Thứ Sáu, 07/04/2017, 21:14 (GMT+7)

Education Ministry gives recognition to more foreign degrees

The number of applications for recognition of foreign degrees made to the Ministry of Education and Training (MOET) increased by 44 times in 2008-2016.

A report of the ministry released at a workshop on March 28 showed that in 2008, when the regulation on recognition of degrees granted by foreign establishments took effect, only 88 applications were made. The number of applications surged to 3,861 in 2016.

The sharp increase in the number of applications was seen in 2013, when the number increased by three times from 622 in 2012 to 1,828 in 2013.

According to Vu Ngoc Ha, a MOET high ranking official, many foreign-granted counterfeit degrees were discovered in the year. Therefore, domestic employers and training establishments asked candidates to submit degrees recognized by Vietnam’s MOET.

Most of the degrees asked for recognition were from full-time study (60 percent) and joint training programs (34 percent). Of joint training programs, 63 percent were full-time training in Vietnam and 37 percent half-time.

Ha said that the recognition of foreign granted degrees is made on the basis of requirements from employers and individuals, but it is not required.

Most of the degrees asked for recognition were from full-time study (60 percent) and joint training programs (34 percent). Of joint training programs, 63 percent were full-time training in Vietnam and 37 percent half-time.

The schools with branches and campuses in Vietnam accounted for 4.36 percent of the applications.

According to Ha, 95 percent of 14,490 cases were recognized in 2008-2016. Only 531 dossiers lacked information and 365 were not recognized, most of which were related to counterfeit schools, forged score boards and counterfeit accreditation organizations.

MOET is building up an information center on degree recognition so as to help learners obtain more information about foreign training programs.

Asked about the world’s recognition of degrees granted by Vietnamese universities, Mai Van Trinh, director of Department of Testing and Quality Accreditation, said that this is what Vietnam strives for.

“With the rapid development of the university education system, we have the right to think of a future when other countries also want to cooperate with us to design training programs,” he said.

“We need to think of exporting one or many of our training programs to other countries,” Trinh said.

However, he declined to give answers about the roadmap to fulfill the dream.

Meanwhile, Dao Thi Lien Huong from the Vietnam Association of Universities and Junior Colleges, said that in order to have Vietnamese and foreign degrees recognized reciprocally, Vietnam will have to change its training curricula.

Vietnam signed the UNESCO Regional Convention on the Recognition of Studies, Diplomas and Degrees in Higher Education in Asia and the Pacific (the 1983 Convention). In November 2011, the members approved the amended convention in Tokyo (Tokyo Convention 2011).