CONDITIONS FOR THE OPERATION OF HIGHER EDUCATION SERVICES: A CASE STUDY IN VIETNAM
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.18623/rvd.v22.n3.3319Keywords:
Higher Education Services, Legal Framework Reform, Operational Conditions, Quality AssuranceAbstract
This study examines the current legal framework governing the operational conditions of higher education services in Vietnam to identify existing shortcomings and propose suitable remedies. Using case study methods and field surveys conducted at one or more higher education institutions, the research highlights several limitations in the current legal regulations concerning land use, facilities, finance, human resources, curricula, and licensing procedures. These regulations are often perceived as rigid, lacking effective oversight mechanisms, and failing to ensure transparency. Although faculty and staff at higher education institutions demonstrate a high level of commitment, the system continues to face challenges due to limited resources, inconsistent policy implementation, and the gap between academic training and labor market demands. The findings confirm that the existing legal framework and operational conditions do not adequately meet the requirements for flexible, high-quality, and efficient development. Accordingly, the study proposes legal reforms that enhance transparency, strengthen monitoring mechanisms, and revise rigid provisions. The ultimate goal is to establish a higher education system that is accountable, high in quality, and well-aligned with Vietnam’s socio-economic development and international integration.
References
Amaral, A., Tavares, O., & Santos, C. (2012). Higher Education Reforms in Europe: A Comparative Perspective of New Legal Frameworks in Europe. In A. Curaj, P. Scott, L. Vlasceanu, & L. Wilson (Eds.), European Higher Education at the Crossroads (pp. 655–673). Springer Netherlands. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-3937-6_35
Buckner, E., & Zhang, Y. (2021). The quantity-quality tradeoff: A cross-national, longitudinal analysis of national student-faculty ratios in higher education. Higher Education, 82(1), 39–60. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10734-020-00621-3
Carrillo-Durán, M.-V., & García García, M. (2020). Exploring the need for stakeholders’ engagement through social networking sites to build the reputation of higher education organisations. Higher Education Quarterly, 74(4), 442–457. https://doi.org/10.1111/hequ.12256
Cenka, B. A. N., & Hasibuan, Z. A. (2013). Enhancing Educational Services Using Cloud Technology.
Chau, Q., Nguyen, C. H., & Nguyen, T.-T. (2022). The emergence of private higher education in a communist state: The case of Vietnam. Studies in Higher Education, 47(4), 888–903. https://doi.org/10.1080/03075079.2020.1817890
Dinh, H.-V. T., Nguyen, Q. A. T., Phan, M.-H. T., Pham, K. T., Nguyen, T., & Nguyen, H. T. (2021). Vietnamese Students’ Satisfaction toward Higher Education Service: The Relationship between Education Service Quality and Educational Outcomes. European Journal of Educational Research, volume–10–2021(volume–10–issue–3–july–2021), 1397–1410. https://doi.org/10.12973/eu-jer.10.3.1397
Do, D.-T., Le, C.-L., & Giang, T.-V. (2020). The Correlation between Internal Quality Assurance and the Formation of Quality Culture in Vietnam Higher Education: A Case Study in Ho Chi Minh City. European Journal of Educational Research, volume–9–2020(volume–9–issue–2–april–2020), 499–509. https://doi.org/10.12973/eu-jer.9.2.499
Duarte, N., & Vardasca, R. (2023). Literature Review of Accreditation Systems in Higher Education. Education Sciences, 13(6), 582. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci13060582
Ghobadian, A., Speller, S., & Jones, M. (1994). Service Quality: Concepts and Models. International Journal of Quality & Reliability Management, 11(9), 43–66. https://doi.org/10.1108/02656719410074297
Hailu, A. T. (2024). The role of university–industry linkages in promoting technology transfer: Implementation of triple helix model relations. Journal of Innovation and Entrepreneurship, 13(1), 25. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13731-024-00370-y
Hanh, N. T. H. (n.d.). SOLUTIONS TO IMPROVE THE EFFICIENCY OF LAND RESOURCE MANAGEMENT AND USE: RESEARCH AT PUBLIC UNIVERSITY CAMPUSES IN VIETNAM IN A NEW CONTEXT. 20(16).
