Post by : Shakul
The Ministry of Education and Training in Vietnam is initiating a new legal framework aimed at overseeing the utilization and application of open educational resources within higher education institutions nationwide. Announced on May 8, 2026, the ministry is inviting public input on a draft Circular intended to facilitate digital transformation in higher education while enhancing the availability of academic resources for students, educators, and researchers.
According to officials, open educational resources play a crucial role in the modern digital landscape of higher education. They believe that establishing a national framework for these resources will aid universities in elevating teaching standards, promoting lifelong learning opportunities, minimizing educational costs, and ensuring equitable access to knowledge for all learners in Vietnam.
The draft Circular is rooted in the Law on Higher Education 2025, alongside related governmental guidelines. This initiative aligns with Decision 1117/QD-TTg from September 2023, which emphasized the creation and development of models pertaining to open educational resources in Vietnam's higher education sector. The ministry's goal is to institute a cohesive legal framework for the management and distribution of digital learning resources on a national scale.
Currently, the digital resource ecosystem in Vietnam is disjointed, lacking effective coordination among various universities and training organizations. Many institutions are still grappling with a shortage of quality digital learning content that can aid teaching, research, and online education. The government views open educational resources as a solution to these challenges, fostering a more interconnected and accessible educational environment.
The draft regulations categorize open educational resources to encompass textbooks, lecture notes, online courses, multimedia tools, research data, open-source software, and other relevant educational content, whether in digital or physical formats. These materials may reside in the public domain or be copyright-protected but made available under open licenses, permitting users to access, modify, mix, and redistribute them based on certain conditions.
Among the notable innovations proposed in the draft is the establishment of a National Open Educational Resources Access Portal. This centralized digital platform would enable universities and educational bodies to connect, share, and update educational resources within a unified system. The ministry is confident that the portal will enhance resource sharing, make academic materials more searchable, and boost collaboration among institutions across the nation.
The draft also sets forth rigorous quality benchmarks for open educational resources. The materials must align with scientific, educational, and pedagogical standards while adhering to laws regarding intellectual property, information security, and the protection of personal data. Institutions will be mandated to implement internal review processes before officially disseminating materials for public access.
Moreover, the proposed guidelines outline the rights and obligations of those engaging with open educational resources. Users will enjoy the rights to access, share, edit, and utilize materials as per open license stipulations; however, they must comply with copyright laws, appropriately cite sources, and refrain from using resources for illicit purposes or distorting academic content.
The Ministry of Education and Training highlights the vital role of open educational resources within Vietnam’s forthcoming digital education framework. Universities are encouraged to bolster their IT infrastructure, train both faculty and students on digital platforms, and collaborate with businesses and international organizations to broaden access to global educational resources. Officials assert that the proposed regulations will significantly improve the quality of higher education in Vietnam while fostering innovation and long-term digital progression within the education sector.
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