Higher education reforms proposed in Vietnam

Higher education institutions should be separated into three kinds of tertiary-level institutions, depending on their function, educators have recommended.

The classification would help improve educational quality in the country, according to Dr Do Huy Thinh, head of the Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organisation (SEAMEO) Regional Training Centre in Viet Nam.

Speaking at a seminar organised by the centre in HCM City on Thursday, Thinh said tertiary-level institutions should comprise research universities that offer bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees; universities that grant bachelor’s and master’s degrees; and colleges that offer diplomas after two-three years of study.

The seminar attracted more than 100 local and foreign experts as well as leaders of universities and colleges.

To serve the educational needs of the local population, colleges should be located in every province, Thinh said.

Higher education in Viet Nam is still for the elite, with only 15 per cent of young people studying at universities.

"Stratification in higher education in Viet Nam will be a basis for the country’s future education in the next five or 10 years when higher education becomes more common," Thinh said.

Stratification would also help increase institutional autonomy as well as accreditation, he added.

Global education has witnessed remarkable growth and, in particular, a change in higher education, according to the seminar organiser, the SEAMEO centre.

There is increasing competition in the global arena among higher education institutions in terms of training quality.

SEAMEO invited educators and other professionals to the seminar to discuss a variety of issues, including organisation and structure, curriculum improvement, student recruitment, personnel development, evaluation and resource allocation.

Financial autonomy, which has been granted to tertiary-level institutions in Viet Nam, has helped them become more independent and accountable.

In addition, they have diversified external and internal resources for institutional development, which has helped to decentralise higher education. International co-operation with other institutions was also critical for universities, participants said.