1. Managing Quality and Expansion: Current POLICY CHALLENGES &
the Role of Private Institutions
and International Participations
International Education Institute
(Vietnam National University Ho Chi Minh City), and
Center for Higher Education Evaluation and Research
(Nguyen Tat Thanh University, Vietnam)
Ly T. Pham

2. Overview
A snapshot on Vietnamese HE system development between
The current state of private HEIs and policy issues
The roles of international participations
Ly Pham, Langkawi, Malaysia November, 2014

3. Overview
Ly Pham, Langkawi, Malaysia November, 2014

4. Vietnamese HE system: growing dramatically
Ly Pham, Langkawi, Malaysia November, 2014

5. Vietnamese HE system: enrolments decreasing recently
Ly Pham, Langkawi, Malaysia November, 2014

6. Vietnamese HE system: diverse and complex
Grouping by supervision authorities
Cabinet
Provincial government
Ministry of Edu.&Training (MOET)
Line Ministries
(13 other Ministries)
VNU HN
VNU HCM
6 Universities members
& 33 Affiliations
6 Universities members
& 24 Affiliations
127 Public HEIs
(of which 54 universities)
159 Public HEIs
80 Private HEIs
55 Public HEIs
Ly Pham, Langkawi, Malaysia November, 2014

7. Vietnamese HE system: diverse and complex
Grouping by ownership
UNIVERSITY &COLLEGES
Public HEIs
Semi-Public
Non-public HEIs
Fully Private
People Founded
Traditional HEIs
Self-financed HEIs
Not-for profit
For-profit
Ly Pham, Langkawi, Malaysia November, 2014

8. Vietnamese HE system: diverse and complex
Grouping by tuition fees
Section
Tuition fee
Number of HEIs
Examples
Non-public
Public A+
30,000 USD 2
RMIT, British University Vietnam (BUV) A
8,500 USD to 15,000 USD 5
University of Economic and Finance (UEF), FPT, Tan Tao, Hoa Sen, and Saigon International University. B+
5,000 USD to 8,400 USD
International University-VNUHCM,
VGU B
3,000 USD to 4,500 USD 10
Van Lang, Thang Long, Duy Tan, Nguyen Tat Thanh C
1,600 USD to 2,500 USD 20
Van Hien, Hai Phong, Dong A, Binh Duong D
1,000 $USD to 1,500 $USD 12
338
Quang Trung, Kinh Bac, Ha Hoa Tien, and most public HEIs.
Ly Pham, Langkawi, Malaysia November, 2014

9. Private HEIs: Policy Challenges
For profit by default
Mix between not-for-profit and for-profit
Consequence:
Uncontrollable power in executive people
Conflicts between the owners and the executive administrators
Ly Pham, Langkawi, Malaysia November, 2014

10. Private HEIs: Policy Challenges
Regulatory has not been responsive enough
Quality assurance is ineffective
Consequence:
Enrolment far exceeds the capacity
Huge disparity in quality of education
Ly Pham, Langkawi, Malaysia November, 2014

11. Private HEIs: Policy Challenges
Source: Author adapted from PROPHE data (2010)
Ly Pham, Langkawi, Malaysia November, 2014

12. International Participations
Non-institutional
Studying abroad
- Partnership programs
- Faculty and student
exchanges
Institutions
Public= government join projects
(New Model Univ)
Private=
- FDI business
- Foreign owned not-
for-profit
Ly Pham, Langkawi, Malaysia November, 2014

13. International Participations- GOVERNMENTAL JOINT PROJECTS
Vietnam German University (VGU)
University of Science and Technology Hanoi (USTH) as known as Vietnam France University
Vietnam Japan University project approved 2014
Vietnam British University project approved 2011
Ly Pham, Langkawi, Malaysia November, 2014

14. International Participations- GOVERNMENTAL JOINT PROJECTS
Heavy investment
Enrolments are limited to a very small number
Financial sustainability is in question
Ly Pham, Langkawi, Malaysia November, 2014

15. International Participations- FOREIGN DIRECT INVESTMENT BUSINESS
RMIT Vietnam
– from 200 to 6000 students. Highest tuition fee (30,000 USD)
Decent campus = 20 m. USD
International learning environment
High-end quality of education and service
Professional management
= NEW FRESH AIR TO THE VN’S HE SYSTEM
Ly Pham, Langkawi, Malaysia November, 2014

16. International Participations- FOREIGN DIRECT INVESTMENT BUSINESS
British University Vietnam
Established 2009: campus under construction
400 m. USD investment
Not an offshore campus but a newly establish institution in partnership with Univ. of London and Staffordshire in UK
20 students in first cohort
Ly Pham, Langkawi, Malaysia November, 2014

17. International Participations- FOREIGN OWNED NOT-FOR-PROFIT HEIs
Fulbright Vietnam University
Approved 2014
Based on Fulbright Economic Teaching Program (joint between Harvard Kennedy School and Univ. of Economic HCMC)
A clear regulatory framework is unavailable
Ly Pham, Langkawi, Malaysia November, 2014

18. International Participations- FOREIGN OWNED NOT-FOR-PROFIT HEIs
Tokyo Vietnam University of Medicine
Approved July 2014, located at Hung Yen (North)
210 m. USD investment by Japanese individuals
Partnership with Medical Institute of Waseda
Ly Pham, Langkawi, Malaysia November, 2014

19. Managing the quality and expansion
2004 =landmark for issuing new policies on quality management
QA agencies largely depend on state – top down process
“Improvise” mode rather than self-improvement
Ly Pham, Langkawi, Malaysia November, 2014

20. Vietnamese HE system: enrolments decreasing recently
Ly Pham, Langkawi, Malaysia November, 2014

21. Vietnamese HE system: studying abroad increasing
Ly Pham, Langkawi, Malaysia November, 2014

22. Conclusions
Maintaining quality in the context of expansion has been a major challenge.
A strong message to all HEIs about the need for improvement of their services.
QA system is important, but more important is institutional self-improvement and a culture of transparent accountability
Ly Pham, Langkawi, Malaysia November, 2014

23. Thank you!