Managing Quality and Expansion:
Current POLICY CHALLENGES &
the Role of Private Institutions
and International Participations
Ly T. Pham
International Education Institute
(Vietnam National University Ho Chi Minh City), and
Center for Higher Education Evaluation and Research
(Nguyen Tat Thanh University, Vietnam)
Overview

A snapshot on Vietnamese HE system
development between 1993-2014

The current state of private HEIs and
policy issues

The roles of international participations
Ly Pham, Langkawi, Malaysia 13-14 November, 2014
Overview
Ly Pham, Langkawi, Malaysia 13-14 November, 2014
Vietnamese HE system:
growing dramatically
Ly Pham, Langkawi, Malaysia 13-14 November, 2014
Vietnamese HE system:
enrolments decreasing recently
Ly Pham, Langkawi, Malaysia 13-14 November, 2014
Vietnamese HE system: diverse and
complex
Grouping by supervision authorities
Cabinet
VNU HN
6 Universities
members
& 24
Affiliations
Ministry of
Edu.&Training
(MOET)
VNU HCM
6 Universities
members
& 33
Affiliations
127 Public HEIs
(of which 54
universities)
Ly Pham, Langkawi, Malaysia 13-14 November, 2014
Provincial
government
Line Ministries
(13 other Ministries)
159 Public HEIs
80 Private HEIs
55 Public HEIs
Vietnamese HE system: diverse and
complex
Grouping by ownership
UNIVERSITY &COLLEGES
Public HEIs
Non-public HEIs
Semi-Public
Fully
Private
Traditional
HEIs
Self-financed
HEIs
Ly Pham, Langkawi, Malaysia 13-14 November, 2014
Not-for profit
People
Founded
For-profit
Vietnamese HE system: diverse and
complex
Grouping by tuition fees
Number of HEIs
Section
Tuition fee
Nonpublic
A+
30,000 USD
2
A
8,500 USD to 15,000 USD
5
B+
Public
RMIT, British University Vietnam
(BUV)
University of Economic and Finance
(UEF), FPT, Tan Tao, Hoa Sen, and
Saigon International University.
2
5,000 USD to 8,400 USD
B
3,000 USD to 4,500 USD
10
C
1,600 USD to 2,500 USD
20
D
1,000 $USD to 1,500 $USD
12
Ly Pham, Langkawi, Malaysia 13-14 November, 2014
Examples
International University-VNUHCM,
VGU
Van Lang, Thang Long, Duy Tan,
Nguyen Tat Thanh
338
Van Hien, Hai Phong, Dong A, Binh
Duong
Quang Trung, Kinh Bac, Ha Hoa Tien,
and most public HEIs.
Private HEIs: Policy Challenges



For profit by default
Mix between not-for-profit and for-profit
Consequence:


Uncontrollable power in executive people
Conflicts between the owners and the executive
administrators
Ly Pham, Langkawi, Malaysia 13-14 November, 2014
Private HEIs: Policy Challenges



Regulatory has not been responsive enough
Quality assurance is ineffective
Consequence:


Enrolment far exceeds the capacity
Huge disparity in quality of education
Ly Pham, Langkawi, Malaysia 13-14 November, 2014
Private HEIs: Policy Challenges
Ly Pham, Langkawi, Malaysia 13-14 November, 2014
Source: Author adapted from PROPHE data (2010)
International Participations
Noninstitutional
Studying abroad
- Partnership programs
- Faculty and student
exchanges
Ly Pham, Langkawi, Malaysia 13-14 November, 2014
Institutions
Public= government
join projects
(New Model Univ)
Private=
- FDI business
- Foreign owned notfor-profit
International ParticipationsGOVERNMENTAL JOINT PROJECTS




Vietnam German University (VGU)
University of Science and Technology Hanoi
(USTH) as known as Vietnam France
University
Vietnam Japan University project approved
2014
Vietnam British University project approved
2011
Ly Pham, Langkawi, Malaysia 13-14 November, 2014
International ParticipationsGOVERNMENTAL JOINT PROJECTS



Heavy investment
Enrolments are limited to a very small
number
Financial sustainability is in question
Ly Pham, Langkawi, Malaysia 13-14 November, 2014
International ParticipationsFOREIGN DIRECT INVESTMENT BUSINESS
RMIT Vietnam
2000-2014 – from 200 to 6000 students.
Highest tuition fee (30,000 USD)
 Decent campus = 20 m. USD
 International learning environment
 High-end quality of education and service
 Professional management
= NEW FRESH AIR TO THE VN’S HE SYSTEM

Ly Pham, Langkawi, Malaysia 13-14 November, 2014
International ParticipationsFOREIGN DIRECT INVESTMENT BUSINESS
British University Vietnam




Established 2009: campus under construction
400 m. USD investment
Not an offshore campus but a newly establish
institution in partnership with Univ. of London
and Staffordshire in UK
20 students in first cohort
Ly Pham, Langkawi, Malaysia 13-14 November, 2014
International ParticipationsFOREIGN OWNED NOT-FOR-PROFIT HEIs
Fulbright Vietnam University



Approved 2014
Based on Fulbright Economic Teaching
Program (joint between Harvard Kennedy
School and Univ. of Economic HCMC)
A clear regulatory framework is unavailable
Ly Pham, Langkawi, Malaysia 13-14 November, 2014
International ParticipationsFOREIGN OWNED NOT-FOR-PROFIT HEIs
Tokyo Vietnam University of Medicine



Approved July 2014, located at Hung Yen
(North)
210 m. USD investment by Japanese
individuals
Partnership with Medical Institute of Waseda
Ly Pham, Langkawi, Malaysia 13-14 November, 2014
Managing the quality and
expansion



2004 =landmark for issuing new policies on
quality management
QA agencies largely depend on state – top
down process
“Improvise” mode rather than selfimprovement
Ly Pham, Langkawi, Malaysia 13-14 November, 2014
Vietnamese HE system:
enrolments decreasing recently
Ly Pham, Langkawi, Malaysia 13-14 November, 2014
Vietnamese HE system:
studying abroad increasing
Ly Pham, Langkawi, Malaysia 13-14 November, 2014
Conclusions



Maintaining quality in the context of
expansion has been a major challenge.
A strong message to all HEIs about the need
for improvement of their services.
QA system is important, but more important
is institutional self-improvement and a culture
of transparent accountability
Ly Pham, Langkawi, Malaysia 13-14 November, 2014
Thank you!
www.lypham.net www.cheer.edu.vn