Higher Education in Vietnam

With a population of about 98.5 million, Vietnam is the world’s 14th largest and ASEAN’s 3rd largest nation. Since 1986, when a policy of Đổi mới (economic renovation) marked the transition from centralized planning to a socialist-oriented market model, many changes have been made to the higher education sector. This chapter provides an overview of how these reforms have had an impact on the sector. It addresses issues relating to curriculum, student assessment, quality assurance, governance internationalization, and institutional autonomy. It reviews policies, practices, and current debates regarding finance, access, inclusion, and equity. It also reports on developments in the use of digital technologies and the provision of professional learning opportunities. The chapter shows that while Vietnam has successfully identified reform measures for the higher education sector, the gap between policy intent and policy implementation has hindered the effectiveness of many of the identified reforms. The chapter concludes with an analysis of current and anticipated trends and key challenges in the sector. It asserts that COVID-19 has been a watershed moment for the sector, presenting challenges while also paving the way for innovation in the digitalization and internationalization of the sector.