Vietnam eyes stricter rules for recognizing foreign doctoral degrees

Under the draft circular, recognition of foreign degrees is defined as a public service that must accurately reflect a learner’s academic achievements within the issuing country’s education and qualification system.

The current circular does not cover all cases of foreign qualifications and fails to specify recognition criteria for degrees based on different modes of study and practical realities, according to the ministry.

As such, the draft outlines both general conditions and specific requirements tailored to various forms of education delivery.

These include full-time study abroad, joint training programs conducted overseas or in Vietnam, online learning, hybrid formats, distance education, and broadcast-based instruction.

For doctoral degrees obtained through in-person abroad study, additional conditions apply.

Candidates must demonstrate that they have met residency, study, and research requirements as stipulated by the educational authorities in the country where the training occurs, particularly in cases involving field research conducted in a third country.

Vietnam’s domestic doctoral training standards require candidates to devote at least 80 percent of their time to research and 20 percent to coursework.

Aligning with this benchmark, the ministry argues that foreign doctoral programs should also ensure a substantive period of study and research in the host country.

The ministry noted that in practice, many doctoral programs require only a very limited number of days of study in the host country, even though institutions certify them as full-time on-campus programs.

Therefore, a minimum requirement for study and research in the host country is needed to prevent abuse by some foreign institutions, where only short periods of on-campus attendance are required.

The draft circular is aimed to replace the Ministry of Education and Training’s Circular No. 13, the ministry’s Circular No. 07, and Circular No. 34/2017, local media reported.

The amendments and additions aim to strengthen quality control over human resources trained abroad, encourage lifelong learning, and facilitate opportunities for Vietnamese citizens to study and acquire knowledge from legally operating educational institutions in countries with advanced education systems.

2 options for degree recognition authority

The draft also presents two options regarding who holds the authority to recognize foreign qualifications.

The first option proposes decentralization, giving the heads of agencies responsible for recognition services the authority to issue official recognition.

The second option is to retain the current regulation, in which authority rests with the head of a unit tasked with assisting the Minister of Education and Training in managing qualifications and certifications nationwide.