Vietnam's Ministry of Education and Training (MOET) is preparing for a sweeping reorganization of around 140 public universities across the country. The initiative aims to streamline the higher education system and boost efficiency by drastically reducing the number of institutions.

At the Higher Education Conference held on September 18, Minister of Education and Training Nguyen Kim Son emphasized the strategic importance of this reform. Citing Resolution 71 of the Politburo, he said the focus is on modernizing universities to ensure faster and stronger growth, clearer institutional direction, and the cultivation of high-quality human resources, especially in fields critical to national development.

Son described this as a rare “kairos moment” for Vietnamese higher education. “This is the right time, the right opportunity for a breakthrough. If we miss it, not only will we fail to advance, but we will be at fault,” he said.

Sweeping changes ahead: mergers, autonomy, and leadership reforms

The education minister acknowledged that many university leaders may feel overwhelmed by the forthcoming changes. These include the removal of university councils, restructuring leadership roles to consolidate power under Party secretaries, and introducing new procedures for appointing professors and associate professors.

Son revealed that Resolution 71 mandates the urgent restructuring of public higher education institutions. This includes merging or dissolving underperforming schools, eliminating intermediate administrative layers, combining research institutes with universities, and transferring some universities to provincial management.

Excluding military, police, and private institutions, the restructuring will target about 140 public universities currently under central and local ministries and agencies.

Radical consolidation: From ministries to localities

The plan involves various scenarios. Universities currently under central ministry control may be transferred to local authorities. Local institutions might be merged into centrally managed universities. Alternatively, schools within the same ministry or region may be consolidated. Some institutions may be dissolved altogether if they are too small or fail to meet basic standards.

“The guiding principle is to significantly reduce the number of institutions,” Son said, stressing that the goal is not merely numerical reduction, but strategic consolidation to strengthen the system.

The Ministry will submit its restructuring plan to the Prime Minister, after which implementation will begin. “For schools that need to be merged, we’ll consult with their leaders. But fundamentally, this is an executive mandate - similar to the provincial mergers we’ve seen recently,” he noted.

He added that not all schools will be merged or eliminated. Institutions with strategic geopolitical importance, even if not large, may be preserved but required to accelerate their development.

Call for readiness among educators

“This is a pivotal moment,” Son told educators, urging them to embrace the transition with open minds. “Don’t ask ‘Where will I be sitting after the merger?’ That’s the wrong attitude. What we need now is collective thinking on how to grow and capitalize on this opportunity.”

Over the next three months, faculty and administrators are expected to strategize for sustainable development. “Let’s not just look at each other. Let’s look forward,” he said.

MOET to shift from control to empowerment

Minister Son also announced that MOET would reduce its administrative footprint by delegating more authority. “We will tightly manage what truly needs oversight and decisively relinquish what doesn’t,” he stated.

The Ministry will focus on core regulatory responsibilities such as granting and revoking licenses, closing institutions, and appointing or removing university leaders. It will also approve institutional missions and development strategies, especially for public universities, to ensure they fulfill their social mandates. “Public universities aren’t free to do whatever they want - they’re established to serve the public good,” Son stressed.

Thanh Hung