According to the Circular, Vietnamese universities are allowed to develop TNE programmes with online elements as follows:
- At the bachelor's level, online and blended TNE programmes are both allowed
- At the master's and PhD level, only blended TNE programmes are allowed
An online TNE programme is defined by the Circular as a training mode in which the online training component accounts for more than 50% of the total training duration. Meanwhile at master's and PhD level, the blended TNE programme must have the online component of no more than 30% of the total training duration.
The Circular also defines responsibilities of the two TNE partners in quality assurance and risks management in case rights of learners are violated. The Circular will come into effect from November 2020.
UK institutions can find attached the draft version of the Circular in English (the official English version is yet published).
Comments from Lien Ta, Senior Education Services Manager:
The Circular paves the way for more flexible TNE modes in Vietnam, taking into account difficulties caused by Covid-19. It also helps encourage Vietnamese universities to invest more in digital learning and teaching facilities and platforms to ensure they meet quality standards set out in these TNE modes. However, Vietnamese students are generally not interested in online learning modes, which is one of main challenges for these types of TNE programmes in ensuring the sustainability. Moreover, another issue that needs to look into account is the recognition of degrees of these TNE programmes by local employers as these TNE types are very new to the market.