Circular No. 26/2013/TT-BGDĐT amending and supplementing certain provisions of the regulations on the procedures for recognizing diplomas issued to Vietnamese citizens by foreign educational institutions, adopted pursuant to Decision No. 77/2007/QĐ-BGDĐT dated December 20, 2007 of the Minister of Education and Training.

CIRCULAR

Amending and supplementing certain provisions on the procedures for recognizing diplomas issued to Vietnamese citizens by foreign educational institutions accompanying Decision No. 77/2007/QĐ-BGDĐT dated December 20, 2007 Pursuant to Decree No. 75/2006/NĐ-CP dated August 2, 2006 of the Government detailing and guiding the implementation of certain provisions of the Education Law; Decree No. 31/2011/NĐ-CP dated May 11, 2011 of the Government amending and supplementing certain provisions of Decree No. 75/2006/NĐ-CP dated August 2, 2006 of the Government detailing and guiding the implementation of certain provisions of the Education Law; Decree No. 07/2013/NĐ-CP dated January 9, 2013 of the Government amending point b Clause 13 Article 1 of Decree No. 31/2011/NĐ-CP dated May 11, 2011 of the Government amending and supplementing certain provisions of Decree No. 75/2006/NĐ-CP dated August 2, 2006 of the Government detailing and guiding the implementation of certain provisions of the Education Law; of the Minister of Education and Training

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Pursuant to Decree No. 36/2012/NĐ-CP dated April 18, 2012 of the Government stipulating the functions, tasks, powers, and organizational structure of ministries and ministerial-level agencies;

Pursuant to Decree No. 32/2008/NĐ-CP dated March 19, 2008 of the Government stipulating the functions, tasks, powers, and organizational structure of the Ministry of Education and Training;

At the proposal of the Director of the Department of Testing and Quality Assurance in Education.

The Minister of Education and Training promulgates this Circular amending and supplementing certain provisions of the Regulations on the procedures for recognizing diplomas issued to Vietnamese citizens by foreign educational institutions accompanying Decision No. 77/2007/QĐ-BGDĐT dated December 20, 2007 of the Minister of Education and Training.

Amending and supplementing certain provisions of the Regulations on the procedures for recognizing diplomas issued to Vietnamese citizens by foreign educational institutions accompanying Decision No. 77/2007/QĐ-BGDĐT dated December 20, 2007 of the Minister of Education and Training, as follows:

Article 1. 1. Amending and supplementing point b Clause 2 Article 5 as follows:

"b) After receiving complete and valid files, the Department of Testing and Quality Assurance in Education (Ministry of Education and Training) shall issue a receipt to the applicant (Model 2 attached). If the file is sent via postal service, the date of receipt will be determined based on the postmark. Within no more than 30 working days, based on regulations on admission, training programs, and the system of diplomas of the issuing country, the Department of Testing and Quality Assurance in Education, in coordination with relevant units, will examine and process the file to recognize the diploma in accordance with one of the types of diplomas specified in Clause 2 Article 1 of Decision No. 77/2007/QĐ-BGDĐT dated December 20, 2007 of the Minister of Education and Training (Model 4 attached).

- In case the requested diploma does not correspond to any type of diploma in Vietnam, the Department of Testing and Quality Assurance in Education will respond in writing to the applicant, provide additional information, and recognize the actual value of the diploma within the education system of the issuing country.

- In case the diploma does not meet the conditions for recognition, the Department of Testing and Quality Assurance in Education will respond in writing to the applicant, clearly stating the reasons for non-recognition."

2. Amending and supplementing Clause 2, Clause 3 Article 6 and adding Clause 4 Article 6 as follows:

"2. In addition to the documents stipulated in Clause 1 of this Article, the holder of the diploma (who has studied abroad) must submit along with the application file evidence of the time spent studying abroad, including one of the following related documents: confirmation from the diplomatic mission of Vietnam in the host country; confirmation from the foreign educational institution where the studies were conducted; a certified copy of the passport stamped with entry and exit dates; proof of registration in the electronic database management system for overseas students maintained by the Ministry of Education and Training.

3. In cases where it is necessary to assess compliance with the admission requirements for training programs, the holder of the diploma must submit along with the application file related documents such as language certificates, relevant diplomas, and certificates.
4. The files stipulated in Clauses 1, 2, and 3 of this Article must remain intact, without any erasures, alterations, or damage due to weather or any other reason."

3. Adding Article 7a after Article 7 as follows:

"Article 7a. Fees for Recognizing Diplomas

The applicant for recognition of a diploma must pay fees in accordance with the regulations of the Ministry of Finance."

4. Amending and supplementing Clause 1 Article 8 as follows:

"1. The Department of International Cooperation (Ministry of Education and Training) shall regularly update and announce on the Ministry's website information about Agreements on equivalence of diplomas or mutual recognition of diplomas or international treaties related to diplomas that the Socialist Republic of Vietnam is a member of. The Department of Foreign Education (Ministry of Education and Training) shall regularly update and announce on the Ministry's website information about foreign educational institutions operating legally in Vietnam and authorized to conduct training or joint training programs."

"3. Relevant units under the Ministry of Education and Training, according to their assigned state management functions and tasks, are responsible for coordinating with the Department of Testing and Quality Assurance in Education during the process of examining and recognizing diplomas issued to Vietnamese citizens by foreign educational institutions."

5. Amend and supplement Clause 3 Article 8 as follows:

"Article 9. Educational Institutions

6. Amending and supplementing Article 9 as follows:

1. Departments of Education and Training are responsible for organizing the recognition of diplomas issued by foreign educational institutions in accordance with the regulations.
Before December 25 each year, they must report on the implementation of diploma recognition to the Department of Testing and Quality Assurance in Education (Ministry of Education and Training).

2. Higher education institutions and vocational colleges are responsible for regularly updating and announcing on their websites lists of students who have completed joint training programs with foreign countries and received diplomas."

7. Amending the application form for recognizing diplomas (Model 1 attached).

This Circular takes effect from August 30, 2013.

Article 2. The Heads of the Office, the Director of the Department of Testing and Quality Assurance in Education, the Heads of relevant units under the Ministry of Education and Training; Directors of Departments of Education and Training; Directors of universities and academies; Principals of universities, colleges, and vocational colleges; organizations and individuals concerned are responsible for implementing this Circular.

Article 3. The Head of the Office, the Director of the Department of Examinations and Quality Assurance in Education, the Heads of relevant units under the Ministry of Education and Training; the Directors of Departments of Education and Training; the Directors of universities and academies; the Rectors of universities, colleges, and vocational colleges; organizations and individuals related to this matter are responsible for implementing this Circular.