There is a direct connection between the higher education infrastructure and socio-economic development of a country. As higher education supports economic growth by creating skilled talent, and fostering innovation and research, more and more countries have given major emphasis to consistently improve their higher education infrastructure. Vietnam is one such country. For them, higher education has had a noteworthy positive impact on household poverty. Another area affected by higher education is long-term earnings. A recent statistics even show that the annualized private returns to higher education in the country exceeds 15 percent. As the country aims to be an upper-middle-income country by 2035, not only the creation but also the utilization of skilled manpower is crucial.   

According to World Bank’s Human Capital Index (HCI), Vietnam is one of the best middle income countries in the world. They are also doing well when it comes to access and quality of general education. That said, there exists a prevalent gap between school and higher education in Vietnam. The gross graduation ratio from first degree programs in tertiary education needs to significantly improve in the country. In 2019, it stood at 22.15 percent which further highlights how much improvement Vietnamese higher education system needs to become a prominent higher education hub in Asia. Acknowledging the situation, the Vietnamese government is introducing new strategies to enhance the quality of higher education in the country. Let’s analyze some of the most important ones.            

The New Higher Education Strategy

The new higher education strategy (2021-2030) introduced by the Ministry of Education and Training (MOET) is a welcoming change which aspires to enhance the higher education infrastructure of the country. This scheme aims to build a higher education system which will be favorable for the emergence of the ‘University of the Future’. This institution will be academically, and financially autonomous and accountable. The University of the Future will produce highly skilled talent who can contribute towards both the national and regional economy. Aside from this, the new strategy also aims to increase the use of digital education and promotes learning in the digital environment. The scheme aspires to bring awareness towards the importance of lifelong learning and has urged to develop policies related to building a favorable environment for laborers to retrain and upskill.    

Using Autonomy as an Education Reform Tool  

By strategically using the autonomy mechanism, Government of Vietnam has been able to help HEIs in the country to better satisfy the demands of the education market. As a result of the autonomy mechanism, piloting universities are able to attract better lecturers as well as researchers into their campus which in turn helps them to improve the overall quality of education. There are multiple statistics which highlight the positive impact autonomy has had on these institutions such as the percentage of those having doctorate degree reaching 30 percent in 2021, and the increase in the average salary of employees working in these institutions rising by 18.7 – 20.8 percent. Talking more on the topic, Prof. Dr. Pham Hong Chuong, President of the National Economics University said that ‘as a result of autonomy, universities can now come up with new training majors in a timely manner in order to cater to the demands of the labor market’.  In order for this autonomy to be more effective, MOET has proposed amendments in laws related to the autonomy activities of HEIs. MOET has also talked about focused investments in priority majors in key universities in order to create HEIs of international standards. Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam stated that university autonomy will result in better utilization of all resources and suggested that it is critical for universities to build their own regulations.      

Research-centric Education  

When compared to some of the top international higher education destinations, research is one of the important areas, Vietnam is lacking. That said, things have been changing lately with many HEIs in the country working towards incorporating research into the education they offer in order to inculcate the culture of research in the campus. Duy Tan University (DTU) is one of the leading private universities in the country and they have been constantly working to combine education and research. As a result of this, over the years, the institute has garnered a reputation as one of the best research-centric HEIs in the country. DTU has been able to assemble a team of PhD and Master’s graduates from some of the most popular universities from countries like USA, France, Canada, and Japan to name a few. The institute has also been able to create a wide network of scientists from across the globe that helps in enhancing the quality of research at DTU. DTU conducts research in a myriad of subjects and has created multiple research centers including Center for Information Technology and Communications, Center for Computing and Data Processing, Center for Molecular Biology, and Center for Environmental Technology to name a few.        

Vietnam is a rapidly developing country with a relatively young population. The growth both the country and its higher education infrastructure have had over the last couple of decades is remarkable. But for Vietnam to stake its claim as a top international higher education hub, there are still some areas they need to improve on. That said, the new higher education strategy, strategic utilization of autonomy, and the new found interest in research-centric education are steps in the right direction and it will help the country to improve its quality of education.