The Prime Minister has just officially signed and issued Decree No. 201/2025/ND-CP dated July 11, 2025 regulating the functions, tasks and powers of national universities, replacing Decree No. 186/2013/ND-CP dated November 17, 2013 of the Government on national universities.
According to Article 2 of the Decree, a national university is a public higher education institution managed by the Ministry of Education and Training, with legal status, a separate account and a seal in the shape of the National emblem.
National universities have the function of training in university education, scientific research and technology transfer in many majors and fields of high quality; have some leading training fields in the country and are highly ranked in the world.
National universities are under the state management of the Ministry of Education and Training, the Ministry of Science and Technology, other ministries, branches and People's Committees at all levels where the national universities are headquartered according to the provisions of law.
Regarding personnel, the two universities will carry out the process and report to the Ministry to submit to the Prime Minister for appointment and dismissal of the university council chairman, director, and deputy director. The two schools are regulated the working regime of lecturers and researchers, and sign labor contracts with domestic and foreign lecturers, scientists, and experts to attract and promote high-quality human resources.
In training activities, national universities are built with regulations; practical, specialized, special, gifted and talented training programs to discover and nurture scientific and technological talents.
For scientific research and innovation, these two institutions have the right to propose and implement national and ministerial programs when approved by competent authorities; develop and organize domestic and foreign science and technology cooperation programs.
Regarding finance and assets, the Decree stipulates that national universities are level I budget estimate units assigned by the Prime Minister; carry out unified management of allocation and assignment of budget estimates to member units, units under and directly under national universities; be responsible for accounting and budget settlement of national universities according to the provisions of current state budget law.
The Decree also stipulates that national universities are responsible for explaining to the Government, the Prime Minister, ministries, branches, learners and society about the activities of national universities within the scope of assigned functions, tasks and powers.
These units are allowed to work directly with ministries, ministerial-level agencies, government agencies, People's Committees of provinces and centrally run cities to resolve issues related to national universities.
When necessary, national universities report to the Prime Minister on issues related to the activities and development of national universities; provide information and reports to serve inspection and examination activities of relevant ministries, branches and the People's Committees of provinces where the national universities, member units, and units under and directly under the national universities are headquartered according to the provisions of law.
Hanoi National University acknowledges that the new decree of the Government has granted very high autonomy in the fields of training, scientific research, organizational structure, finance, international cooperation and high-quality human resource development.
The modern university governance system is organized with clear decentralization and delegation of authority, associated with accountability. The central level manages the expertise, the localities manage the people and facilities; the Ministry of Education and Training only manages the expertise and state management. The empowerment of comprehensive autonomy creates a foundation for national universities to make a strong breakthrough in the new era.
Currently, the country has 2 national universities including: Hanoi National University and Ho Chi Minh City National University. Previously, at the end of last year, the document on the Orientation Plan for arranging and streamlining the Government's organizational apparatus had a content related to the arrangement of 2 national universities. Accordingly, 2 national universities are proposed to be transferred to the Ministry of Education and Training for management.
