THE MINISTER OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING

DECIDES:

Article 1.- To issue together with this Decision the Postgraduate Training Regulation.

Article 2.- This Decisions takes effect 15 days after its signing and replaces Decision No. 647/GDDT of February 14, 1996 of the Minister of Education and Training issuing the Regulation on postgraduate training and fostering. The previous regulations of the Ministry of Tertiary Education and Intermediate Vocational Training, the Ministry of Tertiary Education, Intermediate Professional and Vocational Training and the Ministry of Education and Training on postgraduate training and fostering, which are contrary to the provisions of the Postgraduate Training Regulation are all hereby annulled. The director of the Postgraduate Department of the Ministry of Education and Training shall have to guide in detail the implementation of this Regulation.

Article 3.- The director of the Office, the heads of the relevant units, of the Ministry of Education and Training, the heads of the postgraduate training establishments and those who participate in the postgraduate training shall have to implement this Decision.

Minister of Education and Training
NGUYEN MINH HIEN

Article 1.- Scope of regulation

The Postgraduate Training Regulation provides for training activities in postgraduate education, the postgraduate training institutions, the training programs and the management of postgraduate training; the tasks, rights and responsibilities of organizations and individuals participating in postgraduate training in the territory of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.

Article 2.- Postgraduate training objectives

1. Postgraduate training is conducted for university graduates, aiming to equip them with postgraduate knowledge and raise their practicing skills in order to build a contingent of science workers with political and moral qualities, the sense of serving the people, and with high professional qualifications, meeting the country�s requirements of socio-economic, scientific and technological development.

2. Postgraduate training includes master�s training, doctoral training and postgraduate fostering.

Masters must have the firm professional knowledge; the practicing capability and high adaptability to the scientific, technical and economic developments as well as the ability to identify and solve problems related to the specialties they are trained in.

Doctors must have high theoretical and practicing qualifications; the capability to conduct research creatively and independently; the ability to provide instruction for scientific research as well as professional activities, to identify and solve scientific and technological problems.

Postgraduate fostering constitutes a form of training to supplement, update and raise participants� knowledge to keep pace with the scientific and technological developments in the country and the world.

Article 3.- Training forms and duration

1. Master�s and doctoral training is conducted in two forms of full-time and part-time training.

a/ Full-time training is a form of training where students must fully devote their time to study and research as provided for by the training institutions� curricula.

b/ Part-time training is a form of training where students may spend part of their time on doing other work; but the total amount of time reserved for their study and research at training institutions must be equivalent to that of the full-time training.

The curriculum volume and content and the training requirements of the full-time and part-time training forms are alike.

2. The time for master�s training shall be two years for full-time training and three years for part-time training.

The time for full-time doctoral training shall be four years for holders of a university degree; between two and three years for holders of a master�s degree. The time for part-time doctoral training shall be five years for holders of a university degree; from three to four years for holders of a master�s degree.

Article 4.- Postgraduate training institutions

1. Postgraduate training institutions are universities and scientific research institutes that are assigned by the Prime Minister the postgraduate training tasks; with universities providing master�s and doctoral training while scientific research institutes providing doctoral training and coordinating with universities in providing master�s training.

2. Conditions for being assigned the postgraduate training tasks:

a/ Having a strong contingent of science workers who hold the degree of doctor or doctor of science or the title of associate professor or professor; the capacity to formulate the training programs and organize the implementation thereof, the capacity to organize supervision and arrange supervisors for Master�s dissertations or doctoral theses.

b/ Having necessary material and technical bases for the study and scientific research of postgraduate trainees and students.

c/ Having experiences in the work of scientific research, training and fostering the contingent of science workers, technicians, as demonstrated in the completion of scientific research projects at doctoral thesis�s level, the fulfillment of research tasks in the projects under the State-level or ministerial-level programs, as well as in good organization of scientific activities and postgraduate fostering classes.

3. Postgraduate training institutions which fail to maintain the conditions stated in Clause 2 of this Article or fail to fulfill or refuse to perform their assigned tasks shall be suspended from performing the postgraduate training tasks.

Chapter II

MASTER�S TRAINING

Section 1. MASTER�S TRAINING PROGRAMS

Article 5.- Requirements for master�s training programs

1. The master�s training programs must assure to supplement and raise postgraduate trainees� knowledge already studied in universities; modernize their specialty knowledge; enhance their interdisciplinary knowledge; enable them to fulfill their professional work and scientific research in the specialized branches of their study.

2. Each master�s training program must include a volume of between 80 and 100 credits, with a credit being equal to around 15 theoretical lecture periods, 30 to 40 empirical, experimental or seminar periods, 45 to 60 periods for essay or dissertation writing. To absorb one theoretical, empirical or experimental credit students must spend at least 30 preparatory periods.

3. A Master�s training program include three units:

a/ Unit 1- Background knowledge: including philosophy and foreign language courses, which are intended to equip the students with methodological knowledge and means so that they can proceed with the study of subjects in the unit on base and specialized knowledge, and investigation into the dissertation topics.

b/ Unit 2 - Base and specialized knowledge: including study subjects to supplement and improve base and interdisciplinary knowledge, broaden and update specialized knowledge, including specialized informatics and the scientific research methodology of a particular branch, helping students to have a firm theoretical understanding and practicing capability, the capability for practical activities to solve professional problems. This unit consists of two groups of study subjects :

- Group of compulsory study subjects: including those with essential contents of a particular branch and specialty, some of which are generally prescribed by the Ministry of Education and Training for each branch at the proposal of the Council of the Branch or Subject.

