Adjust the stipulation on foreign cooperation and investment in education

12/10/2024
Adjust the stipulation on foreign cooperation and investment in education
On October 05, 2024, Government issued Decree No. 124/2024/ND-CP amending and supplementing a number of articles of the Government’s Decree No. 86/2018/ND-CP dated June 06, 2018 on foreign cooperation and investment in education.
According to the new Decree, joint education means the cooperation between a Vietnamese early childhood or general education institution and a foreign education institution or organization in order to provide an integrated education program.
Branch campuses of foreign higher education institutions in Vietnam must comply with and satisfy requirements for quality assurance and accreditation of organization performing accreditation of foreign higher education institutions establishing branch campuses.
A project on investment in establishing a general education institution must have an investment unit of at least VND 50 million per student (excluding land use costs). The total minimum capital shall be calculated based on the time when the estimated education scale is greatest but must not be lower than VND 50 billion. By the time of appraising the application for educational operations, the investment value shall reach more than 50% of the total investment capital and the investor must commit the investment of sufficient capital within 05 years from the date the decision on approval for operation is issued.
Meanwhile, a project on investment in establishing a Vietnam-based branch campus of a foreign higher education institution must have a minimum investment capital of VND 500 billion (excluding land use costs). By the time of appraisal for the establishment of the branch campus of the university, the executed investment value must surpass VND 250 billion.
A foreign education program carried out in Vietnam must meet the following requirements:
a) It has been recognized or accredited by foreign competent educational agencies or organizations on satisfaction of quality standards according to the criteria of the host country; it has been used for teaching directly for at least 05 years in the host country until the date of submission of the dossier for registration of operation; it has been approved for use in Vietnam by the foreign education institution or organization owning the education program;
b) The program has no contents detrimental to national defense and security and public interests; neither propagate religions nor distort history; exert no bad impacts on culture, morality or fine traditions and customs of Vietnam;
c) Ensuring transferability between education and training levels and transferability in case where the students change to study in public education institutions in accordance with the Ministry of Education and Training;
d) Goals of education of the foreign education program used for Vietnamese students must be consistent with Vietnam's goals of education
This Decree takes effect on November 20, 2024.