Circular No. 30/2012/TT-BGDĐT amending and supplementing some articles of Circular No. 16/2009/TT-BGDĐT dated July 17, 2009, issued by the Minister of Education and Training, detailing the procedures for recognizing, revoking recognition of meeting standards, appointing, and dismissing the titles of professor and associate professor.

CIRCULAR

Amending and supplementing certain provisions of Circular No. 16/2009/TT-BGDĐT dated July 17, 2009

of the Minister of Education and Training detailing the examination for recognition, revocation of recognition of meeting standards, appointment, and removal from the position of professor and associate professor

positions

__________________________ 

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;

Pursuant to Decision No. 174/2008/QĐ-TTg dated December 31, 2008 of the Prime Minister stipulating standards, procedures for appointment and removal from the position of professor and associate professor;

Pursuant to Resolution No. 66/NQ-CP dated December 23, 2010 of the Government on simplifying administrative procedures within the scope of functions of the Ministry of Education and Training;

Pursuant to Decision No. 20/2012/QĐ-TTg amending and supplementing certain provisions of the "Regulations on Standards and Procedures for Appointment and Removal from the Position of Professor and Associate Professor" issued together with Decision No. 174/2008/QĐ-TTg dated December 31, 2008 of the Prime Minister.

Considering the proposal of the Director of the Teacher and Educational Institution Management Bureau,

The Minister of Education and Training issues this Circular amending and supplementing certain provisions of Circular No. 16/2009/TT-BGDĐT dated July 17, 2009 of the Minister of Education and Training detailing the examination for recognition of meeting standards, revocation of recognition of meeting standards, appointment, and removal from the position of professor and associate professor:

Article 1. Issuing this Circular amending and supplementing certain provisions of Circular No. 16/2009/TT-BGDĐT dated July 17, 2009 of the Minister of Education and Training detailing the examination for recognition, revocation of recognition of meeting standards, appointment, and removal from the position of professor and associate professor as follows:

1. Amending and supplementing Clause 1 of Article 1 as follows:

"1. Types of scientific works converted include: Scientific articles that have been published; scientific reports at national or international scientific conferences; textbooks for training that have been published; research programs and topics that have been accepted; guidance for doctoral students who have successfully defended their dissertations."

The content of the converted scientific works must be relevant to the field of science for which the candidate has registered to be examined for recognition of meeting the standards for the position of professor and associate professor.

2. Amend and supplement Clause 1 and add Clause 5 of Article 5 as follows:

"1. A candidate shall be considered to have completed the guidance of doctoral students who have successfully defended their dissertations or postgraduate students who have successfully defended their master's theses when the doctoral students have received their doctoral degrees or have decisions granting doctoral degrees, and the postgraduate students have received their master's degrees or have decisions granting master's degrees.

The scientific content of the dissertations and theses guided by the candidate must be relevant to the field of science for which the candidate has registered to be examined for recognition of meeting the standards for the position of professor and associate professor.

5. Candidates in arts fields who have not guided doctoral students who have successfully defended their dissertations or postgraduate students who have successfully defended their master's theses:

a) If they have research or creative works that have won major awards domestically or internationally or have directly guided and trained students to participate in reputable national or international competitions and won First Prize or Gold Medal, they will be counted as having successfully guided doctoral students to defend their dissertations.

b) If they have directly guided and trained students to participate in reputable national or international competitions and won Second Prize or Silver Medal, they will be counted as having successfully guided postgraduate students to defend their master's theses.

These research or creative works if already counted as substitutes for guiding postgraduate students and doctoral students will not be counted towards points for converted scientific works."

3. Delete Clause 3 of Article 5.

4. Amend and supplement Clause 1, Clause 2, Clause 3 and add Clause 4, Clause 5 of Article 6 as follows:

"1. Candidates who are faculty members within the establishment of higher education institutions must have at least 12 points of converted scientific works, including:

a) At least 3 points must be achieved in the last three years up to the deadline for submitting the application;

b) At least 6 points must be from published scientific articles;

c) At least 3 points must be from compiling textbooks for training that have been published, including at least 1.5 points from compiling course books or monographs.

2. Candidates who are visiting faculty members of higher education institutions must have at least 20 points of converted scientific works, including:

a) At least 5 points must be achieved in the last three years up to the deadline for submitting the application;

b) At least 10 points must be from published scientific articles;

c) At least 3 points must be from compiling textbooks for training that have been published, including at least 1.5 points from compiling course books or monographs.

3. Candidates in fields such as Education, Psychology, Economics, Law, Linguistics, Military Science, Security, History, Archaeology, Anthropology, Philosophy, Sociology, Political Science, Literature, Culture, Arts, Physical Education and Sports must have at least one monograph written individually and one course book where they are both the chief editor and a contributor.

