Vietnam‘s Education Sector Celebrates Milestone: 100% Database Completion and Digital Transformation Push
A Momentous Achievement
Vietnam’s education sector marked a significant milestone recently, achieving 100% completion of its databases and successfully integrating them with national databases. This achievement, announced at a recent conference, highlights the nation’s steadfast commitment to leveraging technology for a brighter educational future.
Mr. Nguyen Son Hai, Director of the Department of Information Technology at the Ministry of Education and Training, underscored the remarkable progress made in applying information technology and streamlining digital transformation efforts.
Building a Digital Framework for Education
Since 2022, the Ministry of Education and Training has diligently built and implemented the Higher Education Management Information System (HEMIS). This comprehensive system gathers data from universities, colleges, and institutes across the country, encompassing staff information, student records, academic programs, infrastructure details, finances, and assets.
The HEMIS reflects a huge data success story: it has digitized information on over 470 higher education institutions, more than 25,000 training programs, over 100,000 staff records, and nearly 3 million learner records. Notably, it has synchronized graduate data with the national insurance database and connected to the national database with approximately 18,000 employee records from higher education institutions.
Revolutionizing Admissions: A Seamless Digital Experience
The implementation of information technology has significantly transformed the High School Graduation Exam and university admission processes. These crucial procedures are now entirely digital, from exam registration and admission wish lists to fee payments and confirmations.
This digital shift started in 2022, and marked a defining moment in Vietnam’s educational landscape. The Ministry of Education and Training successfully provided and integrated Level 4 public services for registering for the high school graduation exam and applying for university and early childhood education programs via the National Public Service Portal. This integration also incorporates an online payment platform.
The positive impact of this digital transformation was evident in 2024, with the public service system receiving applications from over 1 million candidates registering for the high school graduation exam. An impressive 94.66% of these registrations were submitted online. Nearly 4 million admission requests were also registered online by students, showcasing the widespread adoption and success of this new system.
Deeper Digital Integration: Shaping the Future of Education
The Ministry of Education and Training is actively driving further digital transformation within higher education by launching several critical initiatives. A pilot project exploring a digital higher education model and a program to train high-quality human resources for the technology sector are now complete and awaiting government approval.
Furthermore, the ministry is developing a digital competency framework for learners from preschool to university, including the ability to utilize AI. This framework aims to enhance essential digital skills for students, ensuring they are well-prepared for a future increasingly shaped by technology.
These projects and competency frameworks are expected to be implemented in 2025, marking a new chapter in Vietnam’s educational journey.
The Power of Digital Transformation in Education
Deputy Minister of Education and Training Hoang Minh Son emphasized the transformative power of digitalization in education during the conference. He highlighted that while no industry is as fundamentally influenced by digital transformation and artificial intelligence as education, no industry stands to benefit as much from these advancements.
Beyond the immediate impact and advantages, the education sector bears a crucial responsibility in ensuring the availability of qualified “digital human resources” for the nation. This directly fuels the growth of the entire innovation ecosystem.
Deputy
What are the future plans for the Higher Education Management Information System (HEMIS) in Vietnam?
## Vietnam’s Education Sector Embraces Digital Transformation: Interview with Mr. Nguyen Son Hai
**Interviewer:** Joining us today is Mr. Nguyen Son Hai, Director of the Department of Information Technology at the Ministry of Education and Training, to discuss a momentous achievement in Vietnam’s education sector: the completion of 100% database integration. Mr. Hai, welcome.
**Mr. Son Hai:** Thank you for having me.
**Interviewer:** Vietnam has made remarkable strides in digitizing its education system. Can you tell us more about this recent milestone and its significance?
**Mr. Son Hai:** Certainly. The completion of the Higher Education Management Information System (HEMIS) and its integration with national databases marks a significant turning point for Vietnamese education. This means we now have a centralized, digitized platform containing comprehensive information about every aspect of higher education, from students and staff to academic programs and financial records. Having this data readily accessible will undoubtedly lead to more efficient planning, resource allocation, and ultimately, a better educational experience for everyone involved. [[1](https://www.statista.com/topics/6226/education-in-vietnam/)]
**Interviewer:** Implementing a system of this scale must have been a complex undertaking. What were some of the key challenges you faced?
**Mr. Son Hai:**
You’re right, it was a challenging but rewarding journey. One of the main hurdles was ensuring data accuracy and security across hundreds of institutions. We also needed to train staff and adapt existing processes to this new digital environment. But thanks to the dedicated efforts of our team and the cooperation of educational institutions nationwide, we successfully overcame these challenges.
**Interviewer:** We understand that the digital transformation has also revolutionized the university admissions process. Can you elaborate on that?
**Mr. Son Hai:** Absolutely. Since 2022, the High School Graduation Exam and university application process have been fully digitized.
Students can now register, submit their preferences, make payments, and receive confirmations entirely online through the National Public Service Portal. This not only streamlines the process but also makes it more accessible and transparent for everyone involved.
**Interviewer:** What are the future plans for this digital platform?
**Mr. Son Hai:** Our vision is to continuously improve and expand HEMIS to encompass all levels of education, ultimately creating a unified national education data platform. We believe this will empower us to make data-driven decisions, personalize learning experiences, and ultimately build a world-class education system for Vietnam.
**Interviewer:**
Thank you for sharing your insights, Mr. Son Hai. This is truly a remarkable achievement for Vietnamese education.
