on merging research institutes with universities; strengthen state management of universities; research on transferring some universities to local management to improve management efficiency and better meet local human resource training requirements.

Then, on September 15, the Government issued Resolution 281, requesting the Ministry of Education and Training to develop and implement a project to reorganize the university system, and at the same time re-regulate the organizational structure of schools, towards an effective, streamlined and suitable governance system for the new context.

The Government also requested the Ministry of Education and Training to study transferring a number of universities to local management to improve management efficiency and better meet local human resource training requirements.

The Ministry of Education and Training has not yet announced the list of schools that will be merged or dissolved, but the ministry said there will be many options for implementation: central schools transferred to local management, local schools merged into central schools, cross-level mergers between small schools, and the dissolution of facilities that do not meet minimum standards.

Some schools belonging to art pedagogy groups, physical education pedagogy groups and local pedagogical colleges have been identified as possible priority for restructuring.

Opportunity or challenge?

Many experts highly appreciate the goal of the merger as being to streamline the organization, improve the efficiency of university administration, avoid the situation of "small, fragmented schools", and at the same time promote strengths according to regions and training fields.

Prof. Dr. Tran Diep Tuan - Chairman of the Council of Ho Chi Minh City University of Medicine and Pharmacy - expressed his support for the policy of restructuring the university education system. "Restructuring higher education institutions is necessary and this is the right policy. Weak schools should be dissolved, while schools with the potential to merge should be merged to create stronger organizations.

However, mergers do not always mean development. There are two possibilities that can happen after a merger: schools can become stronger thanks to effective coordination, or conversely, the new system can become less effective without careful preparation," said Mr. Tuan.

Mr. Tuan emphasized that at the educational institution level, the two key factors determining the effectiveness of the merger process are management capacity and organizational culture.

These are all very important factors. In the context of implementing university autonomy, many schools have made positive changes in their governance models, but these changes are not yet truly sustainable. If the governance system is stable enough, the merger will not cause major disruption.

On the other hand, without a solid foundation, a merger can cause the new organization to be dysfunctional or even worse. At a higher level, an indispensable factor to ensure success after a merger is the need for appropriate support policies.

These policies must be specific and comprehensive, including how authority is delegated, how resources are allocated, and must have policies that support the development of the new organization's vision and development strategy.

Associate Professor Dr. Do Van Dung - former principal of Ho Chi Minh City University of Technical Education - emphasized: "Currently, the whole country has many universities with too small scale, scattered resources, and insufficient conditions to ensure quality. Merger is an inevitable trend if we want to improve training quality and compete in the region."

Mr. Dung also said that university mergers are not new in the world. China, France, and South Korea have all carried out major reforms to form key universities with global competitiveness.

"The problem is what Vietnam will learn from international lessons. And more importantly, can we ensure quality, consensus and student rights when entering an unprecedented major restructuring? Besides, when merging, we need to choose a good leader because practical experience shows that internal conflicts and power struggles always occur, slowing down development in the early years," said Mr. Dung.

Associate Professor Dr. Nguyen Kim Hong - former principal of Ho Chi Minh City University of Education - commented: "The restructuring is correct, but it is necessary to publicize the selection criteria, have a clear roadmap and fully consult with relevant parties. If done hastily and without calculation, it can cause social reactions and cause higher education to fall into a crisis of confidence."

Delegate NGUYEN THI VIET NGA (Deputy Head of the National Assembly Delegation of Hai Phong City):

For optimal results

Delegate NGUYEN THI VIET NGA

The research and proposal for the arrangement and merger of universities at the present time is completely correct, avoiding waste.

To improve the quality of human resources to meet the requirements of the new situation, it is necessary to "refine, compact, and strengthen" the university system.

In particular, with universities, as Minister Nguyen Kim Son stated, it is necessary to reduce the current number of higher education institutions to an appropriate level.

At the same time, focus on investing in Hanoi National University, Ho Chi Minh City National University, regional universities... to have truly strong universities.

This reorganization process is not a mechanical summation, but as the Prime Minister said, we must study to strongly restructure universities. For example, we can merge small, weak universities with single-disciplinary training into national or regional universities, dissolve unqualified universities... At the same time, we can give more power and autonomy to schools, clearly define the model and method of operation to achieve optimal efficiency.

Delegate TA VAN HA (Vice Chairman of the Committee on Culture and Society):

Avoid mechanical addition

Delegate TA VAN HA

The arrangement must be based on a specific project, a careful and cautious impact assessment, and very specific steps.

In particular, we must avoid mechanically merging universities together. Because there may be cases where a weak university merges into a strong university without careful preparation, doing it mechanically, just adding to make up for it, leading to the strong university being affected and its quality decreasing.

Therefore, careful screening is required. Schools that do not meet the conditions and standards should be dissolved, schools that are eligible for merger should be merged, and schools that are eligible for development should be given the opportunity to develop.

At the same time, it is possible to study that only provinces with developed industries and large economic groups are allowed to establish universities. Strengthen university governance, promote teachers' responsibilities and increase the authority of principals. Prioritize the modernization of universities.

Successful models from China and Korea

Fudan University (China) students graduating in 2024 - Photo: FUDAN.EDU.CN

Since the 1990s, in the context of the transition to a market economy, China has introduced many reforms to its higher education system, in which mergers are an important method.

During the period 1996-2001, 385 higher education institutions in the country merged into 164 institutions. This wave peaked in 2000, when 203 higher education institutions merged into 79 institutions through 105 mergers. There were cases of merging many institutions at once, and there were also schools formed from the results of many mergers.

The merger of universities has solved the problem of fragmentation in governance. Many universities that were under the management of different ministries were transferred to the Chinese Ministry of Education, in coordination with local governments.

This brings local authorities more actively into the management and funding of higher education, and links the activities of universities more closely with socio-economic development at both the local and national levels.

The mergers formed comprehensive universities, promoted interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary teaching and research, and improved the quality of student learning. The universities enjoyed better standing, as demonstrated by the number and quality of students, along with the research funds they attracted.

For example, the merger of Shanghai Medical University into Fudan University in April 2000 laid the foundation for Fudan to move towards its goal of becoming a world-class educational institution.

Although Fudan University is a national key university in many fields such as humanities, social sciences, natural sciences, engineering and commerce, it lacks medicine - which is the strength of Shanghai Medical University.

After the merger, the ratio of postgraduate students to undergraduate students at Fudan University increased sharply, from 46% in 1998 to 62% in 2001, comparable to the world's top research universities. Research productivity and funding also increased, with a significant increase in the number of international publications.

In Korea, university mergers have become an inevitable trend due to the rapid population decline. This trend, along with university specialization in Korea, is promoted by the government's "glocal" support package. This policy, which combines global and local elements, aims to attract talent and develop regional economies in the era of globalization.

In March 2026, Changwon National University will merge with Gyeongnam Geochang University and Gyeongnam Namhae University to form a new campus. This is the first time in Korea that a four-year university and two two-year colleges have merged into a single campus that offers both college and university education.

TRAN HUYNH - THANH HIEN - THANH CHUNG

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/sap-nhap-dai-hoc-khong-con-truong-nho-manh-mun-2025092308373966.htm