Herzberg, R., Pham, T. G., Kappas, M., Wyss, D., & Tran, C. T. M. (2019). Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis for the Land Evaluation of Potential Agricultural Land Use Types in a Hilly Area of Central Vietnam. Land, 8(6), 90. https://doi.org/10.3390/land8060090
Hieu, N. T., & Niem, L. D. (2024). Autonomy Acquisition and Performance within Higher Education in Vietnam—A Road to a Sustainable Future? Sustainability, 16(3), 1336. https://doi.org/10.3390/su16031336
Hoa, T. P., & Nhung, N. T. H. (2025). Vietnam’s University Autonomy Policy: An Educational Policy. International Journal of Environmental Sciences, 11(12).
Hùng N. T. (2023). ĐỀ XUẤT KHUNG LÍ THUYẾT VỀ PHÁT TRIỂN ĐỘI NGŨ GIẢNG VIÊN TRƯỜNG ĐẠI HỌC THEO TIẾP CẬN QUẢN LÍ NGUỒN NHÂN LỰC CHIẾN LƯỢC DỰA VÀO NĂNG LỰC.
Iqbal, T., Ahmad, S., Aftab, F., & Mahmood, C. K. (2025). Enhancing Higher Education Institutions’ Performance: The Mediating Role of Academic Accreditation in Quality Management Initiatives in UAE. SAGE Open, 15(3), 21582440251358980. https://doi.org/10.1177/21582440251358980
Jansen, T., Rademakers, J., Waverijn, G., Verheij, R., Osborne, R., & Heijmans, M. (2018). The role of health literacy in explaining the association between educational attainment and the use of out-of-hours primary care services in chronically ill people: A survey study. BMC Health Services Research, 18(1), 394. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-018-3197-4
Key consideration for foreign investors in Vietnam’s growing education sector. - A&O Shearman. (n.d.). Retrieved September 18, 2025, from https://www.aoshearman.com/en/insights/unlocking-potential-in-vietnams-education-sector
Latif, K. F., Latif, I., Farooq Sahibzada, U., & Ullah, M. (2019). In search of quality: Measuring Higher Education Service Quality (HiEduQual). Total Quality Management & Business Excellence, 30(7–8), 768–791. https://doi.org/10.1080/14783363.2017.1338133
Le, A. (2024). Institutional Autonomy of Vietnamese Public Universities:An Agency Theory Perspective. Journal of Comparative & International Higher Education, 16(4). https://doi.org/10.32674/kpg16f91
Le, L., Quy Nguyen, T., Nguyen, C. H., Doan, L. N., Le, H. T., & Ta, H. T. T. (2025). Academic staff quality in higher education: Evidence from program accreditation in Vietnam. Cogent Education, 12(1), 2554318. https://doi.org/10.1080/2331186X.2025.2554318
Le, T. N., Bregt, A. K., Van Halsema, G. E., Hellegers, P. J. G. J., & Ngo, T. T. T. (2023). Multi-Scale Drivers of Land-Use Changes at Farm Level I: Conceptual Framework and Application in the Highly Flooded Zone of the Vietnamese Mekong Delta. Land, 12(7), 1273. https://doi.org/10.3390/land12071273
