VietNamNet Bridge - Hanoi Economics University, HCM City Economics University and Hanoi University of Science & Technology are considering a policy which would allow them to become independent from the Ministry of Education & Training (MOET).

MOET is stepping up the autonomy policy in tertiary education

MOET said it is stepping up the autonomy policy in tertiary education. Under the current governing policy, watchdog agencies intervene in school issues, especially in personnel and investment, which is contrary to the ‘autonomy’ principle. 

Hoang Minh Son, rector of the Hanoi University of Science & Technology, said this is a reasonable policy, though he admitted that it poses challenges for schools.

Son said the schools would consider foreign models and Vietnamese laws for several months to draw up a proposal. 

A representative of HCM City Economics University said the school is also building a plan of its own, expected to be completed by August. Though MOET would no longer be the governing body, schools would be under MOET’s management in enrollment and training.

Nguyen Thanh Chuong, vice rector of the University of Transport, said all three schools  are pioneers in implementing the ‘autonomy’ principle, and have good conditions in infrastructure and teaching staff.

However, he stressed that all schools will still have to observe the Education Law and regulations on financial policy. 

According to Le Truong Tung, chair of FPT University, Resolution 14/2005 on reforming Vietnam’s higher education in 2006-2020 also mentions the removal of the governing body at state-owned universities.

However, it is necessary to clarify what the ‘removal of governing body’ means and what the ‘governing body’ will be replaced with.

In general, organizations have close links from higher to lower levels. 

For instance, national universities don’t officially belong to MOET, but to the government which manages member schools.  

Resolution 14/2015 says that for state-owned schools, once the governing mechanism is removed, a state ownership representative will replace it.

Another question has been raised about schools belonging to the ministries of Industry and Trade (MOIT), Health (MOH), Justice (MOJ), Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD), and other organizations. The ministries, as governing bodies, are still allocating budgets to run the schools.

According to Sai Gon Giai Phong, since 2015, there have been 23 state-owned universities being fully autonomous. They have all scored spectacular success and were all highly appreciated in the preliminary summary meeting of 2017.

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