Vietnam's Education Ministry Introduces Draft for Open Educational Resources

Post by : Shakul

Vietnam's Ministry of Education and Training is working on a new legal framework aimed at governing the use of open educational resources (OER) in higher education. Announced on May 8, 2026, the ministry is gathering public opinions on a draft Circular that aims to support digital transformation and improve accessibility to educational materials for students, educators, and researchers nationwide.

The Ministry emphasizes that open educational resources form a crucial part of today's digital higher education landscape. They believe establishing a national framework for these materials will significantly enhance teaching quality, promote lifelong learning, cut down education costs, and increase equitable access to knowledge for all learners in Vietnam.

This draft is developed in accordance with the Law on Higher Education 2025 and other relevant governmental guidelines. It aligns with the directives from Decision 1117/QD-TTg issued in September 2023, which stressed the importance of fostering open educational resource models in Vietnamese higher education institutions. The ministry's mission is to establish a cohesive legal structure for managing and distributing digital learning resources throughout the country.

Currently, the digital educational resource ecosystem in Vietnam is fragmented, with universities and training institutions lacking strong cooperation. Many higher education entities struggle with deficits in high-quality digital learning materials necessary for effective teaching, research, and online education. Open educational resources are believed to be a solution that could foster a more cohesive and accessible learning environment.

The draft regulations elaborate that open educational resources encompass textbooks, lecture notes, online courses, multimedia educational tools, research data, open-source software, and various learning materials in both digital and physical formats. These may be in the public domain or under copyright but are released with open licenses permitting users to access, modify, combine, and redistribute them under designated conditions.

One notable proposal in this draft is the establishment of a National Open Educational Resources Access Portal. This centralized digital platform will connect universities and educational institutions, allowing for easier integration and updates of shared learning resources. The ministry believes this portal will enhance resource sharing, increase accessibility to academic materials, and foster collaboration among institutions across the nation.

In addition, the draft outlines stringent quality standards for the educational resources. All materials must adhere to scientific, academic, and pedagogical criteria while complying with intellectual property laws and ensuring data protection. Universities will be required to implement internal review processes to meticulously assess materials prior to their public release.

Moreover, the proposed regulations clearly articulate the rights and responsibilities of entities and individuals using open educational resources. Users will be granted the rights to access, share, and modify these materials under open license rules, provided they respect copyright laws and credit original sources appropriately while avoiding any unlawful or misleading usage.

The Ministry of Education and Training asserts that open educational resources will play a pivotal role in Vietnam’s evolving digital education landscape. Institutions will be encouraged to invest in IT infrastructure, train faculty and students in digital platforms, and collaborate with enterprises and international bodies to broaden access to global educational resources. The officials are optimistic that these new regulations will enhance the quality of Vietnamese higher education and spur innovation and international collaboration within the education sector.

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