The National Assembly has voted to adopt a wide-ranging law on higher education that aims to move Vietnam toward a knowledge-based economy. The law states that national and regional universities will receive more investment and be given more autonomy. In addition, the law removes the government cap on tuition fees, although some conditions may be attached to fee levels for public institutions.
The new law was expected to be in place one year ago, but controversy over details caused delays. Criticism continues over certain issues, including classification of universities, regulation of foreign investment, and autonomy versus quality assurance.