Vietnam bans new universities in Hanoi, HCMC

Vietnam will not allow the establishment of new junior colleges and universities in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City between 2016 and 2020, according to a government decision issued late last month.

The nation will give high priority to the formation of higher education institutions in key economic zones in the northern, central, and southern regions during the same period, the decision said.

Annual enrollment quotas are expected to grow by 0.3 percent and new full-time enrollees are predicted to expand by 1.5 percent per annum over these years.

Vietnam plans to hike its total enrollments to 2.2 million, 560,000 of which will be new full-time enrollees, and take the number of junior colleges and universities to 460 by 2020.

The country currently has 419 junior colleges and universities, including 82 private higher learning institutions.

Local educators will consider establishing a few comprehensive universities with a focus on research in natural and social sciences, bio-technology, automation, and information technology.

It aims to have 256 college students per ten thousand people and one lecturer to teach 17 to 26 students by 2020.

The number of university lecturers holding a PhD is expected to account for 21 percent of the total, while that of junior college lecturers will reach 4 percent of the overall figure.