| NATIONAL ASSEMBLY ------- | THE SOCIALIST REPUBLIC OF VIETNAM Independence– Freedom – Happiness --------------- |
| Law No. 08/2012/QH13 | Hanoi, June 18, 2012 |
LAW
ON HIGHER EDUCATION
Pursuant to the Constitution 1992 of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam amended and supplemented under the Resolution No. 51/2001/QH10;
The National Assembly promulgates the Law on Higher Education.
Chapter I
GENERAL PROVISIONS
Article 1. Scope of regulation
This Law specifies the organization, duties and authority of higher education institutions, the activities of training, science and technology, international cooperation, higher education quality assessment and assurance, the lecturers, the students, the higher education institutions property and finance, and the State management of higher education.
Article 2. Subjects of application
This Law is applicable to colleges, universities, academies, regional universities, national universities, scientific research institutes eligible for doctorate training, other organizations and individuals related to higher education.
Article 3. The application of the Law on Higher Education.
The organization and operation of higher education institutions and higher education management agencies must comply with this Law, the Law on Education and other relevant law provisions.
Article 4. Interpretation of terms
In this Law, the following terms are construed as follows:
1. Formal education is the form of education in which full-time courses are provided at higher education institutions in order to implement a training program at a certain level of higher education.
2. Continuing education, including in-service training and distance learning, is the form of education in which the classes and courses are provided at higher education institutions or associate education facilities depending on the students’ demand in order to implement a college or university training program.
3. A training profession is a collection of knowledge and professional skills of a certain profession or science. A training profession includes various majors.
4. A majors is a collection of advanced professional skills and knowledge of a profession.
5. Connected higher education is a solution for training management by which the students may use their existing education results to study further in the same profession or when they shift to another profession or level.
6. The skill and knowledge standards of the training program is the minimum requirement for knowledge and skills that a student must obtain after completing the training program
7. Non-profit foreign-capitalized higher education institutions and private higher education institutions are higher education institutions of which the cumulative annual profit is not shared but to reinvest in the higher education institution development; the shareholders or contributors do not receive dividend or the dividend does not exceed the interest rate of the Government ‘s bonds.
8. Universities are higher education institutions including the colleges, universities, affiliated scientific research institutes belonging to different fields, separated into two levels for higher education.
Article 5. The target of higher education
1. General target:
a) Training human resources, enhancing people’s intelligence; doing science and technology researches in order to create knowledge and new products serving the socio-economic development, assure National defense and security and international integration;
b) Training students that possess political quality, ethics; possess knowledge and professional practical skills, possess capability of researching and applying science and technology corresponding to their grade; possess creativity, professional responsibility and adaptability to the working conditions; aware of
2. Specific target of college education, university education, master’s and doctorate programs:
a) The college education provides students with the basic professional knowledge and proficient practical skills, the ability to understand the impacts of natural law principles on real life and the ability to solve the usual problems related to the trained profession;
b) The university education provides students with the comprehensive profession knowledge, thorough grasp of the natural – social law and principle, basic practical skill and the ability to work independently, creatively and solve the problems related to the trained profession;
c) The master’s program provides students with fundamental scientific knowledge and advanced research skills of a certain science or a certain profession, with the ability to work independently, creatively and the capability of detecting and solving the problems related to the trained profession;
d) The doctorate program provides the graduate students with advanced knowledge of theoretical and practical skills, with the ability to do researches independently and creatively in order to develop new knowledge, discover new natural—social laws and principles, solve new scientific and technological problems, guide the science research and professional activities.
Article 6. The levels and training forms of higher education
1. The levels of higher education include: college, university, master’s and doctorate.
The Minister of Education and Training shall cooperate with other Ministries and Heads of ministerial-level agencies to specify the training of practical skills and advanced application for the graduates in a number of special profession.
2. The levels of higher education are provided in 2 forms being formal education and continuing education.