- Group of optional study subjects (accounting for a maximum of 30% of the training volume of unit 2), including those intended to meet the different career requirements of students in the same specialized branch of study. Students shall propose their options for appropriate subjects under the guidance of the study subject section or subject lecturers and must ensure the prescribed number of credits.

c/ Unit 3 - Master�s dissertations: Master�s dissertation topics are specific scientific, technical or managerial issues either assigned by training institutions or proposed by the students, agreed upon by their supervisors and approved by the Department�s Scientific and Training Council and the training institutions.

Article 6.- Structure of a master�s training program

The structure of a master�s training program is formulated the basis of the training characteristics, requirements and objectives of a branch or specialized branch of study.

Following are two types of structure of the master�s training program:

Type 1: applicable to training programs intended mainly to equip students with knowledge and practicing skills. This structure is composed of:

Unit 1 accounting for 20% of the volume of the training program;

Unit 2 accounting for 65-70% of the volume of the training program;

Unit 3 accounting for 10-15% of the volume of the training program.

Type 2: Applicable to training programs for those engaged in scientific research work. This structure is composed of:

Unit 1 accounting for 20% of the volume of the training program;

Unit 2 accounting for 50-55% of the volume of the training program;

Unit 3 accounting for 25-30% of the volume of the training program.

Article 7.- The framework program

The framework program is formulated on the basis of the program requirements and structure stated in Articles 5 and 6 of this Regulation. The framework program of each specialized branch of study must clearly state the training objectives and requirements of the specialized branch of study; the training program structure, the total number of credits; the structure, principal contents and credit distribution of different subjects on base and specialized knowledge; time distribution for theoretical training, practice and ways of assessment of each course.

The framework program of each specialized branch of study is developed by each training institution or group of training institutions. The framework program of each specialized branch of study must be adopted by the Scientific and Training Council of the training institution and approved by the Ministry of Education and Training when assigning the specialized training tasks to the training institution.

Apart from the study subjects prescribed by the Ministry of Education and Training, other subjects may be adjusted and/or added when necessary by the training institution provided that such adjustments and/or additions are passed by its Scientific and Training Council, reported to the Ministry of Education and Training and filed at the training institution as the legal basis for organization of training.

Section 2. ORGANIZATION OF MASTER�S TRAINING

Article 8.- Organization of tuition

1. Organization of the tuition of different subjects in a master�s training program rests with the training institution, which includes the determination of the requirements and contents of study subjects, the elaboration of tuition plans on the basis of the framework program already approved.

The subject content must be revised, updated, supplemented and modernized to meet the requirements of scientific and technological development of the branch. The revision and/or supplement of a subject�s basic content must be passed by the Department�s Scientific and Training Council and the dossiers thereof must be filed at the training institution.

2. At the beginning of a study course, the training institution must notify students of the study plan and curricula for the whole course, the plan on the test, examination and assessment of each subject of the specialized branches of study, the timetable for defense of graduation dissertations, rules on study and recognition of graduation, duties and interests of students.

3. Teaching of the subjects in the master�s training program must be effected through the combination of in-class tuition, self-study and self-inquiry, with importance being attached to promoting the students� practice skills and capability to identify and solve professional problems.

4. In order to implement the tuition plan, a detailed syllabus must be prepared for every study subject and approved by the study subject section. Such a detailed syllabus must clearly identify:

a/ The objectives, contents and teaching methods for each part, chapter and section.

b/ The time for class tuition and practice sessions.

c/ The reading list.

d/ The requirements for assignments, essays, regular tests and final examinations.

e/ Mark proportions of regular tests, assignments, essays and final examination.

f/ Full names, academic degrees, titles (associate-professor or professor) of the subject�s lecturers.

5. The head of the study subject section shall have to arrange lecturers, check the formulation and implementation of the timetable for theoretical teaching and practice, assignments, tests, essays and final examinations of study subjects under the management of the study subject section for each training course.

6. The training institution shall have to work out tuition plans for all subjects of each specialized study branch for every training course and manage the implementation thereof.

7. The head of the training institution shall have to organize the inspection and supervision of the implementation of the tuition plans and timetables, compilation of detailed syllabuses and subject assessment by lecturers.

Article 9.- Subject assessment

1. General provisions

The assessment of study subjects shall be effected through assignments, regular tests, essay writing and final examinations. Each subject must be assessed at least twice through assignments or essays or tests and final examinations. Tests and final examinations may take oral or written form.

2. Organization of subject assessment

a/ Subject lecturers organize regular tests, assignments and essays as required by the subject�s detailed syllabus.

The study subject section and the subject lecturers organize the subjects� final examinations. The study subject section�s head shall have to organize the preparation of final examinations� questions or use the bank of examination questions. Examination questions must conform to the subject�s content.