4. Candidates specified in Clause 3 of Article 1 of Decision No. 20/2012/QĐ-TTg dated April 27, 2012 of the Prime Minister, who have outstanding scientific and technological works that have been published and highly evaluated, awarded major domestic or international prizes, and recognized by the Faculty Council and the National Council for Professor and Associate Professor Titles, may be decided by the National Council for Professor and Associate Professor Titles.

5. Researchers in scientific research institutes who have not obtained doctoral or medical doctor degrees, medical staff in hospitals, and former faculty members within the establishment of higher education institutions who have continuously worked in teaching from bachelor's level or above until retirement or transferred to other work within three years, currently participating in teaching according to standard hours, applying for recognition of meeting the standards for the position of professor, shall apply the provisions of Clause 2 of Article 6 of this Circular.”

5. Amend and supplement Clause 1, Clause 2 and add Clause 3, Clause 4 of Article 7 as follows:

"1. Candidates who are faculty members within the establishment of higher education institutions must have at least 6 points of converted scientific works, including:

a) At least 1.5 points must be achieved in the last three years up to the deadline for submitting the application;

b) At least 3 points must be from published scientific articles.

2. Candidates who are visiting faculty members of higher education institutions must have at least 10 points of converted scientific works, including:

a) At least 2.5 points must be achieved in the last three years up to the deadline for submitting the application;

b) Have at least 5.0 points from scientific articles.

3. Candidates as specified in Clause 3 Article 1 Decision No. 20/2012/QĐ-TTg dated April 27, 2012 of the Prime Minister, who have outstanding scientific and technological works that have been published and highly evaluated, awarded major prizes either domestically or internationally, shall be reviewed by the Basic Scientific Title Council and the Sectoral Scientific Title Council, and submitted to the State Scientific Title Council for decision. 4. Research staff from research institutes who have not obtained doctoral or medical doctor degrees, doctors from hospitals, and those who were formerly lecturers within the establishment of higher education institutions with at least ten consecutive years of teaching duties from undergraduate level up to retirement or transfer to other work not exceeding three years, currently participating in training meeting the standard hours, registering for recognition of qualification standards for associate professor can apply the provisions stipulated in Clause 2 Article 7 of this Circular.

6. Delete Clause 1 Article 9.

"Article 10. Teaching Experience

2. The application file for investigation of emergency measures for textile products as prescribed in Article 63 of Decree No. 86/2025/NĐ-CP must also include the following specific additional contents:

1. For candidates who are lecturers within the establishment of higher education institutions:

a) Teaching experience is the time spent on educational and teaching duties at the undergraduate level and above in higher education institutions.

b) In each academic year, if the candidate fulfills the working regime for lecturers as prescribed in Decision No. 64/2008/QĐ-BGDĐT dated November 28, 2008, Circular No. 36/2010/TT-BGDĐT dated December 15, 2010, and Circular No. 18/2012/TT-BGDĐT dated May 31, 2012 of the Minister of Education and Training, then one year of teaching experience will be counted.

2. For candidates who are visiting lecturers:

a) Teaching experience includes the time directly teaching in class and guiding doctoral students in their dissertations, master's thesis students, and undergraduate final projects.

b) One year of teaching experience for candidates applying for recognition of qualification standards for professor requires completion of 190 standard hours, while for associate professor it requires 170 standard hours. At least 50% of these standard hours must be direct classroom teaching.

3. When confirming teaching experience for candidates, the Head of the Higher Education Institution must clearly confirm the tasks assigned to both regular and visiting lecturers, specifying the course name, level of education, teaching load, dissertation guidance tasks, and provide comments on the teaching and training results linked to the teaching period and the extent of task fulfillment by the lecturer.

4. The time candidates spend as educational experts at foreign higher education institutions will be counted as teaching and training time if there is a diplomatic note or an invitation teaching contract from the foreign higher education institution detailing the job content and teaching time at the school, or if there is a decision from the Ministry of Education and Training dispatching them to work as educational experts abroad."

8. Amend and supplement Clause 1, Point a and d Clause 2 Article 16 as follows:

"1. The Chairman of the Basic Scientific Title Council compiles the results of the recognition of qualification standards for professors and associate professors, obtains confirmation from the Head of the Higher Education Institution where the Council is located, publicly announces the results of the recognition of qualification standards, and sends the report to the State Scientific Title Council and notifies the competent authority managing the candidates.

After public announcement for at least seven working days, the Chairman of the Basic Scientific Title Council submits the report to the State Scientific Title Council and informs the competent authority managing the candidates.

