Attending the conference were representatives of the Ministry of Public Security, Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Ministry of National Defense, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Industry and Trade, Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Science and Technology; representatives of the Vietnam Education Trade Union; leaders of units under the Ministry of Education and Training and higher education institutions.

Enrollment is booming; training quality is improving.

Reporting on the results of higher education, Director of the Department of Higher Education Nguyen Thu Thuy said: In 2024, the number of candidates taking the high school graduation exam nationwide is 1,071,393. The general admission support system of the Ministry of Education and Training recorded a total of more than 733,000 candidates who entered their admission wishes, equivalent to 68.5% of the number of candidates registering for the high school graduation exam in 2024. The regular university admission rate reached 82.9%, the master's admission rate reached 56.89%, and the doctoral admission rate reached 47.16%.

Minister Nguyen Kim Son, Deputy Minister Hoang Minh Son, and Director of the Department of Higher Education Nguyen Thu Thuy chaired the discussion.

Admissions are increasingly ensuring objectivity, fairness, equality, and convenience for both training institutions and candidates, helping to save social resources, while contributing to correctly assessing candidates' abilities in training fields, and becoming more transparent about recruitment sources and quality.

The implementation of digital transformation throughout the system and at all stages of enrollment is a bright spot, bringing great benefits to learners, candidates and people, while reducing costs for the whole society. The enrollment process is continuously improved, ensuring scientific and effective, from the application of information technology to improving the quality of candidate support services.

However, the fact that training institutions conduct admissions using many methods also causes difficulties for candidates in the selection process; the early admission method and fairness and objectivity between admission methods and between training institutions have not been completely overcome in the 2023 admission season.

Training and quality assurance are increasingly focused on, with significant improvements in quality. The teaching staff is increasing in both quantity and quality, with healthy competition to attract talent in the system. In 2024, the number of full-time teaching staff is 91,297, higher than in previous years. The proportion of lecturers with doctoral degrees, lecturers who are professors and associate professors at higher education institutions is increasing.

Director of the Department of Higher Education Nguyen Thu Thuy reported at the conference.

Scientific research activities are focused on, research projects are increasingly oriented towards substantive quality; the contribution of higher education institutions in scientific publications both domestically and internationally is always dominant. The rankings of Vietnamese higher education institutions and training sectors are increasingly recognized on the world map of higher education.

In addition to the achieved results, Director of the Department of Higher Education Nguyen Thu Thuy also shared the current difficulties and challenges in the operation of higher education. Accordingly, although the quality of training has been improved, it still does not meet the requirements for the quality of human resources, especially high-level human resources and the requirements for developing a knowledge-based economy in the context of deep international integration.

Most higher education institutions focus mainly on training activities, especially undergraduate training, and have not paid adequate attention to investing in postgraduate training associated with scientific research. Training activities are not closely and regularly linked to labor requirements and social needs.

State budget investment in higher education has been on a downward trend in recent years, many public higher education institutions do not have enough financial resources to cover training costs and reinvest to improve training quality. Socialization of education has not achieved many results, especially in areas with particularly difficult socio-economic conditions.

In the 2024-2025 school year, the higher education sector will continue to promote implementation and successfully complete its tasks. Mobilize all resources to improve capacity and operational efficiency, creating a strong shift in the quality of training and research throughout the system. Prepare well the premises for the new development stage of higher education, make strategic breakthroughs in human resources, especially high-quality human resources in key fields and sectors.

Proposal to soon specify the 2025 enrollment plan

At the conference, leaders of a number of units of the Ministry of Education and Training discussed and proposed solutions on quality management; solutions for developing scientific research and innovation; digital transformation in the field of higher education; and inspection and examination of the higher education sector.

University representatives speak at the conference

Representatives of higher education institutions discussed and identified the current picture of higher education; the role and responsibility of higher education institutions in improving training quality, developing high-quality human resources; lessons learned and solutions to overcome shortcomings and limitations in management and operation...

