Circular No. 12/2024/TT-BGDĐT dated October 10, 2024, issued by the Minister of Education and Training¹ Amending and supplementing certain provisions of Circular No. 02/2022/TT-BGDĐT dated January 18, 2022, issued by the Minister of Education and Training, stipulating conditions, procedures, and processes for opening training programs, suspending operations of undergraduate, master’s, and doctoral degree training programs, effective from January 5, 2025.

WHEREAS EDUCATION Law TRAINING; promote dated 14 the 6 year 2019;

Pursuant to the Higher Education Law dated June 18, 2012; the Law Amending and Supplementing Certain Provisions of the Higher Education Law dated November 19, 2018;

Pursuant to Decree No. 69/2017/NĐ-CP dated May 25, 2017 of the Government stipulating the functions, tasks, powers, and organizational structure of the Ministry of Education and Training;

Pursuant to Decree No. 99/2019/NĐ-CP dated December 30, 2019, guiding provisions of the Higher Education Law; 2019 of the Government Sports. a) Providing testimonies and expert opinions for the case for which they have been summoned; of This Circular applies to individuals who have worked at the Ministry of Justice, Provincial Legal Departments, and relevant agencies and organizations that perform tasks within one of the fields listed in Article 3 of this Circular after ceasing to hold their positions. and Directorate of ect ADJUSTMENT and Law No. 47/2024/QH15 number 1. NATIONAL UNIVERSITIES ARE PUBLIC HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS MANAGED BY THE MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING, HAVE LEGAL PERSONALITY, SEPARATE ACCOUNTS, AND USE STAMPS WITH THE NATIONAL EMBLEM. of Law supplemented, one Law No. 42/2024/QH15 supplemented and Law No. 47/2024/QH15 number Higher

the Director at the proposal of the Director of the Ministry's Office; EDUCATION of Education; Director Education; TRAINING; promote The Minister of Education and Training issues this Circular stipulating conditions, procedures, and processes for opening training programs, suspending operations of undergraduate, master’s, and doctoral degree training programs. 1 The phrase "Circular No. 16/2024/TT-BGDĐT dated November 20, 2024, issued by the Minister of Education and Training" is amended by the phrase "Circular No. 12/2024/TT-BGDĐT dated October 10, 2024, issued by the Minister of Education and Training" according to the Circular No. 7603/BGDĐT-GDĐH dated November 28, 2024 regarding the correction of Circular No. 16/2024/TT-BGDĐT dated November 20, 2024.

2 Circular No. 12/2024/TT-BGDĐT amending and supplementing certain provisions of Circular No. 02/2022/TT-BGDĐT dated January 18, 2022, issued by the Minister of Education and Training, stipulating conditions, procedures, and processes for opening training programs, suspending operations of undergraduate, master’s, and doctoral degree training programs, based on the following grounds:²

Pursuant to the Education Law dated June 14, 2019;

Pursuant to the Higher Education Law dated June 18, 2012; Law amending and supplementing certain provisions of

“WHEREAS PART I GENERAL PROVISIONS

Article 1. Scope of Regulation, Applicability

1. This Circular stipulates conditions, procedures, and processes for opening training programs, suspending operations of undergraduate, master’s, and doctoral degree training programs.

2. This Circular applies to higher education institutions; other educational institutions permitted to train at the undergraduate, master’s, and doctoral levels; academies established by the Prime Minister under the Science and Technology Law permitted to train at the doctoral level (hereinafter referred to collectively as training institutions); related organizations and individuals.

1. The list of training programs is the List of Education and Training Level IV for the various levels of higher education, issued by the Ministry of Education and Training.

2. A training program is a collection of specialized knowledge and skills within the scope of occupational activities, science, and technology, classified and listed in the List of Training Programs.

Article 2. Interpretation of Terms

In this Circular, the following terms are understood as follows:

3. A group of training programs is a collection of several training programs with common characteristics in specialized fields within the scope of occupational activities, science, and technology, classified and listed in the List of Education and Training Level III within the National Education System's List of Education and Training as prescribed by the Prime Minister.

4. A field of training is a collection of groups of training programs with common characteristics in specialized knowledge and skills within the scope of occupational activities, science, and technology, classified and listed in the List of Education and Training Level II within the National Education System's List of Education and Training.

Higher Education Law dated November 19, 2018;

At the request of the Director of the Directorate of Higher Education;

The Minister of Education and Training issues this Circular amending and supplementing certain provisions of Circular No. 02/2022/TT-BGDĐT dated January 18, 2022, issued by the Minister of Education and Training, stipulating conditions, procedures, and processes for opening training programs, suspending operations of undergraduate, master’s, and doctoral degree training programs.

Pursuant to Decree No. 86/2022/NĐ-CP dated October 24, 2022 of the Government stipulating the functions, tasks, powers, and organizational structure of the Ministry of Education and Training;

Pursuant to Decree No. 99/2019/NĐ-CP dated December 30, 2019 of the Government detailing and guiding the implementation of certain provisions of the Law Amending and Supplementing Certain Provisions of the Higher Education Law;

7. Components of a training program include a group of courses and other learning and research activities with common characteristics in specialized fields; clearly playing a role in achieving a set of goals and requirements of the training program. These components are used to design the overall structure of the training program (such as general education, basic sciences, core subjects, internships and experiences, scientific research, and other components).

8. Full-time lecturers in opening training programs include permanent lecturers and full-time lecturers under fixed-term labor contracts of at least 12 months working full-time at the training institution (hereinafter referred to collectively as full-time lecturers), specifically as follows:”.

5. 3 (Repealed)

6.4 (Repealed)

a) Permanent lecturers defined according to point e, Clause 1, Article 10 of Decree No. 99/2019/NĐ-CP dated December 30, 2019, guiding the implementation of certain provisions of the Law amending and supplementing certain provisions of the Higher Education Law;

b) Lecturers under fixed-term labor contracts of at least 12 months, working full-time at the training institution according to current regulations of the Ministry of Education and Training on the working system of university lecturers throughout the academic year at the time of submitting the application to open a training program, and not signing labor contracts with other employers for at least three months.

9. Invited lecturers in opening training programs are those who do not fall under the provisions of Clause 8 of this Article but have signed invited lecturer contracts with the training institution in accordance with the law, teaching according to the assigned schedule at the time of submitting the application to open a training program, and being paid salaries or fees by the training institution in accordance with the invited lecturer contract.

b)   Lecturers who enter into fixed-term labor contracts for at least twelve months, work full-time at educational institutions in accordance with the current regulations of the Ministry of Education and Training on the working conditions of university lecturers throughout the academic year at the time of submitting the application to open a program, and simultaneously do not sign labor contracts for three months or more with other employers.

