The school insists it did not 'deceive' students into believing that international diplomas are not recognized.

On December 15th, in an interview with the press, Ms. Ha Thi Hang, Executive Director and Vice Principal of the London College of Design and Fashion , shared her thoughts regarding the fact that diplomas issued by Liverpool John Moores University (UK) are not recognized by the Ministry of Education and Training.

Ms. Hang said the idea of introducing students to the bridging program at Liverpool John Moores University started in May 2020, during the Covid-19 period.

“At that time, the school recognized that this program was excellent, low-cost, and aligned with the desire to help students have the opportunity to obtain a world- class university degree and interact with renowned designers. Therefore, we decided to introduce it to interested students,” Ms. Hang said.

During her studies, Ms. Hang noted that most lecturers at Liverpool John Moores University taught online. Occasionally, representatives from the university would visit in person to meet with students and assess the school's facilities.

However, out of compassion for the students, when learners encounter difficulties or problems, the school has teachers to provide direct support and guidance. In addition, students can also come to the school and use the studio to support their learning process.

"The two schools just went along with it without registering with the authorities, so now the new diplomas are not recognized. Neither side anticipated these issues from the beginning, leading to a situation where what was supposed to be good is actually bad," Ms. Hang said.

London College of Design and Fashion. *Photo: Thuy Nga*

Ms. Hang also affirmed that this training program is "very well-structured, with comprehensive teaching, it just hasn't signed any cooperation agreement and hasn't registered with the Ministry of Education and Training." "But the school commits to not defrauding students in any way," Ms. Hang asserted.

Following complaints regarding degree recognition, Ms. Hang stated that the school had worked with and reported truthfully to the relevant authorities. “We presented the situation accurately. The school also hopes that the regulatory body will conduct an inspection and clearly identify any remaining issues so that the school can comply with regulations,” Ms. Hang said.

According to Ms. Hang, around September 2024, when a student went to verify their degree and learned that it was not recognized, the school immediately suspended its undergraduate training program collaboration with Liverpool John Moores University.

In recent days, Ms. Hang stated that the school has coordinated with the British Embassy in Vietnam to prepare documents to send to the Ministry of Education and Training to resolve the issue, hoping to recognize the bachelor's degrees of more than 40 students (2020-2025) in order to "ensure the rights of the learners".

Previously, VietNamNet received feedback from many students and alumni of the London College of Design and Fashion regarding the fact that their university degrees did not meet the requirements for recognition by the Ministry of Education and Training according to current regulations. These students all studied in a joint bachelor's program with degrees awarded by Liverpool John Moores University.

This has caused frustration among students because it negatively impacts their life paths, preventing them from securing jobs in public institutions or pursuing master's degrees in Vietnam.

After learning that their university degrees were not recognized in Vietnam, many students and alumni of the London College of Design and Fashion filed complaints with the relevant authorities.

According to the complaint, the London College of Design and Fashion has been continuously organizing final-year bachelor's degree programs.

When advertising enrollment and publishing information about the study program on its public website, the school promised students that "international degrees are valid worldwide." Trusting this promise, many people registered for the courses. Each course had a total of over 40 students. The amount each student had to pay for the final year of the undergraduate program alone was approximately 289 million VND," the complaint stated.

Regarding the issue of unrecognized international diplomas: The Ministry of Education and Training is conducting an investigation . Concerning the recognition of diplomas and joint training programs at the London College of Design and Fashion, the Ministry of Education and Training stated that it is considering establishing a comprehensive inspection team to examine the school's operations and will take strict action if any violations are found.

Source: https://vietnamnet.vn/truong-khang-dinh-khong-lua-nguoi-hoc-vu-bang-quoc-te-khong-duoc-cong-nhan-2472835.html