THE LEGAL FRAMEWORK FOR UNIVERSITY AUTONOMY AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT: IMPLICATIONS FOR HIGHER EDUCATION GOVERNANCE REFORM IN VIETNAM
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.18623/rvd.v22.n7.3916Keywords:
University Autonomy, Higher Education Governance, Sustainable Development, Vietnam, Legal FrameworkAbstract
This study examines the evolution of Vietnam’s legal framework for university autonomy, tracing developments from the 2012 Law on Higher Education to strategic policy directives with horizons to 2030 and 2045. Anchored in the discourse of sustainable development, the paper contends that university autonomy extends beyond the delegation of authority from the state to higher education institutions; it operates as an ecological governance mechanism that integrates financial sustainability, social equity, and technological resilience. Using regulatory document analysis and a systematic literature review, the study identifies persistent institutional bottlenecks embedded in Decree 60/2021/NĐ-CP and evaluates the governance implications of the policy adjustments introduced under Decree 111/2025/NĐ-CP. The findings suggest that achieving sustainable development in Vietnamese higher education requires a transition from a control-oriented governance model to an enabling and supervisory state approach one capable of leveraging digital governance systems and promoting equitable access through robust student-loan mechanisms. The study contributes to ongoing debates on governance reform in emerging education systems by clarifying the alignment between autonomy policies and sustainability objectives.
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