9.    Invited lecturers in opening training programs are individuals who do not fall under the provisions of Clause 8 of this Article but have signed invited lecturer contracts with educational institutions in accordance with the law, teach according to the assigned schedule at the time of submitting the application to open a program, and are paid salaries or honorariums by the educational institution in accordance with the invited lecturer contract.

10. 5 (Repealed)

3 This clause is abolished pursuant to Clause 4, Article 2 of Circular No. 12/2024/TT-BGDĐT amending and supplementing certain provisions of Circular No. 02/2022/TT-BGDĐT dated January 18, 2022, issued by the Minister of Education and Training, which stipulates conditions, procedures, and formalities for opening training programs and suspending operations of undergraduate, master's, and doctoral level training programs, effective from January 5, 2025.

4 This clause is abolished pursuant to Clause 4, Article 2 of Circular No. 12/2024/TT-BGDĐT amending and supplementing certain provisions of Circular No. 02/2022/TT-BGDĐT dated January 18, 2022, issued by the Minister of Education and Training, which stipulates conditions, procedures, and formalities for opening training programs and suspending operations of undergraduate, master's, and doctoral level training programs, effective from January 5, 2025.

5 This clause is abolished pursuant to Clause 4, Article 2 of Circular No. 12/2024/TT-BGDĐT amending and supplementing certain provisions of Circular No. 02/2022/TT-BGDĐT dated January 18, 2022, issued by the Minister of Education and Training, which stipulates conditions, procedures, and formalities for opening training programs and suspending operations of undergraduate, master's, and doctoral level training programs, effective from January 5, 2025.

PART II

CONDITIONS FOR OPENING TRAINING PROGRAMS

Article 3. General Conditions

The training institution must meet general conditions when opening undergraduate, master’s, or doctoral level training programs, including:

1. Regarding the proposed training program and level

a. Consistent with the human resource needs for economic and social development at the local, regional, national levels, and within the field of training, ensuring international integration; consistent with the approved and published human resource development plan of relevant ministries, sectors, or localities (if any), and consistent with the functions, tasks, and strategic development plans of the training institution;

b. Included in the Statistical List of Training Programs (except where there are specific regulations by the Government or Prime Minister); proposals to add new programs to the Statistical List of Training Programs shall be carried out according to the Circular on the Statistical List of Higher Education Training Programs.

2. Regarding the teaching staff

a. Having a sufficient number of qualified teaching staff to implement the training program (including full-time and visiting lecturers), meeting the requirements for teaching staff as stipulated in the training program standards for the level, field, group of disciplines, and training program, where visiting lecturers (calculated annually) may undertake a maximum of 30% of the teaching load in each component of the training program; for training programs in the Arts field (as specified in Appendix I attached to this Circular), visiting lecturers may undertake a maximum of 40% of the teaching load in each component of the training program;⁶ b. For training programs in ethnic minority languages of Vietnam, Vietnamese Language, Literature, and Culture, Foreign Languages, Literature, and Culture, Physical Education and Sports (as specified in the Statistical List of Training Programs), and Arts fields, they shall comply with the provisions of point a of this clause and the following provisions:

6 The term "Appendix 1" is replaced by the term "Appendix I" pursuant to Clause 2, Article 2 of Circular No. 12/2024/TT-BGDĐT amending and supplementing certain provisions of Circular No. 02/2022/TT-BGDĐT dated January 18, 2022, issued by the Minister of Education and Training, which stipulates conditions, procedures, and formalities for opening training programs and suspending operations of undergraduate, master’s, and doctoral level training programs, effective from January 5, 2025.

- Lecturers who have been awarded the title of People's Artist, Folk Artist, or People's Teacher by the State, and simultaneously hold a Master's degree in a relevant field corresponding to the proposed training program, can replace a lecturer with a Doctorate degree and need not be the main lecturer responsible for developing and implementing the training program (for undergraduate programs); or simultaneously holding a Doctorate degree can replace a lecturer with the title of Associate Professor and need not be the main lecturer responsible for developing and implementing the training program;

- Specifically, for training programs in ethnic minority languages of Vietnam under the Vietnamese Language, Literature, and Culture field, lecturers must be ethnic minorities or individuals with knowledge of the language and culture of the ethnic minority corresponding to the language and culture of the ethnic minority of the proposed training program, and simultaneously hold a Master's degree, can replace a lecturer with a Doctorate degree and need not be the main lecturer responsible for developing and implementing the training program (for undergraduate programs); or simultaneously holding a Doctorate degree can replace a lecturer with the title of Associate Professor and need not be the main lecturer responsible for developing and implementing the training program.

c. For training programs in the Health field (as specified in the Statistical List of Training Programs), lecturers and instructors guiding practical courses related to diagnosis and treatment must have a medical practice license for diagnosis and treatment, currently working directly at healthcare facilities that meet the conditions for practical training in health-related training programs as stipulated by the Government regarding the organization of practical training in the health sector.

The main lecturer responsible for developing and implementing the training program and the main lecturer responsible for teaching the training program must be permanent faculty members not exceeding the mandatory retirement age as prescribed by the Government for higher retirement ages for civil servants in public institutions; annually directly⁷ have undergone medical examinations and treatments, or are currently working directly at healthcare facilities that meet the conditions to be practical training bases for health-related training programs as stipulated by the Government's regulations on organizing practical training in health education.

d) ⁸ The head lecturer responsible for developing and implementing the training program and the head lecturer responsible for teaching the training program must be permanent lecturers not exceeding the maximum retirement age as prescribed by the Government for higher retirement ages for civil servants in public service units; they must directly

7 The term "professional practice certificate" shall be replaced by the term "professional practice license" pursuant to Clause 2, Article 2 of Circular No. 12/2024/TT-BGDĐT amending and supplementing certain provisions of Circular No. 02/2022/TT-BGDĐT dated January 18, 2022, issued by the Minister of Education and Training, regulating conditions, procedures, and formalities for opening training programs at bachelor's, master's, and doctoral levels, which shall take effect from January 5, 2025.

⁸ This point is added pursuant to Point a, Clause 1, Article 1 of Circular No. 12/2024/TT-BGDĐT amending and supplementing certain provisions of Circular No. 02/2022/TT-BGDĐT dated January 18, 2022, issued by the Minister of Education and Training, regulating conditions, procedures, and formalities for opening training programs at bachelor's, master's, and doctoral levels, which shall take effect from January 5, 2025.

teaching entire mandatory courses or guiding master's theses and doctoral dissertations in the training program.