Annually, the training institution must research into and analyze the examination results of various subjects in the training program so as to ensure the scientific preparation of examination questions and the accurate and fair examination and assessment.

b/ Regular test scripts, assignments and essays of a course shall be marked by the subject lecturers. Final examination scripts must be marked by two lecturers, who shall agree upon a common mark. Where they cannot reach agreement on a common mark, they shall submit the case to the study subject section�s head for decision.

c/ The subject-assessing marks (including the regular test, assignment, essay, and final examination marks) shall be given according to a scale of 0 to 10, if a fractional mark is given, only the decimal fraction 0.5 is accepted. The subject mark is the aggregate of the subject-assessing marks already multiplied with their corresponding marking proportions prescribed in the subject�s detailed syllabus, rounded up to one decimal fraction. The subject shall be considered satisfactory if its mark is from 5.0 upward.

d/ The subject-assessing marks must be publicized right after the marking is finished. The subject-assessing marks and the subject marks must be inscribed in the subject mark sheet for each training course according to the uniform form set by the institution, bearing the signatures of markers and head of the study subject section.

e/ Each subject�s assessing marks and overall mark of each student must be inscribed in the general mark registry of the training course.

g/ The head of the training institution shall provide for the preservation of examination scripts, the marking procedures and archiving of marked examination script. Marked examination scripts must be kept at least for three years after the end of the training course. The other dossiers and documents of regular tests and final examinations must be archived at the institutions for a long time.

3. Conditions for sitting the final examinations

Students shall be allowed to sit the final examinations if they meet the following conditions:

a/ Attending at least 80% of the theoretical lecture periods prescribed in the subject�s detailed syllabus.

b/ Participating in all practice sessions and academic activities.

c/ Getting all assignment, regular test and essay marks as prescribed for the subject.

Students who fail to attend one of the practice sessions with plausible reasons shall be considered and arranged for other sessions by the head of the study subject section, who fail to participate in an academic activity for plausible reasons shall be considered and arranged by the head of the study subject section for submission of an academic report instead.

Students who miss one of the regular tests or final examinations for plausible reasons shall be permitted to take the make-ups (in this case they shall be considered as taking the first examination). The timetable of make-ups must be determined in the teaching timetable. Re-examination shall not be organized for students with regular test marks below 5.

Apart from the regular rests and final examinations stated in the teaching timetable and announced right at the start of the training course, no other examinations shall be organized.

Students who are not qualified to sit the final examination for a particular subject shall have to repeat such subject in the next course.

4. Students who fail any subject with unsatisfactory mark(s) may take the second final examination therefor. The reexamination schedule must be fixed and announced in the teaching schedule at the start of the training course and organized at least four weeks after the first examination. For this time, the subject mark shall be recalculated according to the second examination mark and must be clearly inscribed as such.

A student whose subject mark remains unsatisfactory even with the re-examination result must repeat the subject in the next course. The number of subjects in a study course re-taken by a student in the next course must not exceed three and he/she must self-finance the study of such units. A student who has to repeat four subjects or has repeated from one to three subjects but the mark of one of these subjects remains under 5, shall be suspended from study.

5. All mark-related complaints shall be settled according to the regulations of the training institutions within one month after the announcement of the examination results.

6. Handling of breaches in the subject-assessing process

The handling of breaches during regular tests and final examinations shall comply with the regulations on qualifying postgraduate examinations. Students who fraudulently copy others� assignments or essays shall get mark zero (0) for such assignments or essays.

Article 10.- Master�s dissertations and supervisors

1. The head of the training institution shall issue decisions on assigning the Master�s dissertation topic and one supervisor to every student to complete the dissertation. The content of a dissertation must reveal the student�s theoretical knowledge and practice skills in his/her specialized field of study as well as the methods to deal with the raised question. The dissertation�s findings must prove the author�s capability to apply the research methodology and knowledge absorbed in the study process to dealing with the topic. Master�s dissertations of the program structure of type 2 should contain new proposals or findings.

2. Supervisors of Master�s dissertations must meet all the criteria stated in Article 32 of this Regulation. Holders of the title of associate professor or professor, or the degree of doctor of science may supervise 5 students at most at a time. Holders of the degree of doctor may supervise 3 students at most at a time.

3. Students shall be allowed to defend their Master�s dissertations if they fully meet the following conditions:

a/ Having passed the subjects in the program prescribed for the specialized branch of study.

b/ Obtaining their supervisor�s approval to defend their dissertations.

c/ Not being course to a warning or a more severe form of discipline.

Article 11.- The Master�s Dissertation-Marking Board

1. The Master�s Dissertation-Marking Board shall be set up by decision of the head of the training institution. Such a board has five members who are holders of the degree of doctor or doctor of science or the title of associate professor or professor, compatible to the students� specialized field of study, two of whom are from outside the training institution. The Board�s composition includes a chairman, a secretary, two critics and a member.

The critics must be knowledgeable about the dissertation�s topic and must not be co-authors with the defenders of the publicized works related to the dissertation�s topic. The Board�s members must be responsible before law for the truthfulness of their comments on and assessments of the dissertation.

The Board�s members must not be parents, spouses, children or siblings of the dissertation�s author.

No board shall be set up for trial defense of any dissertation.

2. The dissertation defense shall not be conducted in one of the following circumstances:

a/ The Board�s chairman is absent.

b/ The Board�s secretary is absent.

c/ The critic who has an opinion disapproving the dissertation is absent.

d/ Two or more members of the Board are absent.

Dissertations must be publicly defended. For dissertations related to national secrets, their defense shall be conducted according to separate guidance.

3. The training institution shall work out the regulations on the way of assessing and marking dissertations and guide the Board�s members to follow. The assessment of a dissertation must ensure the accurate evaluation of the student�s level of knowledge, ability to apply knowledge to solving questions raised by the dissertation topic. The marks given by the Board�s members are on a scale of from 0 to 10, if a fractional mark is given, only the decimal fraction of 0.5 is accepted. The mark of a dissertation is the mean of the marks given by the Board�s members present at the defense ceremony, calculated up to one decimal fraction and not rounded up.

