Foreign-awarded degrees leave Vietnamese graduates in limbo

N.T.Q., 25, from Ha Dong Ward, Hanoi, enrolled in the college-level program at the college in 2018.

In 2024, she was introduced to an international bachelor’s pathway in design and communication, conferred by Liverpool John Moores University in the UK.

According to Q., almost all university-level coursework took place on the LCDF - Hanoi campus.

Only when lecturers returned to the UK did classes shift online briefly.

Tuition fees were paid directly to LCDF - Hanoi, she said.

She graduated in July this year and received a bachelor’s degree from Liverpool John Moores University.

Three months later, when submitting her documents to the Vietnam Education Quality Management Agency under the ministry for degree authentication, a requirement for job applications and master’s programs, she learned that her degree did not meet Vietnam’s criteria for recognition.

The agency responded that based on information publicly available from Liverpool John Moores University, the program was classified as online learning.

As the online program has yet to be licensed for training in Vietnam to students studying and residing in the country, the degree could not be recognized.

“I was devastated,” Q. said.

“Without recognition, I can’t apply for jobs in public institutions or any workplace requiring verified qualifications.

“I also cannot pursue a master’s degree in Vietnam.

“On the university’s website, the degree is advertised as being recognized worldwide.

“The university uses images of celebrities for promotion, so we never questioned the legality of the program."

Q. estimated she spent about VND360 million (US$13,660) on tuition for both the college program and the one-year bachelor’s program, with VND170 million ($6,450) paid for the university.

Facing the same fate, V.H.L., 25, from Tay Ho, Hanoi, shared that she had originally been accepted with a high score into the graphic design program at Hanoi University of Industrial Fine Arts.

However, persuaded by LCDF - Hanoi’s promotional claims and its long-standing presence since 2004, she chose to study graphic design there instead.

After finishing the college program, she entered the bachelor’s program linked to Liverpool John Moores University in 2022 and graduated in July 2023.

She then pursued a master’s degree in the UK, finishing in mid-2025.

Returning to Vietnam in early September, she began teaching at LCDF - Hanoi.

However, one month later, after hearing about Q.’s experience, she realized her own bachelor’s degree was also not recognized.

“My family was shattered, while I resigned immediately,” she said.

“This decision closes the door on my academic career in Vietnam, no second master’s degree, no PhD opportunities, no jobs requiring verified university or postgraduate qualifications."

Students file complaints

N.H.A., another 25-year-old graduate, together with several former students at LCDF - Hanoi, has filed a formal complaint to authorities.

The complaint accuses London College for Design & Fashion – Hanoi and its legal representative, director and principal Ha Thi Hang, of recruiting students into unauthorized university-level programs.

The complaint stated that from 2022 to 2025, the college repeatedly organized final-year bachelor’s top-up courses and publicly advertised them as internationally recognized qualifications.

According to the complaint, around 40 students enrolled in the university-level course.

Fees for the bachelor’s program were some VND289 million ($10,960), while these students must pay VND300 million ($11,385) for college-level study.

College responds

Director Hang told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper on Wednesday that although students studied in Vietnam, the degrees conferred by Liverpool John Moores University were internationally valid.

It was not an official partnership program, she said.

“In Vietnam, there are certain conditions associated with the regulations, so the degree has not yet been recognized. The college will work with the authorities,” she said.