3. On material infrastructure

a. Having material infrastructure, equipment, libraries, textbooks that meet the requirements for teaching, learning, and research according to the training program's requirements, and meeting the material infrastructure requirements stipulated by the training program standards of the field, group of majors, major, and the provisions of this Circular;

b. Having sufficient classrooms, laboratories, practical rooms, experimental production facilities, information technology systems, learning management systems, and other necessary equipment to meet the requirements for teaching, learning, and scientific research according to the training program's requirements, suitable for the scale of training at each level of training, and having a plan for using classrooms, laboratories, and practical rooms with specific areas and equipment for each laboratory and practical room, suitable for the number of students practicing and experimenting at each table and each device in each laboratory and practical room, in accordance with the scale of training required by the training program for each academic year of the course;

c. Having contracts for practical training cooperation with external practical training bases;⁹ consistent with the teaching, learning, and scientific research plans for the entire course; for training programs in the health sector, the practical training bases must have principle agreements on practical training to ensure compliance with the Government's regulations on organizing practical training in health education;

d. Having traditional and electronic libraries ensuring sufficient textbooks and supporting materials for teaching, learning, and research by lecturers and students; having access rights to domestic databases related to the training program's books and scientific journals, meeting the requirements of the field and training level, suitable for the scale of training; starting from the 2023-2024 academic year, it is mandatory for training institutions to have access rights to international databases related to the training program's books and scientific journals, meeting the requirements of the field and training level, suitable for the scale of training;

đ) Having an electronic information website publishing all information required to be disclosed according to the Ministry of Education and Training's regulations and other relevant laws;

9 The term "school" shall be replaced by the term "training institution" pursuant to Clause 2, Article 2 of Circular No. 12/2024/TT-BGDĐT amending and supplementing certain provisions of Circular No. 02/2022/TT-BGDĐT dated January 18, 2022, issued by the Minister of Education and Training, regulating conditions, procedures, and formalities for opening training programs at bachelor's, master's, and doctoral levels, which shall take effect from January 5, 2025.

4. The training program of the proposed major shall be developed, reviewed, and promulgated in accordance with the Ministry of Education and Training's regulations, meeting the training program standards of the field, group of majors, major, and being consistent with the National Qualifications Framework of Vietnam.

5. The training institution has a specialized unit at the departmental level or equivalent to manage professional activities, lecturers, students, and other management tasks for the proposed major.

6. The training institution must meet the minimum requirements and conditions stipulated by the current regulations of the Ministry of Education and Training to be ready to switch to online teaching while ensuring the quality of training as prescribed.

7. The school council has passed a resolution approving the proposal to open a training program of the training institution. In cases where the training institution does not yet have a school council, there must be a document approving the proposal to open a training program by the direct managing authority of the training institution.

8. 10 A major suitable at the doctoral or master's level for a lower-level training program must meet one of the following requirements:

a. Having the same name as the training program or complying with the regulations in the training program standards issued by the Ministry of Education and Training;

b. In cases where there are no training program standards for the corresponding field or group of majors: Having scientific and practical grounds and being recognized by the Scientific and Training Council of the training institution as the major with the closest professional foundation to the training program, chosen by most graduates of the training program when pursuing higher levels of study;

c. Being confirmed by the Ministry of Education and Training based on the opinion of the Expert Advisory Board established by the Ministry of Education and Training.

9.11 A major suitable at the doctoral level for a same-level training program must meet one of the following requirements:

a. Having the same name as the training program or complying with the regulations in the training program standards issued by the Ministry of Education and Training;

10 This Clause is supplemented pursuant to Point b, Clause 1, Article 1 of Circular No. 12/2024/TT-BGDĐT amending and supplementing certain provisions of Circular No. 02/2022/TT-BGDĐT dated January 18, 2022, issued by the Minister of Education and Training, which stipulates conditions, procedures, and formalities for opening training programs and suspending operations of undergraduate, master's, and doctoral level training programs, effective from January 5, 2025.

11 This Clause is supplemented pursuant to Point b, Clause 1, Article 1 of Circular No. 12/2024/TT-BGDĐT amending and supplementing certain provisions of Circular No. 02/2022/TT-BGDĐT dated January 18, 2022, issued by the Minister of Education and Training, which stipulates conditions, procedures, and formalities for opening training programs and suspending operations of undergraduate, master's, and doctoral level training programs, effective from January 5, 2025.

b) In cases where there is no standard curriculum for the relevant field or group of majors: There must be scientific and practical grounds and it must be determined by the Scientific and Training Council of the training institution that the program has the same professional foundation and belongs to the same major group as the existing training program.

c) It must be confirmed by the Ministry of Education and Training based on the opinion of the Expert Advisory Board established by the Ministry of Education and Training.

Article 4. Conditions for Opening Undergraduate Training Programs

The training institution must meet the general conditions for opening training programs as stipulated in Article 3 of this Circular and the following specific conditions for the entire course at the time of submitting the application to open a training program:

1. At least one full-time professor in the relevant field who is not a full-time professor required for opening undergraduate training programs in other fields (in cases where the proposed training program is a combined program from different major groups or a multi-disciplinary program classified under several major groups simultaneously, each component major must have at least one full-time professor in the relevant field), with a minimum of three years of experience in university teaching or management, responsible for leading the development and implementation of the training program.

2. At least five full-time professors in relevant fields to lead the teaching of the program (including the professor in the relevant field as stipulated in Clause 1 of this Article), with each component of the training program having a professor with relevant expertise leading the teaching. Specifically, for training programs in ethnic minority languages and cultures in Vietnam, Vietnamese language, literature, and culture, foreign languages, literature, and culture, physical education and sports (as specified in the List of Training Programs), and arts (as specified in Appendix I attached to this Circular), there must be at least three full-time professors with relevant expertise.¹² 3. A teaching staff team implementing the training program (as stipulated in Point a, Clause 2, Article 3 of this Circular) must ensure sufficient personnel for the first two years of the program, with each course component having at least two professors with relevant expertise, ensuring the student-to-professor ratio as prescribed; there must be plans and strategies for recruiting and developing the teaching staff for subsequent years of the entire course, ensuring that by the start of the third year at the latest, one year before the beginning of the new academic year, there will be adequate staffing and quality to implement the training program for each year of the course. Specifically, for training programs in health, law, educational sciences, and teacher training (as specified in the List of Training Programs), all conditions regarding the teaching staff (as stipulated in Point a, Clause 2, Article 3 of this Circular) must be fully met for the entire course at the time of submitting the application to open a training program.

4. For training programs in the health sector, they must meet the conditions stipulated in Clauses 1, 2, and 3 of this Article and ensure specific conditions regarding professors for each training program as specified in Table 1, Appendix II attached to this Circular. For training programs in the law sector, they must meet the conditions stipulated in Clauses 1, 2, and 3 of this Article and have at least three professors in the law field.

12 The term "Appendix 1" is replaced by the term "Appendix I" pursuant to Clause 2, Article 2 of Circular No. 12/2024/TT-BGDĐT amending and supplementing certain provisions of Circular No. 02/2022/TT-BGDĐT dated January 18, 2022, issued by the Minister of Education and Training, which stipulates conditions, procedures, and formalities for opening training programs and suspending operations of undergraduate, master's, and doctoral level training programs, effective from January 5, 2025.

