SUBSTANTIAL AND STRONG AUTONOMY GRANTED
According to Articles 2 and 3 of the Decree, national universities are granted a high level of autonomy in training, scientific research, organizational structure, finance, international cooperation, and high-quality human resources development. Notably, national universities have the authority to develop their own training regulations, talent and advanced programs; engage in extensive international partnerships, and mobilize science, technology, and innovation resources to fulfill their national development missions.
National universities are empowered to manage, utilize, and share their internal resources; exercise autonomy in recruiting lecturers, international experts, and cooperating with enterprises. Their modern university governance systems are designed with clear decentralization and delegation of authority as well as accountability to the Government and the Prime Minister.
The Decree also reaffirms that national universities are given priority investments to fulfill their national and regional development tasks.
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Earlier on, in Official Letter No. 5760/VPCP-KGVX dated June 24, 2025, the Government Office conveyed the Prime Minister's directive requesting the Ministry of Education and Training to coordinate with relevant agencies to thoroughly study and creatively apply the Party's orientations and policies, as well as the State's laws and regulations, to finalize the draft Decree with a focus on stronger proactiveness and creativeness from national universities and a higher degree of decentralization to them; the central government manages academic expertise, local authorities manage personnel and facilities; the Ministry of Education and Training is responsible for academic control and state management.
Photo: VNU President Le Quan briefed General Secretary To Lam about the exhibition on VNU’s development journey on November 18, 2024.
SPECIFIC PROVISIONS OF THE DECREE ON NATIONAL UNIVERSITIES
Under the new Decree, national universities are designated by the Government as strategic hubs in higher education, responsible for coordinating and ensuring interconnectivity among their member and affiliated units. This decentralization not only enhances operational efficiency but also establishes the foundation for national universities to play a leading role in the country's higher education and scientific research systems.
National universities are authorized to issue internal regulations on working regimes for lecturers and researchers in accordance with applicable laws, in order to attract and optimize high-quality domestic and international human resources. The Decree also stipulates that national universities have the autonomy to utilize their personnel to meet the demands of teaching, research, and institutional governance.
In terms of education and training, national universities are empowered to independently develop regulations governing all levels of higher education. These efforts aim to improve the quality of education; train a highly skilled workforce to meet national socio-economic development needs; and ensure national defense and security. Additionally, national universities are encouraged to foster international cooperation and integration to elevate the Vietnamese higher education to regional and global standards.
National universities can also independently design and implement practice-oriented, specialized, talent-based, gifted, and advanced training programs across all academic levels to identify, educate, and nurture scientific and technological talents; and internationalize the existing domestic training programs through partnerships and collaborative arrangements.
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In the field of science, technology, and innovation, national universities are entitled to propose and implement national-level scientific and technological programs; serve as key research institutions responsible for providing scientific grounds to support the formulation of national orientations, guidelines, policies, strategies, and socio-economic development plans, while ensuring national defense, security, and international integration. National universities are also authorized to conduct scientific and technological activities across all academic fields, closely linking innovation and human resources development with national economic and social advancement.
In terms of finance, national universities are classified as Level I budget-estimating units, with their budget estimates directly allocated by the Prime Minister. They are responsible for managing and distributing budget allocations to their member and affiliated units, while ensuring compliance with accounting and finalization regulations under the current Law on the State Budget.
National universities are authorized to determine tuition fee rates in accordance with the Government regulations.
Furthermore, the Decree states that national universities are empowered to manage, operate, use, and share financial, human, physical, and other resources throughout their systems in an integrated, synchronized, and efficient manner; and mobilize community resources to build themselves into research-oriented higher education institutions of regional and international status.
Photo: VNU has developed 46 strong research groups at the university level and established 9 key laboratories. During the 2020-2025 period, the number of scientific publications indexed in the ISI/SCOPUS system is estimated to reach 9,751, 2.7 times higher than in the previous period.
STATE MANAGEMENT BY THE MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING, THE MINISTRY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY, OTHER MINISTRIES, SECTORS, AND LOCAL AUTHORITIES
The Decree clearly stipulates that the Ministry of Education and Training shall continue to exercise its state management functions in collaboration with the Ministry of Science and Technology, other relevant ministries and sectors, and the People’s Committees in the localities where national universities are based, within the scope of functions assigned by the Government and in accordance with the law.
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National universities are authorized to work directly with ministries, ministerial-level agencies, government agencies, provincial People’s Committees and those of centrally administered cities to address issues related to their operations. When necessary, national universities may report directly to the Prime Minister on matters concerning their activities and development. They are also responsible for providing information and reports for inspection and supervision activities by relevant ministries, sectors, and provincial People’s Committees in accordance with legal regulations, particularly those in localities where national universities and their units are headquartered.
A NEW SYMBOL OF UNIVERSITY AUTONOMY AND GLOBAL INNOVATION
The new Decree not only reaffirms the legal status and strategic mission of national universities but also reflects the Government’s strong commitment to developing research-oriented, innovative, and globally integrated higher education institutions. With the dedicated leadership and support from the Party and the State, along with the strong internal capacity of its faculty, scientists, and students, VNU is firmly developing into a national symbol of innovation and international level high-quality higher education.
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The Government’s promulgation of the new Decree on national universities with breakthrough provisions on institutional autonomy demonstrates the profound attention of the Party and State leadership, as well as the enabling and supportive role of the Ministry of Education and Training and other relevant ministries and sectors in advancing the development of Vietnam’s national universities and higher education. Thus, VNU will be in a favourable position to fulfill its pioneering mission of making breakthroughs in key areas of higher education.
