Vietnam's Ministry of Education and Training has sent the Ministry of Justice a draft decree on foreign cooperation and investment in education. The draft includes a separate chapter on branches of foreign higher education institutions in Vietnam and representative offices of foreign education organisations.
Under Article 30 of the draft, the conditions, documents, procedures and process for establishing, licensing, suspending student admissions, suspending operations, dissolving and withdrawing decisions for a foreign university branch in Vietnam would follow rules similar to those applied to private higher education institutions established by foreign investors.
A branch would have to meet the operating conditions set by the Law on Higher Education, the Capital Law, the Law on Urban Development and Government Decree No. 361 of 2026. Investment procedures would follow investment legislation.
The draft would allow foreign higher education institutions to link up and cooperate with Vietnamese higher education institutions or companies to build, lease or use facilities, and provide services for branch operations.
Such cooperation would not change the branch's status or legal nature, and would not alter the responsibility of the foreign higher education institution that established it.
The foreign higher education institution would retain ultimate and comprehensive responsibility for the branch's education quality, admissions, training, diplomas and certificates, and compliance with operating conditions in Vietnam.
When a Vietnamese public service provider cooperates with a foreign higher education institution, the arrangement would have to comply with laws on managing and using public finances and public assets.
The draft also sets out the authority of governments in some cities to decide matters related to branches of foreign higher education institutions.
For a branch headquartered in Hanoi, the chairperson of the Hanoi People's Committee would decide whether to allow its establishment or dissolution, withdraw its establishment decision, issue an operating licence, suspend admissions or operations, and withdraw the operating licence after consulting the Ministry of Education and Training. The decisions would be based on resolutions of the city People's Council.
For branches headquartered in Ho Chi Minh City and other special-grade cities covered by the Law on Urban Development, similar authority would be assigned to the chairperson of the city People's Committee. The decisions would be based on city People's Council regulations and made after consultation with the Ministry of Education and Training.
To meet the requirements of Government Resolutions No. 66.16 and No. 23 of 2026 and introduce a replacement management framework under the Law on Investment, the Ministry of Education and Training has proposed that the government consider and issue the decree in November 2026. It would take effect before March 1, 2027.
Sources: Dân Trí
