What are regulations on the higher education training program in Vietnam?

What are regulations on the higher education training program in Vietnam?

Based on Clause 1, Article 36 of the Law on Higher Education 2012 (amended by Clause 21, Article 1 of the Amendment Law on Higher Education 2018 and with phrases replaced by Clause 1, Article 2 of the Amendment Law on Higher Education 2018), the training program of higher education is regulated as follows:

- The training program includes objectives, the volume of knowledge, structure, content, methods, and forms of evaluation for subjects, disciplines, levels of training, and output standards in accordance with the Vietnam National Qualifications Framework;

- The training program is constructed in credit units, including research-oriented, application-oriented, and career-oriented programs; ensuring the requirement of linkage between levels and training disciplines; ensuring regulations on training program standards;

- Higher education institutions are allowed to use training programs of foreign higher education institutions approved by the competent authority of that country for training and degree awarding or having a valid quality accreditation certificate issued by a legitimate quality accreditation organization; ensuring the legal regulations on intellectual property;

- Higher education institutions have autonomy and accountability in the construction, appraisal, and issuance of training programs for college, university, master's, and doctoral levels;

- Foreign-invested higher education institutions have autonomy and accountability in the construction of training programs and the implementation of training programs that have been accredited by Vietnam's educational quality accreditation organization, ensuring not to harm national defense, security, national interests, community interests, with no content distorting history, adversely affecting culture, ethics, traditional customs, the solidarity of Vietnamese ethnic groups, world peace and security; and no content propagating religion;

- The training program in the form of continuing education has content similar to the training program in the form of formal education.

What are regulations on the higher education training program in Vietnam?​ (Image from the Internet)

What are the requirements for the training program of higher education in Vietnam?

Based on Clause 3, Article 17 of Circular 17/2021/TT-BGDDT, the requirements for the training program of higher education are as follows:

- Meeting the requirements according to the standards of the training program at different levels of higher education as stipulated in Chapter 2 of Circular 17/2021/TT-BGDDT, the standards of training programs for fields, groups of fields (if any) and the Vietnam National Qualifications Framework;

- Clearly demonstrating the potential to contribute to meeting human resource needs according to the economic-social development plans and strategies of sectors, localities, and the nation, as well as labor market needs;

- Reflecting the requirements of stakeholders, including representatives of lecturers at specialized units, representatives of employing units and professional associations, experts in specialized fields, and graduates working in relevant fields;

- Referenced and benchmarked with training programs of the same level and field that have been accredited by prestigious training institutions both domestically and internationally;

- Designed based on the output standards of the training program; integrating teaching skills with knowledge; containing a matrix of courses or subjects mapped to output standards, ensuring that the output standards of the training program are fully allocated and conveyed into the output standards of the courses or subjects;

- Teaching and learning activities, and evaluation checks must be planned and designed based on the output standards of the courses or subjects, ensuring the provision of teaching activities that promote learning to meet the output standards;

- Having regulations and guidelines for the implementation of the training program, ensuring training quality;

- Obtained the opinions of the Scientific and Training Council of the training institution before issuance.

Who has the authority to decide on the establishment of the Training Program Appraisal Council of higher education in Vietnam?

According to the provisions of Clause 1, Article 18 of Circular 17/2021/TT-BGDDT, the appraisal and issuance of training programs are as follows:

Appraisal and issuance of training programs

1. The Principal of the training institution decides on the establishment of the Training Program Appraisal Council. The standards and structure of the Appraisal Council are as follows:

a) Members of the Training Program Appraisal Council: professors, associate professors, doctors in the right or related field for training programs of new disciplines, experts knowledgeable in the field, programs capable of developing and ensuring the quality of higher education. Members of the Training Program Appraisal Council are not members of the Training Program Construction Council;

b) The Appraisal Council has an odd number of members, including the Chairperson, Secretary, and at least 02 reviewers from different training institutions and other Council members; among them, there must be at least 01 member representing the employing units;

c) The Principal of the training institution decides on the specific standards, number, composition, and members participating in the Appraisal Council in accordance with the regulations at points a, b, Clause 1 of this Article.

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Thus, the individual having the authority to decide on the establishment of the Training Program Appraisal Council of higher education is the Principal of the higher education institution.