The “Key” of Comprehensive Autonomy
“Resolution 71-NQ/TW (Resolution 71), issued on August 22, 2025, is designed to create a breakthrough in Vietnam’s education and training, and is considered a crucial turning point for the nation’s higher education,” emphasized Professor, Doctor of Science Duong Quy Sy – Chairman of the Council of Lâm Đồng Medical College, Member of the National Council for Education and Human Resources Development – at the beginning of his conversation with a reporter from the Government Online Newspaper.
According to Professor Duong Quy Sy, the most notable innovation lies in the comprehensiveness and breakthrough in mindset and policy, particularly regarding the full and comprehensive autonomy granted to higher education institutions.
This round of autonomy is not limited to finance but also extends to recruitment, appointment of leaders, and inviting international lecturers and professors:
“Institutions can independently make and implement decisions suited to their circumstances in activities such as recruiting and appointing outstanding leaders and managers from abroad; or exercising autonomy over the recruitment and appointment processes for professors, associate professors, and international lecturers in line with global practices and Vietnam’s realities.”
This marks a transformative unlocking step, enabling universities to proactively attract talent, streamline processes, and swiftly meet the demands of international integration.
Another pillar emphasized by Professor Duong Quy Sy is the modernization and elevation of higher education. He noted that Resolution 71 sets the goal of: “Creating breakthroughs in developing high-level human resources and talents, leading research and innovation, making strong investments in higher education, and introducing special mechanisms to develop elite universities following the model of world-class research universities, training national talents through international integration and other groundbreaking policy solutions.”
The professor affirmed that international integration in higher education is being concretized through key directions: “Strengthening policies to support faculty in advancing their qualifications abroad, proactively building programs to attract outstanding lecturers from overseas with exceptional incentives, while vigorously reforming curricula to meet international standards.”
He further stressed that the policy allowing Vietnamese educational institutions and higher education providers to establish representative offices, campuses, and academic programs abroad is one of the strategic breakthroughs that will elevate the position of Vietnamese higher education in global integration.
Affirming the Vietnamese Education Brand
Professor Duong Quy Sy emphasized that Resolution 71 not only provides the necessary momentum but also serves as an important lever for building policies, institutionalizing cooperation activities, and shaping strategies for Vietnam’s participation in the global education network.
He remarked that now is the time for Vietnam’s education system to harness the transformative power of the resolution to affirm the brand of an open, modern, and deeply integrated education system that meets regional and international standards for 2025–2035, advances toward a cutting-edge education system for 2035–2045, and aspires to elite education by 2045.
The professor observed: “Implementing standardized learning outcomes in accordance with international benchmarks through assessment and accreditation, ensuring articulation across all 8 levels of the national education system; expanding the internationalization of the national education system through global cooperation—joint training programs, educational transfer, and dual-degree programs between national and international institutions to attract both learners and educators worldwide—are fundamental prerequisites for joining the global education network.”
The Key Role of Higher and Vocational Education Institutions
Professor Duong Quy Sy stressed that, alongside institutional reforms, educational institutions need increased investment in modern facilities, acceleration of digital transformation, implementation of smart school and smart governance models, and expansion of bilingual teaching.
According to him: “Vietnamese vocational and higher education institutions must take initiative and act decisively in pursuing international accreditation, and proactively merge or dissolve if they fail to meet the minimum national or regional standards. Higher education institutions should create breakthroughs by establishing research institutes and centers dedicated to key industries, specialized and timely research topics, and foundational disciplines; forming councils and multinational research groups led by leading scientists; and producing scientific and technological outputs in the form of patents, international publications, and global scientific awards.”
He added that implementing the mechanism of co-employed faculty under Resolution 71—with evaluation criteria based on international citation indexes, academic contributions, roles in international professional associations, and the reputation of affiliated institutions—will contribute significantly to enhancing teaching and research quality. This is also a critical solution to strengthen the status and brand of Vietnamese education, affirming the country’s high-quality human resources within the region and worldwide.