Additionally, for training programs in the health, law, and educational sciences sectors, all conditions regarding the teaching staff (as stipulated in Point a, Clause 2, Article 3 of this Circular) must be fully met for the entire course at the time of submitting the application to open a training program.

4. For training programs in the health sector, they must meet the conditions stipulated in Clauses 1, 2, and 3 of this Article and ensure specific conditions regarding professors for each training program as specified in Table 1, Appendix II attached to this Circular. For training programs in the law sector, they must meet the conditions stipulated in Clauses 1, 2, and 3 of this Article and have at least three professors in the law field.¹³ 5. The material conditions stipulated in Point b, Clause 3, Article 3 of this Circular must be sufficient for the first two years of the program, and there must be plans and strategies for investing in material conditions and purchasing equipment for subsequent years of the entire course, ensuring that by the start of the third year at the latest, one year before the beginning of the new academic year, there will be adequate material conditions according to the requirements of the training program for each year of the course. Specifically, for training programs in the health, law, and educational sciences sectors, all conditions regarding material conditions (as stipulated in Point b, Clause 3, Article 3 of this Circular) must be fully met for the entire course at the time of submitting the application to open a training program.

6. For training programs in the health sector, they must meet the conditions stipulated in Clause 5 of this Article and ensure specific conditions regarding laboratories and practical facilities for each training program as specified in Table 2, Appendix II attached to this Circular.

6.   For training programs in the Health field, they must comply with the conditions set forth in Clause 5 of this Article and ensure specific conditions regarding laboratories and practical training facilities for each training program as specified in Table 2, Appendix II.¹⁴ In accordance with this Circular. For training fields under the Law domain, they must meet the conditions stipulated in Clause 5 of this Article and ensure the availability of a moot court room and a legal practice (consultation) center.

13 The phrase "Appendix 2" shall be replaced by the phrase "Appendix II" pursuant to Clause 2, Article 2 of Circular No. 12/2024/TT-BGDĐT amending and supplementing certain provisions of Circular No. 02/2022/TT-BGDĐT dated January 18, 2022 issued by the Minister of Education and Training on conditions, procedures, and steps for opening training fields, suspending operations of training fields at bachelor's, master's, and doctoral levels, which shall take effect from January 5, 2025.

14 The phrase "Appendix 2" shall be replaced by the phrase "Appendix II" pursuant to Clause 2, Article 2 of Circular No. 12/2024/TT-BGDĐT amending and supplementing certain provisions of Circular No. 02/2022/TT-BGDĐT dated January 18, 2022 issued by the Minister of Education and Training on conditions, procedures, and steps for opening training fields, suspending operations of training fields at bachelor's, master's, and doctoral levels, which shall take effect from January 5, 2025.

7.15 For training fields of ethnic minority language teachers in Vietnam and training fields of ethnic minority languages in Vietnam that have not met the conditions stipulated in Clauses 1, 2, and 3 of this Article, the training institution shall develop a proposal to open a training field to submit to the Ministry of Education and Training for consideration and decision based on the opinion of the Expert Advisory Board established by the Ministry of Education and Training.

8.16 A lecturer meeting the requirements stipulated in Clause 2 of this Article is a lecturer who meets the standards specified in the training program standard and satisfies one of the following requirements:

a) Having a doctorate or master’s degree in a relevant field as prescribed in Clause 8 of Article 4 of this Circular;

b) Having a doctorate or master’s degree in a field determined by the Scientific Council and Training Department of the training institution to be suitable for leading the teaching of at least two core courses in a component of the training program, and having at least two years of direct full-time teaching experience in those courses.

Article 5. Conditions for Opening Master's Degree Training Fields

The training institution must meet the general conditions for opening a training field as stipulated in Article 3 of this Circular and the following conditions for the entire course at the time of submitting the application to open a training field:

1. Having at least five full-time lecturers with a doctorate in a relevant field (for training fields of ethnic minority language teachers in Vietnam, training fields of Vietnamese Language, Literature, and Culture, training fields of Foreign Languages, Literature, and Culture, training fields of Physical Education and Sports, and training fields in the Arts domain, there must be at least three full-time lecturers with a doctorate in a relevant field), including one professor or associate professor with at least three years of experience in university-level teaching or training management, responsible for leading the development and implementation of the training program.

2. Ensuring the quantity and quality of the teaching staff to implement the training program, including full-time lecturers with relevant expertise leading the teaching of each subject and course within the training program.

15 This Clause is added pursuant to Clause 2, Article 1 of Circular No. 12/2024/TT-BGDĐT amending and supplementing certain provisions of Circular No. 02/2022/TT-BGDĐT dated January 18, 2022 issued by the Minister of Education and Training on conditions, procedures, and steps for opening training fields, suspending operations of training fields at bachelor's, master's, and doctoral levels, which shall take effect from January 5, 2025.

16 This Clause is added pursuant to Clause 2, Article 1 of Circular No. 12/2024/TT-BGDĐT amending and supplementing certain provisions of Circular No. 02/2022/TT-BGDĐT dated January 18, 2022 issued by the Minister of Education and Training on conditions, procedures, and steps for opening training fields, suspending operations of training fields at bachelor's, master's, and doctoral levels, which shall take effect from January 5, 2025.

3. Ensuring the number and standards of thesis advisors as prescribed in the current regulations on admission and training at the master's level of the Ministry of Education and Training.

4.17 Having experience in organizing training and scientific research related to the training field, satisfying one of the following conditions:

a) The master's degree training field is suitable for a bachelor's degree training field;

b) Within the last five years, the lecturers stipulated in Clause 1 of this Article have had at least two years of direct teaching experience in more than 50% of the courses in the training program; and have published a total of at least twenty articles or scientific reports in journals recognized by the State Council of Professors for scoring in the training field, as either the lead author or corresponding author.

5.18 (Repealed)

Article 6. Conditions for opening doctoral training programs

Training institutions wishing to open doctoral training programs must meet the general conditions for opening programs as stipulated in Article 3 of this Circular and the following conditions throughout the entire program at the time of submitting the application to open the training program:

1\. There must be at least one professor or two associate professors and three doctoral graduates in the relevant field as full-time lecturers (for teacher training programs in ethnic minority languages of Vietnam, Vietnamese language, literature, and culture programs, foreign language, literature, and culture programs, physical education and sports programs, and arts-related programs, there must be at least one professor or one associate professor and two doctoral graduates in the relevant field as full-time lecturers). Among them, there must be one professor or associate professor with at least three years of experience in university teaching or training management (not overlapping with the full-time lecturer requirement for other doctoral training programs), responsible for leading the development and implementation of the training program.

