The first Higher Education law of Vietnam has been approved with an aim to move Vietnam toward a knowledge-based economy. The law stipulates that national and regional universities will receive more investment and be given increased autonomy. The law also removes the government cap on tuition fees, however 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.

The new higher education law will come into effect from May 2013. Writes Hiep Pham, The universityworldnews.