A dissertation is deemed unsatisfactory if it gets a mark below 5. In this case, the student is allowed to rewrite it for the second-time defense. The time for a training course�s second-time defenses must be within from four to six months after the last day of the period of first-time defenses. Students themselves shall bear all costs of rewriting and re-defense of their dissertations. Third-time defense shall not be organized.

Article 12.- Changes in the training process

1. For plausible reasons, students may request for permission to change to other training institutions on condition that they are still in the prescribed study time and theirs request are approved by the training institutions where they are studying and they are admitted by the new institutions. It is the new training institutions that decide whether or not to accept the study results already obtained by the students and determine the additional study subjects they need to take.

2. Students may ask for permission to change their specialized study field in the same branch once, which share the same subjects for entrance examinations as well as the same compulsory subjects of the base knowledge unit. Any change of the specialized branch of study shall be permitted only where there are plausible reasons and before the start of the unit on specialized knowledge.

3. In special cases due to a force majeure event, students may ask for permission to defer their study not more than once and continue their study in the next course; or to defend their dissertations in the re-defense period or with the next course.

4. The heads of training institutions shall consider and decide whether or not to permit students to shift to new training institutions, change their specialized study field, defer their study; to send back to their localities or employing agencies students who fail to complete the training program or who are suspended from study under Clause 4, Article 9 of this Regulation and report such to the Ministry of Education and Training.

Article 13.- Awarding master�s degrees and mark sheets

After the completion of the training course at the prescribed time, the heads of training institutions shall organize the consideration and recognition of graduation for students who have got the pass marks for all study subjects and dissertations as required by the training programs. Before awarding degrees, the heads of the training institutions shall report to the Ministry of Education and Training the list of students who have been recognized as having graduated from training courses according to the form set in the Ministry of Education and Training�s Guidelines on the organization and management of postgraduate training.

Graduates shall be awarded the master�s degrees together with the whole-course mark sheets by the heads of the training institutions. A whole-course mark sheet must clearly inscribe the names of the study subjects, the number of credits of each subject, the subject mark, the total number of credits of all subjects, the overall mark of all subjects, the title and mark of the dissertation, and the list of the members of the Dissertation-Marking Board.

Chapter III

DOCTORAL TRAINING

Section 1. DOCTORAL TRAINING PROGRAMS

Article 14.- Requirements for doctoral training programs

1. The doctoral training programs must assure to help postgraduate students to improve and consolidate their basic knowledge, acquire a deep specialized knowledge, have the capabilities for independent scientific research and creative professional activities.

2. A doctoral training program consists of three units:

a/ Unit 1- The study subjects of the master�s training program prescribed at Points a and b, Clause 3, Article 5 of this Regulation.

Postgraduate students with a master�s degree for the same specialty shall not have to study this unit. Those who have a master�s degree in the course close to that in which they are trained for a doctorate must take necessary additional subjects to acquire the knowledge like those with the master�s degree in the same specialty.

b/ Unit 2 - Doctoral majors

The doctoral majors aim to equip postgraduate students with the scientific research capabilities, update and raise the knowledge relevant to the topics of their theses, helping them to properly treat the thesis topics.

Annually, the heads of the training institutions shall have to approve the list of majors for each specialized branch of training. The number of majors for each specialized branch must be large enough for their options. Supervisors shall help doctoral students to select majors which are suitable and practical for inquiry into their theses� topics. Each doctoral student must complete at least three majors with a total volume of between 5 and 10 credits (credits are prescribed in Clause 2, Article 5 of this Regulation).

c/ Unit 3- Doctoral theses

The doctoral thesis must be a scientific work containing new valuable contributions in a particular scientific domain, demonstrating the student�s independent and creative scientific research capabilities. Such new contributions may include:

- New findings or proposals that supplement, develop or further diversify the existing knowledge pool of the specialty.

- Creative applications and scientific developments based on existing achievements, aiming to meet the practical socio-economic and scientific-technological requirements.

Section 2. ORGANIZATION OF DOCTORAL TRAINING

Article 15.- Management of doctoral students

1. In the study process, doctoral students are considered members of the study subject section or research bureau (hereinafter collectively called the study subject section) of the training institutions.

2. The study subject section has the tasks of:

a/ Proposing supervisors for doctoral students and define doctoral students� research topics.

b/ Determining the plans on training doctoral students, creating conditions, monitoring and supervising the implementation thereof.

c/ Managing doctoral students during the study and research process.

d/ Organizing regular academic activities so that students can report on their research results and doctoral majors.

e/ Organizing the assessment of doctoral students� theses before they can be defended at the State level.

Article 16.- Supervisors of doctoral students

1. Before enrolling doctoral students, the training institutions must announce the list of potential supervisors as well as possible research areas so as to create conditions for candidates to choose appropriate supervisors. Supervisors of doctoral students must meet the criteria set in Article 32 of this Regulation and submit to the direction of the study subject section.

2. Doctors of science, professors and associate professors who are experienced in doctoral fostering and training and scientific research may supervise doctoral students independently if so approved by the training institutions.

3. If a doctoral student is assigned two supervisors:

a/ One of them acts as the principal supervisor assuming the prime responsibility and directing the supervisors� collective to fulfill the prescribed tasks.

b/ The other acts as the secondary supervisor responsible for participating in the supervisors� collective�s activities guiding the doctoral students according to the principal supervisor�s assignment.