2\. Ensuring the quantity and quality of the teaching staff to implement the training program, teaching staff participating in teaching must meet the standards for lecturers teaching at the doctoral level as prescribed in the current regulations on admission and training of doctoral candidates issued by the Ministry of Education and Training to teach the contents of the training program, including having full-time lecturers with expertise

17 This paragraph has been amended according to Clause 3, Article 1 of Circular No. 12/2024/TT-BGDĐT amending and supplementing some articles of Circular No. 02/2022/TT-BGDĐT dated January 18, 2022, issued by the Minister of Education and Training, regulating the conditions, procedures, and formalities for opening training programs, suspending the operation of training programs at the bachelor's, master's, and doctoral levels, which takes effect from January 5, 2025.

18 This paragraph has been repealed according to Clause 4, Article 2 of Circular No. 12/2024/TT-BGDĐT amending and supplementing some articles of Circular No. 02/2022/TT-BGDĐT dated January 18, 2022, issued by the Minister of Education and Training, regulating the conditions, procedures, and formalities for opening training programs, suspending the operation of training programs at the bachelor's, master's, and doctoral levels, which takes effect from January 5, 2025.

in relevant fields primarily responsible for teaching each course and module within the training program.

3\. Ensuring the number and standards of doctoral thesis advisors as prescribed in the current regulations on admission and training of doctoral candidates issued by the Ministry of Education and Training.

4\. Having experience in organizing training and scientific research related to the training program, meeting one of the following conditions:

a\. The doctoral training program is suitable for a field that has already been trained and awarded degrees at the master's level.

b\. In the last five years, the teaching staff specified in Clause 1 of this Article have participated in guiding five successfully defended doctoral dissertations in the training field (at another training institution); simultaneously, they have published a total of at least fifty scientific papers and reports in scientific journals recognized by the State Council of Professors for the training field, as the lead author or corresponding author.

5\. Meeting the criteria of the University Education Institution Standard applicable to doctoral training institutions, including:

a\. Criterion 2.3 regarding the ratio of full-time lecturers with doctoral degrees.

b\. Criterion 6.1 regarding the proportion of income from scientific and technological activities (excluding training institutions under the Ministry of National Defense and the Ministry of Public Security).

c\. Criterion 6.2 regarding the average number of scientific and technological publications per full-time lecturer.

Chapter III

PROCEDURES FOR OPENING TRAINING PROGRAMS AND SUSPENDING THE OPERATION OF TRAINING PROGRAMS

Article 7. Construction, proposal, and approval of policies to open training programs

1. The rector, institute director, or school principal (collectively referred to as the principal) shall direct and organize the construction and proposal of policies regarding the opening of training programs.

2. The content of the policy proposal for opening a training program includes:

19 This clause has been amended according to the provisions of Clause 4, Article 1 of Circular No. 12/2024/TT-BGDĐT amending and supplementing certain articles of Circular No. 02/2022/TT-BGDĐT dated January 18, 2022, issued by the Minister of Education and Training, which stipulates conditions, procedures, and formalities for opening training programs at bachelor's, master's, and doctoral levels, suspending operations of training programs, and takes effect from January 5, 2025.

20 This clause has been amended according to the provisions of Clause 4, Article 1 of Circular No. 12/2024/TT-BGDĐT amending and supplementing certain articles of Circular No. 02/2022/TT-BGDĐT dated January 18, 2022, issued by the Minister of Education and Training, which stipulates conditions, procedures, and formalities for opening training programs at bachelor's, master's, and doctoral levels, suspending operations of training programs, and takes effect from January 5, 2025.

a) Regarding the necessity of proposing a policy to open a training program: report analyzing and explaining the demand for training, the need for human resources serving the current and future labor market; analyze and forecast the demand for human resources in terms of quantity, level, survey the requirements for graduates' capabilities that employers expect and the scope of the human resource market according to the training program; analyze global trends in the development of the training program, its suitability with the development of the industry and the level of training at the institution, alignment with the mission and strategic goals of the institution, economic and social development strategies of the industry, locality, region, and the country;

b) Regarding the capacity of the training institution: report analyzing and explaining the existing capacity of the institution for the proposed training program and level, including faculty, facilities, technology, and²¹ learning materials, training programs, scientific research, business cooperation, and international cooperation;

c) Regarding the development objectives of the proposed training program: report explaining the expected results on the time to open the training program, the implementation schedule of the training program, training objectives, plans and number of admissions, scale of training of the program over the next 5 to 10 years, quality of training, effectiveness, and social impact;

d) Regarding solutions and implementation roadmap: report explaining the solutions and roadmap for developing the proposal to open the training program, developing the training program, needs and investment plans for facilities, technology, and learning materials, recruitment needs and plans, development of faculty to meet the conditions for opening the training program, evaluation and accreditation plan for the training program;

đ) Regarding risk prevention and handling measures: report analyzing and explaining forecasts of potential risks and preventive and corrective measures; report analyzing specific solutions for risk management in case the training institution is suspended from operating the training program;

3. The scientific and training council of the training institution shall organize the review and conclude on the proposal for the policy to open the training program, ensuring it is complete and meets the quality standards set out in Clause 2 of this Article and relevant current laws.

4. Approval of the policy to open the training program

Based on the proposal for the policy to open the training program, which has been reviewed and concluded by the scientific and training council according to the provisions of Clause 3 of this Article, the principal shall report to the school council for approval; the university director shall report

²¹ The word "and" was added according to the provisions of Clause 1, Article 2 of Circular No. 12/2024/TT-BGDĐT amending and supplementing certain articles of Circular No. 02/2022/TT-BGDĐT dated January 18, 2022, issued by the Minister of Education and Training, which stipulates conditions, procedures, and formalities for opening training programs at bachelor's, master's, and doctoral levels, suspending operations of training programs, and takes effect from January 5, 2025.

to the university council for approval for training programs involving multiple units implementing the training program. The school council and university council are responsible for the following contents:

a) The direction for the development of the proposed training program must align with the development direction of the institution, ensuring compatibility with the human resource needs of ministries, sectors, localities, the entire country, and international integration;

b) Ensuring resources to implement the proposal to open the training program effectively;

c) Evaluating risk forecasts, preventive measures against risks, and methods of resolution in case risks occur when opening the training program.

In cases where the training institution does not have a school council, the institution shall submit to the directly managing authority for approval and bear responsibility for managing, inspecting, and supervising the construction and implementation of the proposal to open the training program.

5. The training institution shall specify the details of constructing and proposing policies to open training programs, specifying the planning, assignment of tasks, implementation timeline, anticipated products, and organization of implementation for each component of constructing and proposing policies to open training programs (as stipulated in Clause 2 of this Article), including regulations on responsibilities, authorities, and coordination between collectives and individuals within the institution in constructing and proposing policies to open training programs, detailed regulations on the responsibilities and working principles of the scientific and training council in reviewing (as stipulated in Clause 3 of this Article) proposals for policies to open training programs of the institution.