Prof. Dr. Pham Hong Quang, Chairman of the Council of Thai Nguyen University, acknowledged: In the context of limited investment in higher education, what has been done has many positive results. Regarding enrollment, the results of the High School Graduation Exam are reliable enough for universities to consider admission. Prof. Dr. Pham Hong Quang said that we should pay attention to the policy subjects who are ethnic minorities, have separate policies, and ensure fairness in enrollment.

Associate Professor, Dr. Tran Thien Phuc, Vice President of Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology - Vietnam National University, said: In 2022, the school tested a comprehensive admission plan, including all criteria. The results showed that this comprehensive plan has created convenience, fairness for candidates and efficiency in the admission process. If previously, the number of candidates registering for admission to the school was 8,500 candidates, this year, the number has increased to 17,200 candidates. The effectiveness of the admission plan has helped attract more candidates to register for the school.

Dr. Le Truong Tung, Chairman of FPT University Council, spoke at the conference.

In 2025, candidates will take the graduation exam according to the 2018 general education program, with the combinations changed compared to the old program. Dr. Le Truong Tung, Chairman of the Board of FPT University, hopes that the Ministry of Education and Training will soon specify the 2025 enrollment plan so that schools can be proactive in the enrollment process.

Regarding the two important fields of study, Medicine and Pedagogy, according to Dr. Le Truong Tung, the Ministry of Education and Training has set a floor score to ensure the quality of these two fields. However, it is necessary to further improve the input quality so that these are truly elite fields, because the output of these two fields is very important to society.

Dr. Le Truong Tung also proposed that there should be a strategy to develop local higher education institutions, train local human resources, and contribute to local and regional development. At the same time, with the strong development of artificial intelligence, higher education institutions also need to change their management and teaching methods to adapt and develop more effectively.

Challenges are opportunities for higher education to rise above quality goals

Speaking at the conference, Minister of Education and Training Nguyen Kim Son acknowledged and highly appreciated the efforts of higher education institutions. Despite many difficulties in recent years, with great efforts and attempts, they have achieved many results, creating more trust with society, learners and related parties.

Minister Nguyen Kim Son speaks at the conference

Emphasizing the keyword “quality”, the Minister said that quality is both a highlight and an issue to be discussed and an issue to be noted in the coming time. “We implement and enhance autonomy for quality, innovation for quality”, the Minister said.

The Minister analyzed many major challenges facing higher education. Accordingly, the first challenge is global competition in higher education. That is competition in attracting lecturers, attracting students, competing in rankings, attracting investment and even social influence. "We accept competition and consider it as something that urges us to develop, innovate and increase quality."

The challenge from the expectation, entrustment, and expectation of the Party, State, people, businesses, and society for higher education is growing. “We are trusted, identified, and positioned as a top national policy, a strategic breakthrough, and an important solution to help make a breakthrough in the socio-economic field. Increasing expectations are a pressure,” the Minister shared.

The challenge of providing an increasingly diverse and high-quality human resource for an economy with many unique characteristics like Vietnam's; the challenge of providing high-tech human resources, recently semiconductor technology human resources, are also issues mentioned by the Minister.

“This year is the first year of enrollment for majors directly related to semiconductor technology. Universities with a keen sense of responsibility have taken action and this year’s enrollment information is very promising,” the Minister assessed, adding that if higher education does a good job of supplying semiconductor technology human resources, it will erase society’s view that training does not meet demand.

Referring to the challenge of meeting the needs of learners who are increasingly increasing in quantity and increasingly demanding in quality; the challenge between high expectations and demands, but still very modest investment, the Minister also emphasized the direct challenge in promoting autonomy in the coming time, including promoting the depth of autonomy and adjusting the goals of autonomy.

Conference delegates

“We are going through a period of implementing university autonomy, from pilot to large scale. Autonomy changes the face of higher education institutions, however, there is still a lot of work to be done. We are gradually making autonomy higher, deeper and more substantial. Along with that, within the system, we need to increase some “self”: self-control, self-regulation, self-reliance, self-knowledge to self-reflect, self-correct, more confidence to act, self-improvement every day to aim for higher quality…”, the Minister said.