4. Doctors of science and professors may supervise or participate in supervising 5 students at most at a time. Doctors and associate professors may supervise or participate in supervising 3 students at most at a time. Each supervisor may supervise not more than 2 students of the same course.

5. After the Ministry of Education and Training issues decisions to recognize doctoral students, the heads of the training institutions issue decisions on the lists of supervisors and report them to the Ministry of Education and Training.

Article 17.- Organization of the study of subjects under the master�s training program

Training institutions shall make plans on the doctoral students� study and examinations of subjects prescribed at Point a, Clause 2, Article 14 of this Regulation with the master�s classes and courses of their own or other institutions.

Article 18.- Carrying out doctoral majors

Doctoral majors shall be carried out by doctoral students through self-study and self-research with the help of their supervisors. The assessment and marking of doctoral majors shall be done through the students� presentation of their majors before a major-marking sub-committee at an academic symposium. The major-marking sub-committee shall consist of three members who have the degree of doctor or doctor of science or the title of professor or associate professor, and a profound knowledge of the students� majors. The heads of training institutions shall issue decisions on setting up the major-marking sub-committees.

Article 19.- Carrying out doctoral theses

Doctoral students shall have to report on their research outlines, study plan and research plan for carrying out their thesis when they are dispatched to join the subject section�s activities. In the course of carrying out their thesis, students must participate in all scientific symposiums of the subject section, make scientific reports, write scientific articles, and participate in scientific activities relevant to their research tasks inside and outside the training institutions. Doctoral students must spare some time for taking part in the teaching work at universities or guide scientific research at research institutes according to the assignment of the study subject section.

Article 20.- Thesis content and form

1. A doctoral thesis must show that its author has achieved the objectives and met the requirements regarding knowledge and scientific research methods, made new contributions to the specialty as prescribed at Point c, Clause 14 of this Regulation. The thesis must be written in a cohesive and concise fashion in this order: foreword, chapters, conclusions, list of references and annexes (if any).

2. The sources of materials or other people�s findings used in the thesis must be cited. The use of co-authors� proposals or results must be also clearly stated. If a thesis uses another person�s materials (quotations, tables, diagrams, formulas, as well as other materials) without referring to the author and material source, it shall not be approved for defense.

3. If the thesis is a scientific work or part of the scientific work done by a collective with its author being the main contributor, such must be reported and all documents showing the consent of all members of the collective must be produced to the training institution.

4. Regarding their presentation, theses must be written in a coherent, explicit and clean fashion in strict accordance with the guidance of the Ministry of Education and training.

A doctoral thesis may be written in around 45,000 words (about 150 pages, excluding drawings, tables, diagrams, references and annexes), printed on A4 paper (210mm x 297mm). Social science theses may be longer but not exceeding 30% of the above limit.

Erasure and correction in theses are strictly forbidden.

Theses must be bound in hard-cover.

Article 21.- Changes in the training process

1. Any change in the thesis�s topic shall be accepted only with plausible reasons and in the first semester of the training program.

2. The addition or change of supervisor shall be made only when it is really necessary and at least one year before the end of the doctoral student�s study duration.

3. When having plausible reasons, students may ask for permission to shift to other training institutions provided that they have at least one year to complete the prescribed study time and their requests are approved by the training institutions where they are studying and the new institutions agree to admit them. The new training institutions shall decide whether or not to accept the study results the students already obtained and determine which additional subjects or majors they need to take.

4. Doctoral students shall be deemed to have completed their training program on time if within the prescribed duration, they have successfully defended their theses before the State-level Thesis-Marking Council.

If a student is unable to complete his/her training program on the prescribed time, at least three months before the deadline, he/she must make a written request for an extension of the study time. The extension shall be granted only when there are plausible reasons and with conditions that, within the extended time, the student shall complete his/her study and research tasks. Any extended time must not exceed 12 months.

5. At the end of the training duration or after having successfully defended their theses, doctoral students shall be sent back to their employing agencies or localities. Those who have not yet finished their theses may, within two years after the end of the training duration, return to the training institutions, asking for permission to defend their theses if it is so proposed by their agencies or localities, agreed by their supervisors and approved by the training institutions. For this case, the doctoral students shall bear all thesis defense costs.

6. The heads of training institutions shall consider and decide the adjustment or change of the thesis topics, the extension of the study duration for doctoral students for up to six months, the addition or change of supervisors, the return of students to their localities or employing agencies and report thereon to the Ministry of Education and Training. The change of the training institution, the extension of the study duration for over six months and the extension thereof for foreign students shall be decided by the Ministry of Education and Training.

Section 3. ORGANIZATION OF ASSESSMENT OF DOCTORAL THESES

Article 22.- Assessment of doctoral theses

Assessment of a doctoral thesis shall be carried out in two steps:

1. Thesis assessment in the study subject section

2. Thesis assessment at the State level.

Article 23.- Assessment in the study subject section

1. After a doctoral student has finished his/her thesis and training program prescribed in Article 14 of this Regulation, announced the principal contents of his/her thesis in at least two articles published in different science journals, the study subject section shall organize the assessment of the student�s thesis.

2. The head of the training institution shall issue a decision on setting up the Thesis-Assessing Board. Such a board shall consist of from 5 to 7 members who hold the degree of doctor or doctor of science or the title of professor or associate professor, of whom two shall act as introducers of the thesis. Most of the Board�s members are staff of the study subject section and the training institution; scientists from outside the training institution may be invited to join the Board.