Article 8. Building a proposal and preparing conditions for opening a training program

Based on the approved policy to open a program, the rector or university director (for programs involving multiple participating units) shall direct and organize the construction of a proposal to open a training program. The contents of the proposal to open a training program include:

1. Basic information about the training institution: a brief introduction to the training institution.

2. The necessity of opening a training program: a general report on the contents of the policy to open a training program that has been approved.

3. Conditions regarding the training program to open a training program: the rector of the training institution shall direct and organize the construction, review, and issuance of the training program, ensuring compliance with the provisions of the Higher Education Law, regulations of the Ministry of Education and Training, and relevant current laws.

4. Conditions regarding the teaching staff and scientific personnel to open a training program

a. Based on the regulations concerning the conditions of the teaching staff in opening a training program as stipulated in this Circular and the actual conditions of the training institution, the rector of the training institution shall direct and organize the preparation of the teaching staff and scientific personnel to meet the conditions for opening a training program corresponding to each level of training as stipulated in this Circular and relevant current laws;

b. Develop plans, determine timeframes, implementation schedules, and commitments, assign specific tasks to units, organizations, and individuals within the training institution, and implement recruitment, signing contracts, developing the teaching staff and scientific personnel, ensuring quantity and quality according to the requirements of the training program, assigning teaching duties, consistent with the teaching and learning plan, research activities of teachers and students for each academic year throughout the entire course, consistent with the scale of training, meeting the conditions for opening a training program as stipulated in this Circular, the regulations of the training institution, and ensuring compliance with relevant current laws, which must be committed to in the proposal to open a training program.

c) ²² In cases where there is insufficient basis to clearly determine the appropriate field for teachers, the training institution shall submit reports on related information as prescribed in point d, Clause 8, Article 8 of this Circular and request the Ministry of Education and Training to establish a specialized advisory board to review and confirm. The advisory board shall consist of 3 to 5 members who are teachers and experts with appropriate qualifications and experience in the relevant field, representing reputable training institutions in the related field or group of fields.

5. Conditions regarding physical facilities to open a training program

a. Based on the regulations concerning the conditions of physical facilities in opening a training program as stipulated in this Circular and the actual conditions of the training institution, the rector of the training institution shall direct and organize the investment in physical facilities to meet the conditions for opening a training program corresponding to each level of training as stipulated in this Circular and relevant current laws;

b. Develop plans, determine timeframes, implementation schedules, and commitments, assign specific tasks to units, organizations, and individuals within the training institution, and implement investments in physical facilities, ensuring quantity and quality according to the requirements of the training program, consistent with the teaching and learning plan, research activities of teachers and students for each academic year throughout the entire course, consistent with the scale of training, meeting the conditions for opening a training program as stipulated in this Circular, the regulations of the training institution, and ensuring compliance with relevant current laws, which must be committed to in the proposal to open a training program.

This point was added pursuant to Clause 5, Article 1 of Circular No. 12/2024/TT-BGDĐT amending and supplementing certain articles of Circular No. 02/2022/TT-BGDĐT dated January 18, 2022, issued by the Minister of Education and Training, regulating conditions, procedures, and formalities for opening a training program at bachelor's, master's, and doctoral levels, suspending the operation of a training program, effective from January 5, 2025.

and other relevant current laws, which must be committed to in the proposal to open a training program.

6. Conditions regarding organizational management structure to open a training program

a. Determine the department or equivalent unit responsible for managing professional activities, teachers, students, and other management tasks for the proposed training program;

b. Assign professional managers and delegate responsibilities and authorities to the collective and individual professional managers to manage and organize professional activities for the proposed training program.

7. Plans and solutions to prevent, mitigate, and handle risks when opening a training program

a. Report analyzing the situation of economic and social development, forecasting possible changes, analyzing the strengths and weaknesses of the training institution and other related contents, thereby predicting potential risks when opening a program and implementing enrollment and training, along with general solutions to promptly prevent risks and propose specific proactive plans to prevent and handle risks when they occur;

b. Report detailing risk management solutions in case the training institution is suspended from operating the training program, including specific plans and solutions to protect the rights of students, teachers, the training institution, and related parties.

8. Supporting documents accompanying the proposal

a. The resolution of the school council or university council approving the policy to open a training program or the approval document of the direct management agency of the training institution (in cases where the training institution does not have a school council);

b. The minutes of the scientific and training program review board's assessment of the proposal to open a training program.

c)      Decision on establishing the construction council and the review council; minutes of the review council's review of the training program; decision promulgating the training program;

d)      List of teaching staff and scientific officers meeting the conditions for opening a training program as stipulated in Clause 4 of this Article, including information according to the reporting form prescribed in Section 1 (on teachers) and Section 2 (on research results) of Appendix III issued together with this Circular; copies of recruitment decisions²³ or labor contracts, certified copies of diplomas issued by Vietnamese educational institutions or foreign educational institutions and recognition certificates issued by competent authorities;

23 The term "Appendix 3" is replaced by the term "Appendix III" pursuant to Clause 2 of Article 2 of Circular No. 12/2024/TT-BGDĐT amending and supplementing certain provisions of Circular No. 02/2022/TT-BGDĐT dated January 18, 2022 of the Minister of Education and Training on conditions, procedures, and formalities for opening training programs, suspending operations of undergraduate, master's, and doctoral training programs, which shall take effect from January 5, 2025.

6 ||| đ) Statistical table on material facilities and equipment for experiments, practicals, and internships that meet the conditions for opening a training program as prepared in accordance with Clause 5 of this Article, including information according to the reporting forms prescribed in Section 3 (on material facilities, equipment, and libraries serving the implementation of the training program) of Appendix III

d) A statistical table on material infrastructure and equipment for experiments, practical training, and internships that meet the conditions for opening a training program prepared in accordance with Clause 5 of this Article, including information according to the reporting forms prescribed in Section 3 (on material infrastructure, equipment, and libraries serving the implementation of the training program) of Appendix III.²⁴ attached hereto;

e)     Framework agreement on practical training as prescribed by the Government regarding the organization of practical training in health-related fields (for proposals to open programs in the health sector).

9.  The educational institution specifies the development of the proposal to open a training program, specifies the development of plans, assignment of tasks, timeframes for implementation, expected products, and organization of plan implementation, regulations on responsibilities, powers, and coordination among collectives and individuals within the institution in developing the proposal and preparing conditions for opening the training program, regulations on monitoring, evaluating, handling adjustments, and decisions for each content of the proposal as stipulated from Clause 1 to Clause 8 of this Article during the development of the proposal to open a training program by the educational institution.

Article 9. Review of the Proposal to Open a Training Program

1.  The Scientific and Training Council organizes the review of the proposal to open a training program, wherein the review council must examine and evaluate the actual conditions of the educational institution based on the provisions of this Circular, the institution's regulations, and current laws, assess the degree of compliance with the requirements for conditions to be eligible to open a program for each specific content of the proposal, including reviewing the conditions related to the name of the training program, the training curriculum, the teaching staff, material facilities, readiness for online teaching and learning, and organizational management work for the proposed training program.

