Institutional autonomy for higher education in Vietnam

Vietnam has recently accepted the need for a comprehensive transformation of its higher education system. In 2005, the Ministry of Education and Training developed a Higher Education Reform Agenda (HERA), a blueprint for reform of the system by 2020. The Government of Vietnam recently approved the main elements of the Agenda, including a proposal to give universities and colleges the right of autonomy. Measures supportive of institutional autonomy in higher education now need to be addressed. In particular, there is a need for legislative and regulatory reform, the establishment of appropriate accountability relationships, the development of leadership and managerial expertise at the institutional level, and the building of confidence and trust in the processes of institutional self-governance. [Author abstract]