Circular No. 34/2017/TT-BLDTBXH dated December 29, 2017 of Ministry of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affair on prescribing the recognition of vocational education diplomas and certificates granted by foreign vocational education establishments

CIRCULAR

Prescribing the recognition of vocational education
diplomas and certificates granted by foreign
vocational education establishments¹

Pursuant to the November 27, 2014 Law on Vocational Education;

Pursuant to the Government s Decree No. 14/2017/ND-CP of February 17, 2017, defining the functions, tasks, powers and organizational structure of the Ministry of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs;

Pursuant to the Prime Minister s Decision No. 1981/QD-TTg of October 18, 2016, approving the structural framework of the national education system;

Pursuant to the Prime Minister s Decision No. 1982/QD-TTg of October 18, 2016, approving the Vietnamese Qualifications Framework;

At the proposal of the General Director of the Directorate of Vocational Education and Training,

The Minister of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs promulgates the Circular prescribing the recognition of vocational education diplomas and certificates granted by foreign vocational education establishments.

Chapter I

GENERAL PROVISIONS

Article 1.Scope of regulation and subjects of application

1.     This Circular prescribes the recognition of equivalence of vocational education diplomas and certificates of Vietnamese individualsgranted by foreign vocational education establishments corresponding to training levels of Vietnamese vocational education (elementary, intermediate and collegial levels).

2.    This Circular does not apply to certificates of academic results granted by foreign vocational education establishments to learners after finishing a part of the training program.

Article 2.Vocational education diplomas and certificates

Vocational education diplomas and certificates (below referred to as diplomas and certificates) include:

1.    Advanced diploma (level 5 of the Vietnamese Qualifications Framework).

2.    Diploma (level 4 of the Vietnamese Qualifications Framework).

3.    Certificates I, II and III (equivalent to levels 1, 2 and 3 of the Vietnamese Qualifications Framework).

Article 3.Recognition of equivalence of diplomas and certificates granted by foreign vocational education establishments

Learners diplomas and certificates granted by foreign vocational education establishments shall be recognized equivalent to Vietnamese vocational education diplomas and certificates in the following cases:

1.    Diplomas and certificates granted by foreign vocational education establishments within the scope of application of the agreements on equivalence or mutual recognition of diplomas and certificates or treaties concerning diplomas and certificates to which the Socialist Republic of Vietnam is a signatory or contracting party.

2.    Diplomas and certificates granted by foreign vocational education establishments lawfully operating in Vietnam and providing vocational education in accordance with their vocational education registration certificates granted by a competent Vietnamese agency in charge of vocational education.

3.    For those who have been granted diplomas and certificates other than those specified in Clauses 1 and 2 of this Article by vocational education establishments operating lawfully overseas and having their training programs recognized by educational quality assessment agencies or organizations of their countries and permitted to grant diplomas and certificates, their grant of diplomas and certificates must adhere to the following principles:

a/ Ensuring the equivalence of admission qualifications conditions for intermediate and collegial levels;

b/ Being compatible with the graduation standards of the training program for each training level;

c/ Being compatible with the learning period of time per school year or corresponding to the number of credits accumulated at the end of the course.

Chapter II

RESPONSIBILITIES FOR RECOGNITION OF EQUIVALENCE OF
DIPLOMAS AND CERTIFICATES

Article 4.Responsibilities of the Directorate of Vocational Education and Training

1.    To make public and update on its website:

a/ The list of foreign vocational education establishments lawfully operating in Vietnam and international cooperation programs of Vietnamese vocational education establishments to be permitted to grant foreign diplomas and certificates;

b/ Agreements on equivalence or mutual recognition of diplomas and certificates, and treaties concerning academic diplomas and certificates to which the Socialist Republic of Vietnam is a signatory or contracting party.

2.     To determine the equivalence of diplomas and certificates of Vietnamese individuals granted by foreign vocational education establishments to diplomas and certificates for Vietnamese vocational education levels.

3.     To provide information to related organizations and individuals upon their requests for verification of foreign vocational education establishments for use as a basis for related parties to determine the lawfulness of diplomas and certificates granted by foreign vocational education establishments.

4.     To decide on non-recognition of equivalence of diplomas and certificates granted by foreign vocational education establishments operating unlawfully in Vietnam or overseas.

Article 5.Rights and responsibilities of persons holding diplomas and certificates granted by foreign vocational education establishments

1. Persons holding diplomas and certificates in the cases specified in Article 3 of this Circular are not required to carry out the procedures for recognition of equivalence of diplomas and certificates.

2. Persons whose vocational education diplomas and certificates have been recognized for equivalence are exempted from the subjects they have studied and have been transferred between the vocational education levels as determined by heads of vocational education establishments.

3.   Persons holding diplomas and certificates granted by foreign vocational education establishments shall gather and provide proofs prescribed in Clause 3, Article 3 of this Circular only when so lawfully requested by related parties.

Article 6.Effect

1. This Circular takes effect on February 12, 2018.

2. Ministries, ministerial-level agencies, government-attached agencies, provincial-level People s Committees, socio-political organizations, the Directorate of Vocational Education and Training, Departments of Labor, departments of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs of provinces and centrally run cities, intermediate schools, colleges and higher education institutions registered for vocational education activities at collegial level and related agencies, organizations and individuals shall implement this Circular.-

For the Minister of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs
Deputy Minister

LE QUAN