Le, T. T., Nguyen, T. L., Trinh, M. T., Nguyen, M. H., Nguyen, M. P. T., & Pham, H.-H. (2021). Adopting the Hirschman–Herfindahl Index to estimate the financial sustainability of Vietnamese public universities. Humanities and Social Sciences Communications, 8(1), 247. https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-021-00927-2
Le, T. T., Phuong, H. Y., Pham, T. T., Nguyen, A. T., Huynh, T. A. T., & Nguyen, H. T. (2023). The integral roles of supporting staff in bolstering academic performance: A qualitative study in Vietnamese higher education institutions. Cogent Arts & Humanities, 10(1), 2264008. https://doi.org/10.1080/23311983.2023.2264008
Liên kết trường đại học – doanh nghiệp trong hoạt động đào tạo – nghiên cứu tại một số trường đại học khu vực miền Bắc | Tạp chí Quản lý nhà nước. (2025, January 2). https://www.quanlynhanuoc.vn/2025/01/02/lien-ket-truong-dai-hoc-doanh-nghiep-trong-hoat-dong-dao-tao-nghien-cuu-tai-mot-so-truong-dai-hoc-khu-vuc-mien-bac/
Mok, K.-H. (2003). Globalisation and Higher Education Restructuring in Hong Kong, Taiwan and Mainland China. Higher Education Research & Development, 22(2), 117–129. https://doi.org/10.1080/07294360304111
Momotova, O. N., Belokon, L. V., Kilinkarova, S. G., Mayboroda, T. A., & Stroi, G. V. (2019). Conceptual Approaches to Formation of Financial Strategy of a Higher Education Institution. In E. G. Popkova (Ed.), The Future of the Global Financial System: Downfall or Harmony (Vol. 57, pp. 803–812). Springer International Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-00102-5_86
Nadiri, H., Kandampully, J., & Hussain, K. (2009). Students’ perceptions of service quality in higher education. Total Quality Management & Business Excellence, 20(5), 523–535. https://doi.org/10.1080/14783360902863713
Nguyen, C. H., & Shah, M. (Eds.). (2019). Quality Assurance in Vietnamese Higher Education: Policy and Practice in the 21st Century. Springer International Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-26859-6
Nguyen, T. T., & Nguyen, T. T. (2023). Factors Affecting Academic Staff’s Research Performance in Vietnam’s Universities. Vietnam Journal of Education, 146–156. https://doi.org/10.52296/vje.2023.271
Parajuli, D., Vo, D. K., Salmi, J., & Tran, N. T. A. (n.d.). Improving The Performance Of Higher Education In Vietnam.
Pham, N. T. T., Nguyen, C. H., Pham, H. T., & Ta, H. T. T. (2022). Internal Quality Assurance of Academic Programs: A Case Study in Vietnamese Higher Education. Sage Open, 12(4), 21582440221144419. https://doi.org/10.1177/21582440221144419
Pham, N. T. T., Nguyen, Q. N., Nguyen, N. T., Chu, H. M., Ngo, T. V., Le, P.-S., & Chau, T. T. V. (2022). Quality Assurance of Higher Education in Vietnam: The Impact of Autonomy Policy. Vietnam Journal of Education, 6(3), 277–288. https://doi.org/10.52296/vje.2022.245
Portwood, D., & Costley, C. (2000). Work based learning and the university: New perspectives and practices. SEDA.