2. The report file on the results of the recognition of qualification standards for professors and associate professors at the Basic Scientific Title Council includes:

a) A letter reporting the results of the recognition of qualification standards for professors and associate professors of the Basic Scientific Title Council;

d) Three sets of files of successful candidates and one set of files of unsuccessful candidates for recognition of qualification standards for professors and associate professors at the Basic Scientific Title Council;"

9. Amend and supplement Point a and Point d Clause 2 Article 17 as follows:

"a) A letter reporting the results of the recognition of qualification standards for professors and associate professors of the Sectoral Scientific Title Council;

d) One set of files of successful or unsuccessful candidates for recognition of qualification standards for professors and associate professors at the Basic Scientific Title Council, Sectoral Scientific Title Council, or Inter-sectoral Scientific Title Council."

10. Amend and supplement Clause 2, Clause 3, Clause 4, and add Clause 6 Article 22 as follows:

"2. The Head of the Higher Education Institution organizes the collection of application files for appointment to the titles of professor and associate professor, categorizes them by discipline and specialty, and transfers them to departments and majors with needs to organize the appointment process for the titles of professor and associate professor. The organization of the appointment process for the titles of professor and associate professor shall be carried out according to the regulations stipulated in Section 2 Chapter III of the "Regulations on Qualification Standards and Procedures for Appointment and Removal of Titles of Professor and Associate Professor" issued together with Decision No. 174/2008/QĐ-TTg dated December 31, 2008, and amended and supplemented by Decision No. 20/2012/QĐ-TTg dated April 27, 2012 of

3. Those who have been appointed as professors or associate professors at higher education institutions abroad and wish to be appointed to the titles of professor or associate professor at higher education institutions in Vietnam must have converted points from scientific works at least equal to the points required for candidates recognized as having met the qualification standards for professors or associate professors, including at least one scientific work published in an international reputable scientific journal. The Prime Minister.

The conversion of points for the scientific works of candidates must be reviewed by at least three professors or associate professors in the same field of expertise.

The conversion of points for scientific works of the candidate must be reviewed by at least three professors or associate professors from the same specialized field.

4. The head of the higher education institution shall base on the need to appoint the title of professor/associate professor, consider the proposal of the department, faculty, and the opinion of the Scientific Council and Training Board of the higher education institution to issue a decision to appoint the title of professor/associate professor for teachers who meet the required conditions. The organization of examination at the department, faculty, and the Scientific Council and Training Board of the higher education institution must be approved by at least two-thirds of the total number of members.

Within one month from the date of issuing the appointment decision, the head of the higher education institution shall be responsible for reporting the list of newly appointed professors/associate professors to the competent authority and the Ministry of Education and Training.

The report file submitted to the competent authority of the higher education institution and the Ministry of Education and Training includes: Minutes of the meeting of the Scientific Council of the higher education institution, department, faculty accompanied by Minutes of the meeting to examine the appointment proposal.

6. Professors and associate professors who have been appointed by the Minister of Education and Training, when transferred to a new workplace, do not need to be reappointed.

11. Amend and supplement Clause 2 of Article 23 as follows:

"2. Those who have been appointed the title of professor/associate professor but fail to fulfill the assigned tasks as stipulated in Article 5 of the Regulation on Standards and Procedures for Appointment and Removal of the Title of Professor/Associate Professor (issued together with Decision No. 174/2008/QĐ-TTg dated December 31, 2008 of the Prime Minister) shall be relieved of their titles of professor/associate professor. The procedure for relieving the title of professor/associate professor shall be carried out in accordance with the provisions of Clause 1 and 2 of Article 21 of the Regulation on Standards and Procedures for Appointment and Removal of the Title of Professor/Associate Professor (issued together with Decision No. 174/2008/QĐ-TTg dated December 31, 2008 of the Prime Minister) and Clause 12 of Article 1 of Decision No. 20/2012/QĐ-TTg dated April 27, 2012 (amending and supplementing Clauses 3, 4, and 5 of Article 21 of Decision No. 174/2008/QĐ-TTg) of the Prime Minister."

This Circular takes effect from October 26, 2012.

Article 2. Abolish previous regulations that are contrary to this Circular.

The Chairman of the Office, the Director of the Department of Teachers and Educational Institution Management Staff, the Heads of relevant units under the Ministry of Education and Training, the Heads of competent authorities managing teachers in higher education institutions, the Chairman of the National Council of Professor Titles, the Heads of higher education institutions, and the Heads of relevant units are responsible for implementing this Circular.

Article 3. The Heads of the Office, the Director of the Teacher and Educational Managerial Staff Department, the Heads of relevant units under the Ministry of Education and Training, the Heads of administrative authorities managing teachers in higher education institutions, the Chairman of the State Council of Professorial Titles, the Heads of higher education institutions, and the Heads of relevant units shall be responsible for implementing this Circular.