3. The Board�s members must peruse and comment on the draft thesis. Assessing the thesis in the study subject section is an academic activity of the study subject section, with the participation of many scientists of the same specialty or those close to that of the thesis�s topic, as well as interested people, aiming to assess the achieved results, point to flaws in the content and form of the thesis so that the doctoral student makes supplements and/or revisions. If the thesis is satisfactory and passed by the study subject section, the training institution shall prepare necessary dossiers and formalities for proposing the student�s thesis defense at the State level.

4. The thesis assessment in the course section is of advisory value for the head of the training institution to propose the Minister of Education and Training to permit the student to present his/her thesis before the State-level Thesis-Marking Board.

Article 24.- The State-level Thesis-Marking Board

Within no more than three months after the thesis is passed by the study subject section, the training institution shall have to transfer the dossier proposing the student�s thesis defense at the State level to the Ministry of Education and Training. The Minister of Education and Training shall make a decision on setting up the State-level Thesis-Marking Board.

Before setting up the State-level Thesis-Marking Board, the Ministry of Education and Training shall invite two independent critics of the thesis. Independent critics are scientists who have good ethic qualities, firm professional qualifications in the field of the doctoral student�s thesis topic, high scientific prestige and the ability to defend their own scientific ideas. Opinions of independent critics shall be of advisory value for the Minister of Education and Training in considering whether or not to permit the student to defend his/her thesis.

The State-level Thesis-Marking Board shall consist of 7 members who are scientists with the degree of doctor (for three years or more) or the degree of doctor of science, or the title of professor or associate professor, good ethical qualities, profound knowledge of the thesis�s research topic. The Board shall be composed of a chairman, a secretary, three critics and other members. The number of members from the training institution must not exceed three.

Members of the Thesis-Marking Board must not be parents, spouses, children or siblings of the defending doctoral students.

Critics must be from different agencies and must not be co-authors with the doctoral student in the publicized works related to the topic of the thesis.

Article 25.- Conditions for organization of the State-level thesis defense

1. The training institution must directly organize the student�s thesis defense. Students must not participate in the process of preparing for and organizing their defense, not contact any Board members before their official written comments are sent to the training institution.

2. The training institution shall organize the doctoral student�s thesis defense if the following conditions are met:

a/ All written comments of the State-level Thesis-Marking Board�s members have been sent to the training institution 15 days before the thesis defense day.

b/ The thesis and its abstract have been sent to the scientists, scientific organizations and displayed for comments at the reading hall of the training institution�s library at least 30 days before the thesis defense day.

c/ There are at least 10 brief written comments on the thesis made by the scientists holding the degree of doctor or doctor of science or the title of professor or associate professor within and without the training institution.

d/ The time, venue and topic of the thesis to be defended must be announced on the central or local dailies at least 10 days before the thesis defense day.

3. The Board shall not meet to mark the thesis if one of the following circumstances occurs:

a/ Its chairman is absent.

b/ Its secretary is absent.

c/ The critic who has an opinion disapproving the thesis is absent.

d/ Two or more of its members are absent.

e/ The doctoral student is course to a warning or a more severe discipline.

g/ Any of Points a, b, c and d has not been fully complied with.

Article 26.- Organization of the State-level thesis defense

1. Theses must be publicly defended. Those theses involving State secrets shall be defended under a separate guidance. The thesis defense must be an academic discussion between the thesis author and the Board�s members and other participants, ensure academic principles and ethics. All the Board�s members shall have to get to know thoroughly the thesis before the defense takes place.

2. The thesis shall be assessed by secret vote. The Board�s members may only vote approval or disapproval. An abstention vote shall be considered as disapproval. If approving the thesis, on the basis of its new contributions, theoretical, empirical or practical, the voter may grade the thesis as distinction or not.

The thesis shall be considered satisfactory and approved by the Board if at least three quarters of the number of its present members vote for it. If 100% of the Board�s present members cast approval votes and grade the thesis as distinction, the doctoral student shall be considered and commended by the training institution and the Ministry of Education and Training.

3. The Board must make a resolution on the thesis, clearly stating its basic scientific conclusions; scientific bases and reliability of the theoretical perceptions and conclusions presented in the thesis; its new points, the theoretical and practical significance together with the proposals on how to use its research findings; constraints and shortcomings in its form and content; the extent of satisfaction of the requirements for a doctoral thesis; the Board�s recommendations to the Ministry of Education and Training on the recognition and awarding of the doctoral degree to the doctoral student. The Board�s resolution shall be voted by show of hands.

4. If the thesis is disapproved by the Thesis-Marking Board, the doctoral student shall be allowed to revise it and propose for the second defense which should be organized at least 12 months and at most 24 months after the date of the first defense. The composition of the Board shall remain the same. If a member is away, the Ministry of Education and Training shall add a substitute member. The doctoral student shall bear all costs of the second defense. The third defense shall not be organized.

Article 27.- Evaluation and awarding of doctoral degrees.

Within two weeks after the defense of the thesis before the State-level Thesis-Marking Board the training institution shall have to transfer to the Ministry of Education and Training the full dossier of the thesis defense ceremony.

The Ministry of Education and Training shall evaluate the thesis defense results. In case of necessity, the Ministry of Education and Training shall set up a Board to evaluate the thesis�s quality, the training process and, the working process of the State-level Thesis-Marking Board.