Regarding the implementation of autonomy, the Minister noted that higher education institutions should continue to complete internal regulations and internal rules. The Ministry of Education and Training will strengthen inspection and examination of this matter. Schools also need to develop and complete autonomy projects according to new regulations, strengthening some key contents regarding the apparatus and other related factors.

Regarding the challenge of enrollment, including the issue of early admission, the Minister shared: We are facing the challenge of innovating enrollment work to respond to all innovations from general education to university education. The 2025 high school graduation exam has many innovations. Universities need to be more responsible for general education, creating fairness for candidates in learning opportunities.

“We should also note that there should not be too many admission options; the simpler the better, for the benefit of students and society. Higher education institutions have a high degree of autonomy in admissions, but within the framework of regulations. The Ministry of Education and Training can increase some frameworks and sanctions to regulate admissions next year,” said the Minister.

Regarding the planning of the network of universities and teacher training colleges, which will soon be issued, the implementation of the planning may have changes in the arrangement of the school system. The Minister hopes that universities will accept it with a spirit of innovation and responsibility towards the industry and society.

“The challenges that arise in the development process itself, the higher education process is increasingly important in social life. The big challenges will be the opportunities to meet, satisfy, and overcome. I hope that all of us, from the Ministry of Education and Training, units, to educational institutions, will overcome and overcome the challenges themselves to achieve the quality goal,” the Minister expressed.

Early guidance on enrollment in 2025, ensuring quality and fairness

Concluding the Conference, Deputy Minister Hoang Minh Son said: Although the university education system still faces many difficulties and challenges, it has made a clear change in both quantity and quality, and has the capacity to adapt and successfully innovate itself in the recent period.

The Deputy Minister emphasized that the issue that needs attention in the coming time is that higher education institutions should focus on shifting from "quantity" to "quality"; because only by maintaining and improving quality can quantity continue to be improved.

Deputy Minister Hoang Minh Son delivered a concluding speech at the conference.

Assessing the recent period, with the efforts of the whole industry, the enrollment scale has increased, ensuring quality, demonstrating the society's trust in higher education, the Deputy Minister noted that this definitely needs to be maintained, done well, consolidated and improved in the coming time.

The Deputy Minister noted a number of specific tasks to be carried out in the coming school year. These include focusing on preparing plans, training, fostering, and perfecting key leaders in the coming time. Continuing to innovate university governance and strictly implementing the provisions of the Law on Higher Education.

Higher education institutions shall soon complete the connection of school databases with the Hemis database of the Ministry of Education and Training. Implement timely, consistent, and complete updates of data and specific tasks to serve the implementation of higher education institution standards.

Continue to pay attention to developing the teaching staff in terms of both quantity and quality. It is necessary to review, re-evaluate, propose adjustments in the guiding Circular, and take advantage of resources from Project 89 to provide maximum support to universities in training doctoral lecturers.

“Universities need to create maximum conditions for lecturers with specific support solutions. It is not only a matter of attracting and competing domestically, but also of developing and attracting overseas Vietnamese to work, especially in areas that the country needs, key areas such as artificial intelligence, high technology, semiconductor technology…”, the Deputy Minister requested.

Regarding enrollment, the Deputy Minister requested the Department of Higher Education to urgently coordinate to soon have a draft guideline towards simplification, ensuring quality, as well as fairness for candidates.

The Deputy Minister also requested the Department of Higher Education to continue to coordinate with schools to complete training program standards in various fields and training levels for early promulgation, so that training program standards include core competencies of future global citizens, such as: digital technology, self-study ability, and application of artificial intelligence.

Emphasizing the role of communication work, the Deputy Minister requested that communication coordination be needed so that society can correctly and clearly understand higher education, properly resolve public concerns, prioritize the interests of learners, orient careers, enrollment work, and directly and indirectly impact teaching and learning, and innovate general education programs...