The case of 40 students' foreign university degrees not being recognized: A major loophole in inspection and supervision.

TPO - The fact that regulatory agencies do not have control over university training and degree granting indicates a loophole in inspection and supervision. Not all students and parents have sufficient knowledge to clearly identify which institutions are licensed and which have not had their training programs approved.

"You can't just wash your hands of it and abandon your child."

Regarding the case where more than 40 students completed their university programs and received bachelor's degrees from Liverpool John Moores University (UK) but were not recognized by the Ministry of Education and Training , Dr. Hoang Ngoc Vinh, former Director of the Department of Professional Education (Ministry of Education and Training), stated that the London College of Design and Fashion (LCDF) cannot simply wash its hands of the matter and abandon its students.

Dr. Vinh argues that if the school did not inform students before and during their studies that the Liverpool John Moores University program was not licensed in Vietnam, it would be a serious violation by the school, an attempt to "deceive" them.

A vocational education institution that facilitates students' transition to university-level programs cannot irresponsibly claim ignorance of the regulations requiring program approval from the Ministry of Education and Training. The school only becomes aware of the regulations after students complain that their diplomas are invalid or not recognized.

In particular, throughout the entire admission and study process, the school does not provide information about whether the university degree is recognized or not. The school only introduces the curriculum and the reputation of the other institution so that students can understand and decide, which is an act of intentionally "washing their hands" and abandoning the rights of the students, said Dr. Vinh.

The students were devastated to learn that their university degrees would not be recognized.

According to Dr. Vinh, students have spent a lot of money on pursuing higher education that is not recognized by the Ministry of Education and Training, so the school will have to take responsibility. This includes the school having to refund the training fees to the students. Not to mention, this causes students to waste years of time and effort studying," Dr. Vinh said.

Experts also suggested that the Ministry of Education and Training strengthen its review, inspection, and supervision of collaborative teaching activities of various units, especially those schools recently merged from the Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs.

Strictly control the licensing and approval process.

Dr. Le Viet Khuyen, Vice President of the Association of Universities and Colleges of Vietnam, believes that the situation where dozens of graduates do not have their diplomas recognized is largely the responsibility of state management agencies in inspecting and checking "underground" educational institutions.

London College of Design and Fashion

"The regulatory agency is unaware of the loopholes in inspection and supervision. Not all students and parents have enough knowledge to clearly identify which facilities are licensed and which have not yet been allocated quotas or had their programs approved, and then they have to pay the price," Mr. Khuyen said.

In fact, not only at the university level, but even at the secondary level in Hanoi, for many years, there has been a situation where institutions without allocated quotas continue to enroll and train students for years. Only after parents and students discover that their scores are missing from the industry's database do they panic and demand their rights. The case of Thang Long International Primary School (Bill Gates School Education System), Linh Dam campus (Hanoi), which illegally enrolled 53 first-grade students in the 2024-2025 school year, is one example.

Dr. Khuyen also suggested that the Ministry of Education and Training should strictly regulate the licensing and approval of training programs by foreign educational institutions in Vietnam to ensure quality. This is especially important for online training programs, as they are easy to register for but difficult to control in terms of quality.

As reported by Tien Phong Newspaper, recently more than 40 students were shocked when the Ministry of Education and Training refused to authenticate their university degrees issued by Liverpool John Moores University. The reason given was that the online Fashion: Design and Communication program offered by Liverpool John Moores University has not been licensed by the Ministry of Education and Training for students residing and studying in Vietnam.

The students stated that before deciding to study at the London College of Design and Fashion, the school assured them of the legality of the degree. The school had never informed them that the undergraduate program of Liverpool John Moores University had not been licensed by the Ministry of Education and Training. Currently, the school denies any undergraduate training affiliation with Liverpool John Moores University.

Source: https://tienphong.vn/vu-bang-dai-hoc-nuoc-ngoai-cua-40-hoc-vien-khong-duoc-cong-nhan-lo-hong-lon-trong-kiem-tra-giam-sat-post1803798.tpo