Commentary: What lies ahead? Considering the future of a ‘new’ Vietnamese higher education

• Main Author: ORTIGA, Yasmin Y.
• Format: text
• Language: English
• Published: Institutional Knowledge at Singapore Management University 2020
• Subjects: Vietnam; higher education; Southeast Asia; privatization of education; Asian Studies; Higher Education
• Online Access: https://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/soss_research/3329; https://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/context/soss_research/article/4589/viewcontent/Ortiga2020_WhatLiesAhead_VietnameseHE_av__1_.pdf
• Institution: Singapore Management University

In this commentary, Ortiga discusses two main tensions in how the authors in this volume portray the future of Vietnamese higher education. The first tension is the issue of autonomy or how universities must redefine their purpose and role in Vietnamese society as the state loosens its monopoly over higher education. Meanwhile, the second tension is the issue of privatisation or whether for-profit corporations and private agencies should play an increasing role in providing higher education services in the country. In reflecting on the future, Ortiga compares the case of Vietnam to higher education systems in neighbouring countries like the Philippines, Malaysia, and Singapore. She ends with a call for a deeper investigation of not only what will change, but also what might be replaced and sacrificed as Vietnamese higher education becomes more “autonomous” and “privatised”.