Vietnam: When do higher education institutions have traning majors suspended?

When do higher education institutions in Vietnam have traning majors suspended?

Under Clause 1 Article 12 Circular 02/2022/TT-BGDDT, a higher education institution has traning majors suspended in cases where there is a conclusion from a competent state authority regarding the institution's violation in one of the following circumstances:

- Self-opening of a major without meeting the conditions for self-opening as stipulated in Clause 3 Article 33 of the Law on Higher Education 2012, amended and supplemented by Clause 18 Article 1 of the Law on Amendments to Law on Higher Education 2018, and the regulations in Decree 99/2019/ND-CP;

- Self-opening of a major without meeting one of the conditions for opening a traning major as stipulated in Circular 02/2022/TT-BGDDT and other related legal regulations (including conditions pledged in the proposal for opening a traning major as stipulated in Circular 02/2022/TT-BGDDT).

When do higher education institutions in Vietnam have traning majors suspended?  (Image from the Internet)

Who has the authority to suspend training majors of higher education institutions in Vietnam?

According to Clause 2 Article 12 Circular 02/2022/TT-BGDDT:

Suspension of the training major

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2. The Minister of Education and Training decides to suspend the training major for the training institution found to be in violation as concluded by a competent state authority as stipulated in Clause 1 of this Article, specifying reasons, scope, and suspension duration, and publicly announcing it on mass media.

3. The training institution has the training major suspended as stipulated in Clauses 1 and 2 of this Article must take measures to ensure the legal rights and interests of learners, teachers, administrative staff, and employees of the training institution and is not allowed self-opening new training majors within 5 years from the conclusion of the violation by a competent state authority.

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Thus, the Minister of Education and Training decides to suspend the training majors of higher education institutions in Vietnam.

What are the general conditions for a higher education institution to open a training major in Vietnam?

According to Article 3 Circular 02/2022/TT-BGDDT, the general conditions for a higher education institution to open a training major include:

(1) Regarding the training major and proposed level of training

- It is suitable for the local, regional, national, and industry-specific human resource needs for socio-economic development, ensuring international integration; ensures conformity with human resource development planning approved and announced by ministries, central authorities, and local authorities, or an official report by a competent state authority (if any), suitable with the function, tasks, and development strategy of the training institution;

- It is included in the List of training majors (except for cases with specific regulations from the Government and prime Minister of Vietnam); proposing the addition of new programs to the List of training majors shall follow the Circular regulating the List of training majors at higher education.

(2) Regarding the teaching staff

- There is a sufficient number of faculty members, ensuring the quality to implement the training major (including full-time and visiting lecturers);

The faculty requirements according to the training major standards for the level of training, field, group of disciplines, and training majors must be met, in which visiting faculty (calculated per academic year) is only allowed to undertake a maximum of 30% of the teaching workload in each component of the training major;

For training majors in the Arts field, visiting faculty can undertake a maximum of 40% of the teaching workload in each component of the training major;

- For training majors in Vietnamese ethnic minority languages, Vietnamese language, literature and culture, foreign languages, literature and culture, Physical Education, sports, and Arts fields, the implementation shall comply with point a clause 2 Article 3 of Circular 02/2022/TT-BGDDT and the following regulations:

+ Lecturers with the title of People’s Artist, People’s Artisan, or People’s Teacher awarded by the State, who also have a master's degree in a suitable field for the proposed training major, can replace lecturers with a doctoral degree and are not required to be the lead lecturer in developing and implementing the training major; or have a doctoral degree in a suitable field for the proposed training major can replace lecturers with the title of associate professor and are not required to be the lead lecturer in developing and implementing the training major;

- For training majors in Vietnamese ethnic minority languages under the group of Vietnamese language, literature, and culture, the lecturer must be an ethnic minority person or someone knowledgeable about the language and culture of the suitable ethnic minority and have a master's degree that can replace lecturers with a doctoral degree and are not required to be the lead lecturer in developing and implementing the training major; has a doctoral degree can replace lecturers with the title of associate professor and are not required to be the lead lecturer in developing and implementing the training major.

- For training majors in the Health field, lecturers and supervisors of practical subjects, parts related to medical examination and treatment must have a medical practice certificate and have worked directly at medical practice facilities that are qualified as practical facilities in training health-related fields as stipulated by the Government on organizing practical training in health-related fields.

(3) Regarding facilities

- There are facilities, equipment, libraries, and textbooks that meet the teaching, learning, and research requirements according to the training major's needs and meet the facility requirements according to the training major standards for the field, group of disciplines, training majors, and regulations in Circular 02/2022/TT-BGDDT;

- There are sufficient classrooms, laboratories, practice rooms, trial production facilities, information technology system, learning support management system, and training management along with the necessary equipment to meet the teaching, learning, and scientific research needs according to the training major's requirements, suitable for each training level's scale;

There must be a plan for using classrooms, laboratories, and practice rooms with specific areas and equipment of each laboratory, practice rooms suitable for the number of students practicing, experimenting at each table, and each piece of equipment in each laboratory, practice room, suitable for the training scale according to the training major's requirements for each academic year of the course;

- There are cooperation contracts for practical and internship training with external practice and internship facilities that suit the teaching, learning, and research science plans for the entire course;

For training majors in the Health field, practical facilities must have a principal contract on practical training and comply with the Government's regulations on organizing practical training in health-related fields;

- There are traditional and electronic libraries that ensure the provision of sufficient textbooks, and reference materials to support the teaching, learning, and research of lecturers and learners;

There is copyright access to domestic databases of books, and scientific journals related to the training major, meeting the program’s requirements and training levels, and suitable for the training scale;

From the academic year 2023-2024 onwards, training institutions must have mandatory copyright access to international databases of books, and scientific journals related to the training major, to meet the program’s requirements and training levels, and be suitable for the training scale;

- There is a website that provides complete information required to be publicly disclosed according to the Ministry of Education and Training’s regulations and other related legal regulations.

- The proposed training major is developed, appraised, and issued ensuring compliance with the Ministry of Education and Training's regulations, meeting the training major standards of the field, group of disciplines, training majors, and suitable for the Vietnam Qualifications Framework.

- The training institution has already established a specialized unit at the faculty level or equivalent to manage specialized activities, lecturers, students, and other management tasks related to the proposed training major.

- Training institutions must meet the minimum requirements according to current regulations of the Ministry of Education and Training to be ready to switch to online teaching, ensuring training quality according to the regulations.

- The school council has passed a resolution approving the training major's opening policy for the training institution. In the case where the training institution does not have a school council, there must be written approval of the training major's opening policy from the direct management agency of the training institution.