On the morning of 20 November, during the discussion session on the draft revised Law on Higher Education, many National Assembly delegates expressed concerns over the policy of merging higher education institutions and the current model of regional universities.
National Assembly delegate Nguyen Quang Huan (representing Ho Chi Minh City) — Chairman of the Board of Directors of Halcom Vietnam JSC — stated that the Government’s proposal emphasizes the need for breakthroughs in higher education and greater autonomy for universities. However, he warned that the “mechanical” merger of multiple higher education institutions would not necessarily be an effective solution. Without a clear definition of “higher education institution” and an efficient governance structure, previously strong universities could potentially become weaker after mergers.
Several other delegates shared the same view, arguing that the regional university model has revealed many limitations — such as member universities being primarily specialized institutions and having to operate through multiple levels of management, which reduces flexibility. As multidisciplinary and multi-field universities are becoming the new standard, delegates suggested considering the removal or restructuring of the regional university model to streamline the organizational system and grant universities genuine autonomy.
The delegates proposed that the National Assembly and drafting agencies should conduct a thorough assessment of mergers and the regional university model. At the same time, they emphasized the need to focus on enhancing institutional autonomy, reducing intermediary management levels, and strongly developing multidisciplinary universities with sufficient capacity to compete internationally.
For more details, please refer to the article published in Thai Nguyen Newspaper.