Vietnam proposes stricter rules on university names, limits use of ‘international,’ ‘national’

The draft, which details the implementation of the Higher Education Law, aims to prevent confusion over ownership, legal status, academic standing, and degree-granting authority, the ministry said.

Under the proposal, university names must accurately reflect an institution’s legal form, training level and accreditation, and must not imply government affiliation, national status or superior ranking without authorization.

The ministry said universities would be barred from using words or phrases that suggest national or special status, including Vietnamese and English terms such as ‘quoc gia,’ ‘quoc te,’ ‘International,’ ‘National,’ ‘State,’ ‘Vietnam,’ and ‘Ho Chi Minh,’ unless approved by competent authorities.

Institutions would be required to have an official Vietnamese name, except in cases established under intergovernmental agreements, and would be prohibited from mixing Vietnamese and foreign languages in their Vietnamese titles.

Foreign universities operating branch campuses in Vietnam would be required to include the parent institution’s name, the country of origin, and the term 'branch campus' along with a geographic designation, according to the draft.

The proposal also seeks to curb misleading branding practices, including the use of foreign-language names or marketing that could cause students to confuse vocational colleges with universities or academies.

The ministry cited cases in which institutions’ Vietnamese and English names differed significantly, or marketing materials used titles suggesting university or academy status despite being licensed only as vocational colleges, prompting confusion among students and parents.