The Quality Management Department under the Ministry of Education and Training has received about 4,900 applications for recognition of foreign doctoral degrees over the past five years. In an interview with Sai Gon Giai Phong (SGGP) Newspaper’s reporters, Prof. Dr. Huynh Van Chuong, Director of the Quality Management Department, clarified the scope of universities’ authority to independently assess foreign degrees and their responsibilities when using such qualifications.
Common issues in applications for recognition of foreign doctoral degrees
According to Prof. Dr. Huynh Van Chuong, over the past five years, the Quality Management Department has received about 4,900 applications for recognition of foreign degrees. Of these, around 4,700 have been recognized, while 200 have not, including applications with incomplete procedures, insufficient information for verification, and those that fail to meet regulatory requirements.
Common issues include cases in which an educational institution or training program has not been recognized, accredited, or authorized by the competent education authorities in the country where the institution operates to provide training and award degrees. Other cases involve online or blended programs that have not been authorized to be offered in the location where the learner actually resides and studies, as well as applications lacking evidence of the mode and location of training.
Some cases require verification with the degree-awarding institution or the competent education authorities in the country where the degree was issued, resulting in longer processing times than those for standard applications.
Under Circular No. 65, degree recognition refers to the confirmation of the qualification level stated on a degree within the education system of the country where the foreign educational institution is headquartered and the determination of its equivalence to a corresponding level in the Vietnamese Qualifications Framework where there are appropriate grounds for comparison. The Director of the Quality Management Department is authorized to recognize qualifications in vocational education and higher education.
Higher education institutions are also authorized to independently assess degrees awarded by foreign educational institutions for use in their internal training activities and are responsible for the assessment results. Such assessments must be based on the conditions for degree recognition prescribed by regulations.
A key distinction is that a university’s independent assessment of a foreign degree for use in its internal training activities does not replace the Certificate of Recognition of the degree issued by the Quality Management Department when the qualification is used outside this scope. The two forms of assessment differ in terms of their scope of use and legal responsibilities.
Responsibilities of universities assessing and using foreign doctoral degrees held by lecturers
Educational institutions may independently assess degrees for use in their internal training activities based on the conditions set out in Article 3 of Circular No. 65 and are responsible for the assessment results. Institutions must maintain a monitoring register containing information on the degree holder, the degree-awarding institution, the mode of study, and the qualification level equivalent to a level in the Vietnamese Qualifications Framework or the education system of the country where the foreign educational institution is headquartered, where applicable. The register must also state the basis for the assessment, and the institution must comply with reporting requirements.
Where necessary, an educational institution may ask the degree holder to use the public service for degree recognition. If the assessment or use of a degree fails to comply with regulations, the educational institution is responsible for the assessment results and the use of the degree within the scope of its legal authority.
Degree recognition is carried out at the request of the degree holder or the employing organization, with the consent of the degree holder. Higher education institutions have the right to independently assess degrees for use in their internal training activities and are responsible for the assessment results.
For the use of a degree outside this scope, or where sector-specific regulations or a competent agency or organization require formal recognition, the degree holder must complete the prescribed recognition procedures.
According to MSc. Nguyen Tan Minh, Deputy Head of the Personnel and Organization Division at the University of International University under Vietnam National University - Ho Chi Minh City (VNU-HCM), the verification of foreign doctoral degrees at the university is carried out from the recruitment stage.
More than 61 percent of the university’s lecturers hold doctoral degrees or higher, of whom around 94 percent earned their degrees from foreign educational institutions. Most of these degrees have been recognized by the competent authorities, while newly recruited PhD holders are supported by the university in completing degree recognition procedures with the Quality Management Department.
The recruitment process involves not only verifying the authenticity of degrees but also examining the reputation of the awarding institution and training program. International rankings and professional networks are also consulted when necessary to verify credentials. Applicants are required to provide contact details for individuals who can verify their records, as well as a certificate of degree recognition or a written commitment to provide one if it has not yet been obtained.
After Circular No. 65/2026/TT-BGDDT takes effect, the university will continue to require lecturers to complete degree recognition procedures with the Quality Management Department. Where there is insufficient information for comparison and verification, the university will contact the foreign educational institution that awarded the degree to further verify the relevant information in accordance with regulations.
According to Associate Professor Dr. Nguyen Vu Quynh, Deputy Rector of Lac Hong University, Lac Hong University has 78 lecturers holding doctoral degrees awarded by foreign educational institutions. For cases where formal degree recognition is required, all of them have completed the recognition procedures with the degree-recognition authority under the Ministry of Education and Training.
A current challenge is the diversity of international training models, particularly online and joint programs. Some learners do not fully understand degree-recognition requirements when choosing a program and only encounter difficulties in preparing the required documents and supporting evidence after graduation.
To help learners take a more proactive approach and facilitate the verification and recognition process, it is necessary to continue developing the national database on academic degrees, strengthen connectivity with foreign educational institutions, and provide consistent guidance for emerging training models.