2.  The results of the review of the proposal to open a training program by the Scientific and Training Council must be reflected in the review minutes and include a specific conclusion on whether the educational institution has met the conditions to be eligible to open a training program or not in accordance with this Circular, the institution's regulations, and current laws. During the review process, the Scientific and Training Council must verify actual conditions and check specific evidence before concluding,

24 The term "Appendix 3" is replaced by the term "Appendix III" pursuant to Clause 2 of Article 2 of Circular No. 12/2024/TT-BGDĐT amending and supplementing certain provisions of Circular No. 02/2022/TT-BGDĐT dated January 18, 2022 of the Minister of Education and Training on conditions, procedures, and formalities for opening training programs, suspending operations of undergraduate, master's, and doctoral training programs, which shall take effect from January 5, 2025.

concluding, while simultaneously reporting to the rector of the educational institution and being responsible for explaining the review results.

3.  The educational institution specifies the principles of operation of the Scientific and Training Council when organizing the review of the proposal to open a training program, clearly defining the responsibilities and powers of the council and its members.

Article 10. Documents for Opening a Training Program

The documents for opening a training program include:

1.  Proposal document for opening a training program: summary of the development process of the project proposal, report affirming the fulfillment of all conditions as prescribed to open a training program and requesting the competent authority to make a decision.

2.   Project proposal for opening a training program that has been reviewed according to the provisions of Article 9 of this Circular, ensuring all contents as prescribed in Article 8 of this Circular.

3.  Official letter from the university approving the principle (for units under the university when opening a training program in the Health field and the Teacher Education group of majors).

Article 11. Approval of the Project Proposal and Decision to Open a Training Program

1.   For educational institutions that meet the conditions to independently open a training program (at each level of education) as prescribed in Clause 3 of Article 33 of the Higher Education Law (amended and supplemented in 2018); as prescribed in the Government Decree detailing and guiding the implementation of certain articles of the Law amending and supplementing certain articles of the Higher Education Law and other relevant legal regulations (except for training programs in the Health field, the Teacher Education group of majors, the Security and Defense field, or cases where the educational institution is a unit under a university when opening a training program with multiple units participating in implementing the training program), shall be implemented as follows:

a)   The Rector of the educational institution decides on the opening of the training program of the institution for higher education majors and levels when the institution meets all conditions to open a training program as prescribed in this Circular and other relevant legal regulations;

b)   The Rector of the educational institution specifies the procedures for submitting documents for opening a training program and making decisions on opening a training program within the institution.

2.  For educational institutions that are units under the university or directly affiliated units of the university (collectively referred to as units) that do not yet meet the conditions to independently open a training program as prescribed by the Higher Education Law and other relevant legal regulations, or cases where the educational institution is a unit under a university when opening a training program with multiple units participating in implementing the training program (except for training programs in the Health field, the Teacher Education group of majors, the Security and Defense field), shall be implemented as follows:

a)   The unit submits documents for opening a training program to the university for reporting and requesting the university to decide on allowing the opening of the training program;

b)  The President of the university decides on the opening of the training program for units that meet all conditions to open a training program as prescribed in this Circular and the university's regulations;

c)   The President of the university specifies the procedures for submitting reports requesting the opening of a training program and making decisions on opening a training program within the university.

3.  For educational institutions that do not meet the conditions to independently open a training program (except for units under universities), or during the period they are not allowed to independently open a training program due to violations of regulations up to the point of not being allowed to independently open a training program as prescribed by the Higher Education Law and other relevant legal regulations, or for opening training programs in the Health field, the Teacher Education group of majors, the Security and Defense field, shall be implemented as follows:

a)   The educational institution submits one set of documents for opening a training program to the Ministry of Education and Training through direct submission, postal service, or the Ministry of Education and Training’s Online Public Service Portal;

b)  The Ministry of Education and Training receives and reviews the documents; if necessary, the Minister of Education and Training decides to organize a team to inspect the actual conditions ensuring quality at the educational institution. Specifically, for opening a training program in the Health field, the Ministry of Education and Training seeks opinions (in writing) from the Ministry of Health regarding the demand for human resources in the proposed major and the conditions for practical training organization in the Health field as prescribed by the Government;

c)   Within thirty working days from the date of receiving the documents for opening a training program from the educational institution, the Minister of Education and Training issues a decision allowing the opening of the training program, if the documents for opening a training program from the educational institution are complete and meet the conditions to open a training program as prescribed in this Circular and other relevant legal regulations. In case the documents for opening a training program²⁵ of the educational institution are incomplete or do not meet the conditions to open a training program as prescribed, the Ministry of Education and Training will notify the results in writing about the status of the documents and the contents that do not meet the prescribed requirements to the educational institution.

Article 12. Suspension of Training Program Activities²⁶

25 The phrase "If the application for opening a training program" shall be replaced with the phrase "In the case of the application for opening a training program" as stipulated in Clause 2, Article 2 of Circular No. 12/2024/TT-BGDĐT amending and supplementing certain provisions of Circular No. 02/2022/TT-BGDĐT dated January 18, 2022, issued by the Minister of Education and Training on conditions, procedures, and formalities for opening training programs, suspending activities of undergraduate, master's, and doctoral training programs, which takes effect from January 5, 2025.

26 This provision has been amended according to Clause 6, Article 1 of Circular No. 12/2024/TT-BGDĐT amending and supplementing certain provisions of Circular No. 02/2022/TT-BGDĐT dated January 18, 2022, issued by the Minister of Education and Training on conditions, procedures, and formalities for opening training programs, suspending activities of undergraduate, master's, and doctoral training programs, which takes effect from January 5, 2025.

1. A training institution shall be suspended from conducting admissions for a training program in the following cases:

a) Has opened a training program in accordance with regulations but fails to maintain all necessary conditions for opening the program during its operation as prescribed in this Circular;

b) Violates other education laws at a level requiring suspension of admissions.

2. A training institution shall be suspended from conducting training activities for a training program in the following cases:

a) Opens a training program independently or through fraud without ensuring the required conditions as stipulated;

b) Exceeds the suspension period for admissions but fails to rectify the causes leading to the suspension of admissions;

c) Violates other education laws at a level requiring suspension of training activities.

3. The Minister of Education and Training shall decide to suspend admissions or training activities for a training program based on the conclusions of competent state management agencies regarding violations specified in Clauses 1 and 2 of this Article; the suspension period ranges from six months to twelve months depending on the severity and nature of the violation. The decision to suspend must clearly state the reasons, scope, duration of the suspension, and be publicly announced through mass media.

4. A training institution subject to suspension of admissions or training activities for a training program as stipulated in Clause 3 of this Article must implement measures to ensure the rights and legitimate interests of students, lecturers, managers, and staff of the training institution.