The Minister of Education and Training shall consider and decide the recognition the academic title and award the doctoral degrees to the doctoral students who have successfully defended their theses.

Chapter IV

POSTGRADUATE FOSTERING

Article 29.- Objectives of postgraduate fostering

Postgraduate fostering is a mode of informal training aim to provide new knowledge, supplement, update and modernize already learnt knowledge, satisfy the imperative demands arising in the work or profession of people holding university or higher degree. Postgraduate fostering is encouraged to be regularly held at postgraduate training institutions.

Article 30.- Postgraduate fostering program

The postgraduate fostering program shall be formulated to meet the practical requirements of scientific-technological and socio-economic activities. The contents of the postgraduate forstering program should be regularly renewed and supplemented in order to achieve the set objectives. Annually, the postgraduate training institutions shall work out plans on the program formulation and fostering organization and widely announce their postgraduate fostering programs.

Article 31.- Tasks and interests of participants in postgraduate fostering

Participants in postgraduate fostering shall bear all or some expenses for their study, depending on the funding capability of their employing ministries, localities or agencies.

Upon completion of the fostering programs, participants shall be granted postgraduate fostering certificates by the heads of the training institutions. The postgraduate fostering certificates shall be valid for the assessment of participants� progresses in their work and profession.

Chapter V

LECTURERS

Article 32.- Criteria of postgraduate lecturers

1. Postgraduate lecturers are those who work as lecturers or tutors (guiding practices, assignments and discussions) of the subjects covered by the postgraduate fostering programs, the master�s training programs, and as supervisors of students to carry out master�s dissertations or doctoral theses.

2. Postgraduate lecturers must meet the following criteria:

a/ Having a clear personal record, good political, ethical and personal qualities;

b/ Holding the master�s or higher degree, for lecturers of postgraduate fostering programs and tutors of the master�s training programs; holding the degree of doctor or doctor of science or the title of professor or associate professor, for lecturers of theoretical subjects covered by the master�s training programs, supervisors of master�s degree dissertations or doctoral theses.

3. For several branches where there are few people of doctor degree, the training institutions may select principal lecturers with master�s degree to give the theoretical lectures on subjects under the master�s training programs, but must report such to the Ministry of Education and Training.

4. In addition to the general criteria, supervisors of dissertations or theses must meet also the following criteria:

- Supervisors of master�s degree dissertations must be those who have the capability to independently conduct and organize scientific research and have their scientific works already publicized.

- Supervisors of doctoral theses must be those who have obtained the doctor degree for at least three years; made certain contributions to training as well as scientific research; have plans to conduct research and have publicized scientific works which are relevant to the doctoral students� research topics or fields.

5. It is encouraged to invite foreign scientists who fully meet the criteria in Clauses 2 and 4 of this Article to participate in the postgraduate training in Vietnam.

Article 33.- Tasks of postgraduate training lecturers

1. To seriously and fully implement the training plans and programs, observe the regulations of training institutions and the Ministry of Education and Training.

2. To regularly improve their teaching methods, raise the training quality, provide advice and help to trainees, postgraduate students in their study and research.

3. Supervisors of trainees and postgraduate students shall have the tasks:

a/ To determine plans and programs for realizing the research topics.

b/ To guide doctoral students to carry out doctoral majors and check their performance.

c/ To organize, guide, monitor, check and urge trainees and postgraduate students to do scientific research and complete their dissertations or theses.

d/ To make periodical comments and reports to the study subject section on the study, research and progresses of their students in each year.

e/ To certify the achieved results, reviewing the trainees� dissertations or doctoral students� theses and propose on the student�s defense thereof.

4. Other tasks as prescribed by law.

Article 34.- Rights of postgraduate lecturers

1. To be entitled to receive training and fostering to raise their professional qualifications.

2. To be entitled to postgraduate training remuneration according to the Government�s regulations.

3. Other rights as prescribed by law.

Chapter VI

POSTGRADUATE STUDENTS

Article 35.- Postgraduate students

1. Postgraduate students are those who are following postgraduate fostering programs, master�s training programs (called trainees) and doctoral training programs (called doctoral students).

2. Citizens of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam may pursue postgraduate education or research if:

a/ They have a clear personal record, are not being examined for penal liability;

b/ They are fully qualified for and passed postgraduate entrance examinations organized by postgraduate training institutions or admitted as graduating students.

The conditions for taking and passing examinations, and graduating students are prescribed in the Regulation on Postgraduate Enrolment.

3. Students who are following master�s or doctoral training programs in a specialized branch or at a certain training institution shall not be allowed to concurrently study, or take the entrance examination in another specialized branch or at another postgraduate training institution.

4. Foreigners who pursue postgraduate education in Vietnam shall observe the Ministry of Education and Training�s Regulation on foreign students in Vietnam.

Article 36.- Tasks of postgraduate students

Postgraduate students shall have the following tasks:

1. To fulfill their study and scientific research plans as scheduled in the programs and plans of the training institutions. To report in full and on time their study and research results to the training institutions.

2. To pay tuition fees according to the Government�s regulations.

3. To respect the lecturers, administrators and employees of the training institutions, to abide by the State�s laws, the regulations and rules of the training institutions.

4. To preserve and protect the training institutions� properties.

5. Other tasks as prescribed by law.

Article 37.- Rights of postgraduate students

Postgraduate students have the following rights:

1. To be respected, equally treated and provided with all information on their study by training institutions.

2. To participate in activities of mass and social organizations in the training institution.

3. To have access to libraries, scientific materials, laboratories, facilities and other material bases of the training institutions and their coordinating establishments in service of their study and scientific research.