thuvienphapluat.vn. (2024a, February 16). Thông tư 17/2021/TT-BGDĐT chuẩn chương trình đào tạo các trình độ giáo dục đại học mới nhất. THƯ VIỆN PHÁP LUẬT. https://thuvienphapluat.vn/van-ban/Giao-duc/Thong-tu-17-2021-TT-BGDDT-chuan-chuong-trinh-dao-tao-cac-trinh-do-giao-duc-dai-hoc-450547.aspx
thuvienphapluat.vn. (2024b, April 8). Thông tư 01/2024/TT-BGDĐT về Chuẩn cơ sở giáo dục đại học do Bộ trưởng Bộ Giáo dục và Đào tạo ban hành mới nhất. THƯ VIỆN PHÁP LUẬT. https://thuvienphapluat.vn/van-ban/Giao-duc/Thong-tu-01-2024-TT-BGDDT-Chuan-co-so-giao-duc-dai-hoc-598459.aspx
thuvienphapluat.vn. (2025a, January 10). Nghị định 135/2018/NĐ-CP sửa đổi Nghị định 46/2017/NĐ-CP đầu tư trong lĩnh vực giáo dục. THƯ VIỆN PHÁP LUẬT. https://thuvienphapluat.vn/van-ban/Thuong-mai/Nghi-dinh-135-2018-ND-CP-sua-doi-Nghi-dinh-46-2017-ND-CP-dau-tu-trong-linh-vuc-giao-duc-315730.aspx
thuvienphapluat.vn. (2025b, April 17). Thông tư 04/2025/TT-BGDĐT kiểm định chất lượng chương trình đào tạo giáo dục đại học mới nhất. THƯ VIỆN PHÁP LUẬT. https://thuvienphapluat.vn/van-ban/Giao-duc/Thong-tu-04-2025-TT-BGDDT-kiem-dinh-chat-luong-chuong-trinh-dao-tao-giao-duc-dai-hoc-621991.aspx
thuvienphapluat.vn. (2025c, August 20). Nghị định 125/2024/NĐ-CP điều kiện đầu tư hoạt động trong lĩnh vực giáo dục mới nhất. THƯ VIỆN PHÁP LUẬT. https://thuvienphapluat.vn/van-ban/Dau-tu/Nghi-dinh-125-2024-ND-CP-dieu-kien-dau-tu-hoat-dong-trong-linh-vuc-giao-duc-626873.aspx
thuvienphapluat.vn. (2025d, September 9). Nghị định 86/2018/NĐ-CP quy định về hợp tác đầu tư của nước ngoài trong lĩnh vực giáo dục mới nhất. THƯ VIỆN PHÁP LUẬT. https://thuvienphapluat.vn/van-ban/Dau-tu/Nghi-dinh-86-2018-ND-CP-quy-dinh-ve-hop-tac-dau-tu-cua-nuoc-ngoai-trong-linh-vuc-giao-duc-337783.aspx
Tsinidou, M., Gerogiannis, V., & Fitsilis, P. (2010). Evaluation of the factors that determine quality in higher education: An empirical study. Quality Assurance in Education, 18(3), 227–244. https://doi.org/10.1108/09684881011058669
tư T. chí K. tế và D. báo-B. K. hoạch và Đ. (n.d.). Đổi mới giáo dục đại học: Nền tảng cho phát triển bền vững ở Việt Nam. Tạp chí Kinh tế và Dự báo - Bộ Kế hoạch và Đầu tư. Retrieved September 18, 2025, from https://kinhtevadubao.vn/doi-moi-giao-duc-dai-hoc-nen-tang-cho-phat-trien-ben-vung-o-viet-nam-31864.html
Valiente Bermejo, M., Eynian, M., Malmsköld, L., & Scotti, A. (2022). University–industry collaboration in curriculum design and delivery: A model and its application in manufacturing engineering courses. Industry and Higher Education, 36(5), 615–622. https://doi.org/10.1177/09504222211064204
Yaroshchuk, A. B., Guliev, A. Yu., & Mikhaylenko, M. N. (2022). Quality management of higher education within the framework of the socio-investment model of economic growth: State audit and financial control. Frontiers in Education, 7, 1057005. https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2022.1057005
Zoontjens, P. (n.d.). Protecting “university” as a designation.
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
I (we) submit this article which is original and unpublished, of my (our) own authorship, to the evaluation of the Veredas do Direito Journal, and agree that the related copyrights will become exclusive property of the Journal, being prohibited any partial or total copy in any other part or other printed or online communication vehicle dissociated from the Veredas do Direito Journal, without the necessary and prior authorization that should be requested in writing to Editor in Chief. I (we) also declare that there is no conflict of interest between the articles theme, the author (s) and enterprises, institutions or individuals.
I (we) recognize that the Veredas do Direito Journal is licensed under a CREATIVE COMMONS LICENSE.
Licença Creative Commons Attribution 3.0