5. During the suspension period for admissions, if the training institution has rectified the causes leading to the suspension of admissions and meets all conditions for opening a training program as prescribed in this Circular, the Minister of Education and Training will decide to resume admissions for the training program within thirty days from the end of the suspension period.

6. During the suspension period for training activities, if the training institution has rectified the causes leading to the suspension of training activities and meets all conditions for opening a training program as prescribed in this Circular, the Minister of Education and Training will decide to resume training activities for the training program within forty-five days from the end of the suspension period. If the training institution fails to provide sufficient evidence of having rectified the causes leading to the suspension of training activities and met all conditions for opening a training program by the end of the suspension period, the decision to open the training program becomes invalid.

7. For a training program that has been opened but has not conducted admissions or failed to admit students for five consecutive years, the decision to open the training program becomes invalid.

8. In the event that the decision to open a training program becomes invalid, if the training institution wishes to continue conducting admissions and training for that program, it must follow the procedures and formalities for opening a training program as prescribed in this Circular and other relevant laws.

Chapter IV

IMPLEMENTATION²⁷

Article 13. Construction and Implementation of Training Institution Regulations

Based on this Circular and other relevant current regulations, training institutions shall be responsible for:

1. Constructing, promulgating, and organizing the implementation of regulations on conditions, procedures, and processes for opening training programs and suspending training activities at various levels of higher education within their institutions, based on the advice of the scientific and training council and internal management regulations, specifically detailing and possibly requiring higher standards but not conflicting with the provisions of this Circular; specifying the authorities and responsibilities of collectives, units, and individuals involved in opening training programs and disciplinary measures for violations by collectives, units, and individuals related to opening training programs.

2. Organizing the implementation in accordance with commitments set out in the program for opening training programs.

3. Fulfilling the responsibility for evaluating quality and accrediting training programs in accordance with Clause 5, Article 33 of the Higher Education Law (amended and supplemented in 2018); fulfilling the responsibility for ensuring the quality of higher education

²⁷ Article 3 of Circular No. 12/2024/TT-BGDĐT amending and supplementing certain articles of Circular No. 02/2022/TT-BGDĐT dated January 18, 2022, issued by the Minister of Education and Training, regulating conditions, procedures, and processes for opening training programs and suspending activities of training programs at bachelor's, master's, and doctoral levels, which takes effect from January 5, 2025, is stipulated as follows:

"Article 3. Implementation Provisions

1. This Circular takes effect from January 5, 2025.
2. For training programs opened and operating before the effective date of this Circular, training institutions continue to maintain and improve the conditions for opening training programs according to the provisions of Circular No. 02/2022/TT-BGDĐT dated January 18, 2022, issued by the Minister of Education and Training, or according to the provisions of this Circular, while ensuring that all programs recruiting students from June 1, 2026, meet the conditions for opening training programs as prescribed by this Circular.
3. The Director of the Office, the Head of the Department of Higher Education, the heads of relevant units under the Ministry of Education and Training; the rectors of universities and academies; the principals of university schools; the directors of research institutes offering doctoral training; the principals or directors of other educational institutions permitted to offer bachelor's, master's, and doctoral training; and related organizations and individuals are responsible for implementing this Circular.”

ensuring the quality of higher education²⁸ as prescribed in Article 50 of the Higher Education Law (amended and supplemented in 2018).

4. Organizing internal inspections and audits of the implementation of activities to open training programs, the fulfillment of commitments set out in the program for opening training programs, and quality assurance work in accordance with current laws; being subject to supervision, inspection, and audit by the Ministry of Education and Training and competent authorities in accordance with current regulations.

5. Implementing explanations in accordance with the Government Decree detailing and guiding the implementation of certain articles of the Law amending and supplementing certain articles of the Higher Education Law and other relevant legal provisions.

Article 14. Reporting, archiving, and publicizing information regime

1.   Within ten days from the date of issuing the decision to open a training program as prescribed, the training institution shall report to the Ministry of Education and Training (except for programs decided by the Ministry of Education and Training) and the direct management agency:

a)  The decision to open a training program;

b)  The proposal to open a training program;

c)  The web address where the training institution has publicly disclosed contents related to opening the training program on its website.

2.  For undergraduate training programs that have been opened: from the second academic year (counting from the date of issuing the decision to open the program) until the end of the first cohort, before the start of each new academic year, the training institution must report to the Ministry of Education and Training and the direct management agency on the preparation of sufficient conditions regarding faculty members and physical facilities to implement the training program for the opened program according to the plan and timeline committed in the proposal to open the program, including the contents stipulated in Clause 3 and Clause 5, Article 4 of this Circular to serve management and post-audit work (except for cases of opening undergraduate programs in fields such as Health, Education Sciences and Teacher Training, Security, Defense, and Law, or opening master's and doctoral training programs).

²⁸ The term "undergraduate" was added pursuant to Clause 1, Article 2 of Circular No. 12/2024/TT-BGDĐT amending and supplementing certain provisions of Circular No. 02/2022/TT-BGDĐT dated January 18, 2022 issued by the Minister of Education and Training on conditions, procedures, and formalities for opening training programs, suspending operations of undergraduate, master’s, and doctoral training programs, which took effect from January 5, 2025.

3.  Before December 31 each year, the training institution must report to the Ministry of Education and Training and the direct management agency on decisions to open training programs that have expired (if any) of the training institution, as prescribed in Clause 5, Article 12 of this Circular to serve management work, including the following contents: decision number; date of issuance of the decision; issuing authority; name of the program; level of training; reasons for the decision to terminate the validity of the program opening.

4.   The training institution is responsible for archiving and preserving the files on opening training programs, relevant documents concerning the opening of training programs, and accompanying evidence, including evidence of meeting the conditions for opening training programs, ensuring compliance with current laws.

5.  The training institution shall publicize on its website and update information into the national database on higher education as follows:

a)  Publicize the regulations on conditions, procedures, and formalities for opening training programs and suspending operations of training programs at various levels of higher education of the training institution on its website at least 45 days prior to implementation;

b)   Within five days from the date of issuing the decision to open a training program or receiving permission to open a training program from the competent authority, the training institution must publicize on its website the following contents:

-  The decision to open a training program;

-   Key contents of the approved proposal to open a training program, including: entry standards, exit standards, and curriculum outline; list of faculty members implementing the training program; list of physical facilities and equipment serving training and scientific research; projected enrollment and training plans for the first five years of enrollment; location of training and list of practical training sites;

-  Update information about opening a training program and the proposal to open a training program of the training institution into the national database on higher education.

6.  For training institutions under the Ministry of National Defense and the Ministry of Public Security, the implementation of the reporting, archiving, and publicizing information regime as prescribed in this Circular must ensure requirements for protecting state secrets as prescribed.

Article 15. Implementation Provisions

1.  This Circular takes effect from March 4, 2022.