4. To receive their salaries and salary-based allowances in full, for students who are State officials and employees, which are paid by their agencies.

5. To devote time to their study and research according to the training program prescribed in Article 3 of this Regulation.

6. Other rights as prescribed by law.

Chapter VII

MANAGEMENT OF POSTGRADUATE TRAINING

Article 38.- Responsibilities of postgraduate training institutions

The training institutions have the following responsibilities:

1. To work out annual enrollment plans and quotas for different specialties, which must be approved by their managing ministries and reported to the Ministry of Education and Training.

2. To develop and manage the training programs, textbooks and teaching plans for the specialties allowed for training; draw up dossiers proposing the Ministry of Education and Training to assign them new specialties for training.

3. To organize annual enrollments according to the assigned quotas and the Ministry of Education and Training�s regulations.

4. To issue decisions on recognizing successful examinees; report and propose to the Ministry of Education and Training to issue decisions on recognizing postgraduate students; to issue decisions on approving the list of supervisors and postgraduate students� research topics.

5. To organize training according to the approved programs.

6. To identify research topics for postgraduate students and officially register them in their scientific research plan.

7. To organize the assessment of theses in the study subject sections and the State-level thesis defense for doctoral students according to the Ministry of Education and Training�s regulations.

8. To create conditions, supply necessary equipment, supplies and means for the doctoral students in their study and research like for the science workers of the training institutions.

9. To manage the training process, the study and research of trainees and doctoral students, the examination and awarding of certificates and mark sheets.

10. To award the master�s degrees and manage the awarding of the master�s degrees according to their competence.

11. To hold postgraduate fostering classes and grant certificates thereof.

12. To manage their funding; mobilize additional funding sources, use and manage other resources for postgraduate training according to the Government�s regulations.

13. To organize and manage scientific research activities on postgraduate training.

14. To enter into international cooperation in postgraduate training according to the Government�s regulations.

15. To organize supervision and inspection of the observance of the regulations on postgraduate training.

16. To report to the Ministry of Education and Training on their decisions on recognizing trainees, decisions on recognizing supervisors and research topics of doctoral students, the lists of graduate students, decisions on awarding the master�s degrees, and other decisions according to this Regulations, to make periodical reports on their postgraduate training work according to the Ministry of Education and Training�s regulations.

Article 39.- Financial sources for postgraduate training

1. The financial sources for postgraduate training include the funding allocated by the State, tuition fees paid by trainees and postgraduate students, contributions of those who are other than State officials and employees sent to study according to prescribed quotas, other financial sources.

2. State officials and employees who are sent for postgraduate training according to prescribed quotas, who are still in the prescribed study time, even in extended time, shall receive financial support from the State.

Other subjects shall have to pay for training expenses. The level of their payment shall be equivalent to the State�s funding for master�s or doctoral training.

3. Graduating students who proceed directly from university students shall enjoy the training funding and provided with stipends.

4. For doctoral theses carried out at the request of the agencies which send the doctoral students, such agencies shall have to provide support with necessary funding, supplies, equipment and means for the doctoral students in their study and research.

5. Postgraduate students who have enjoyed the State�s training funding but refuse the postings after their graduation shall have to indemnify the training funding according to the Government�s regulations.

6. State officials and employees who are dispatched by their employing agencies for master�s or doctoral training for the second or more time shall have to bear all training costs.

7. Remuneration for foreign postgraduate lecturers shall be the same as for Vietnamese lecturers, taken from the financial source for postgraduate training. Other expenses shall be covered by the inviting training institutions.

Chapter III

COMMENDATION AND HANDLING OF VIOLATIONS

Article 40.- Commendation

1. Lecturers who make achievements in providing high-quality postgraduate training shall be commended by the training institutions or the Ministry of Education and Training. The results of the doctoral students� training shall be regarded as one of the valuable scientific contributions in the consideration and recognition of the title of associate professor or professor and academic commendation according to the law provisions.

2. Postgraduate students who have recorded outstanding achievements in their study or scientific research shall be commended by the training institutions or the Ministry of Education and Training. Those who make exceptionally outstanding achievements in scientific research shall be proposed to the State for commendation.

Article 41.- Handling of violations

Individuals or organizations that commit one of the following acts shall, depending on the nature and seriousness of their violation, be disciplined, administratively sanctioned or examined for penal liability, and if causing any damage, they shall have to pay compensation according to law provisions:

1. Illegally setting up postgraduate training institutions.

2. Breaching the regulations on organization and activities of training institutions.

3. Changing on their own will the prescribed training programs or contents; distorting training contents.

4. Making wrong or dishonest assessment of students� study results and the quality of dissertations or theses.

5. Illegally publishing and distributing teaching materials.

6. Forging dossiers, breaching the regulations on enrollment, examination and awarding of certificates, mark sheets or diplomas.

7. Fraudulently copying dissertations, theses and scientific works of other persons.

8. Infringing upon the dignity and bodies of teachers.

9. Disrupting security and order in the training institutions or education management agencies.

10. Using the postgraduate training funding for the wrong purposes, causing loss thereof; taking advantage of postgraduate training activities to collect money in contravention of regulations.

11. Causing material damage to training institutions or training management.

12. Other acts of violating the postgraduate training regulations.

Minister of Education and Training
NGUYEN MINH HIEN