In the heart of Vietnam’s Mekong Delta, the Can Tho University of Technology and Technology stands as a pillar of higher education, striving to fulfill its mission of training skilled, ethical professionals for the city of Can Tho, the wider Mekong Delta, and the entire country. Established on January 29, 2013, by Decision No. 249/QD-TTg of the Prime Minister, the university has since operated as a public service unit under the People’s Committee of Can Tho city, with its campus located at 256 Nguyen Van Cu Street, Cai Khe Ward. The institution’s leadership currently includes Associate Professor, Doctor Huynh Thanh Nha as principal, and Doctor Do Thi Tuyet Nhung as Chairman of the University Council, according to official university sources.
Despite its ambitions and strategic importance, recent scrutiny has brought to light several challenges facing the university, particularly in terms of academic staffing, research output, and graduate outcomes. These issues have sparked concern among parents, students, and education observers, as reported by Giao duc Viet Nam.
According to the university’s 2024 annual report, the institution currently employs 258 full-time lecturers. Breaking down this number, there are 4 associate professors, 67 doctors, 182 masters, and 9 bachelors. However, a closer look at the core teaching staff within working age reveals only 1 associate professor (in Technical Engineering), 61 doctors, 177 masters, and 9 bachelors. This composition has raised questions about the university’s ability to meet regulatory requirements for opening and maintaining academic programs, especially in specialized fields.
Vietnamese law, specifically Clause 1 and 2 of Article 4 in Unified Document No. 07/VBHN-BGDĐT, stipulates that to open an undergraduate program, a university must have at least one doctor in the relevant field with a minimum of three years’ experience in university teaching or management, and at least five doctors as full-time lecturers with appropriate expertise to lead the teaching program. Yet, as the annual report reveals, several key academic fields at Can Tho University of Technology and Technology fall short of this benchmark. For instance, Technical Engineering has only 3 doctors, Architecture and Construction has just 1, Law has 2, Humanities has 1, and Mathematics and Statistics has 3. These shortfalls have prompted parents and prospective students to question the university’s compliance with national standards and the quality of education they can expect.
Beyond staffing, the university’s performance metrics in student outcomes and research have also come under the microscope. The 2024 report shows a student graduation rate of 69.7%. More concerning, however, is that only 46.1% of students graduated on time—a figure that has dropped by 4.3% compared to the previous year. Meanwhile, the rate of graduates securing employment in their trained field stands at 77.22%, down 4.59% from 2023. These numbers suggest growing challenges for students transitioning from university to the workforce, a trend that is likely to concern both families and local employers.
Equally notable is the university’s limited engagement in scientific and technological research activities. For two consecutive years, the university left the scientific and technological activity ratio blank in its annual reports. In 2024, it implemented 27 research projects—2 at the ministerial or provincial level and 25 at the grassroots level—but had no state-level projects, no collaborations with domestic businesses, and no international cooperation topics. Furthermore, the number of scientific publications recognized by the State Professorship Council and the number of utility solution patents decreased by 26 compared to 2023. Across both 2023 and 2024, the university reported zero monographs, artistic works, national or international awards in sports, invention patents, or utility solution patents. These figures paint a picture of a university still finding its footing in the competitive landscape of research and innovation.
Financially, the university remains heavily reliant on tuition fees. Of its total revenue of 100.80 billion VND in 2024, a staggering 88.16 billion VND—equivalent to 87.46%—came from tuition. Revenue from scientific and technological activities was a mere 0.5 billion VND, representing just 0.49% of the total. This heavy dependence on student fees, coupled with limited alternative income streams, underscores the need for strategic diversification and enhanced research output if the university is to achieve long-term sustainability.
Amid these concerns, Giao duc Viet Nam reports that journalists sent an official letter of inquiry to the university on October 21, 2025, seeking clarification on the annual report and its implications. The university principal, Dr. Huynh Thanh Nha, confirmed receipt of the letter on October 28, 2025. However, as of December 7, 2025, the university has not provided any substantive response to the queries, either in writing or via email, leaving questions from parents and the public unanswered.
While Can Tho University of Technology and Technology grapples with these internal challenges, the broader context of Vietnamese education is also evolving. On December 6, 2025, Minister of Education and Training Nguyen Kim Son signed a government report clarifying a draft resolution before the National Assembly. The draft aims to introduce special mechanisms and policies to foster breakthroughs in education and training across the country, as reported by Tuoi Tre. Among the key proposals, the Director of the Department of Education and Training would be granted authority to recruit and receive teachers, educational management staff, and employees in public educational institutions at various levels within each province. This move is intended to ensure flexibility and appropriateness in local educational management, particularly in teacher recruitment and allocation.
The draft also allows for the transfer and rotation of teachers and educational staff at the commune level, with the aim of matching the right personnel to the right positions according to job standards. The government has emphasized that recruitment will be carried out based on local reviews and proposals, coordinated by the Department of Education and Training to avoid imbalances in staffing across regions.
In addressing concerns about the decentralization of recruitment authority to commune-level officials, the government pointed out that under the Law on Organization of Local Government and existing regulations, commune chairpersons already have management authority over preschool and lower secondary education. Nevertheless, the government stressed that the selection and movement of educational personnel must still adhere to professional standards and suitability for each position.
Feedback from 31 out of 34 provinces and cities indicates strong support for assigning the Department of Education and Training as the lead agency for teacher recruitment, particularly for high schools and continuing education institutions. However, some localities have suggested further review to ensure alignment with the Law on Organization of Local Government, reflecting an ongoing debate about the best way to balance local flexibility with professional oversight.
As Vietnam embarks on these policy reforms and as universities like Can Tho University of Technology and Technology strive to overcome their challenges, the stakes for the country’s future workforce and innovation capacity could hardly be higher. The coming years will reveal whether these efforts can translate into tangible improvements for students, educators, and society at large.
