Vietnam Approves 90 STEM Talent Programs and Tightens Doctoral Training Rules

The Vietnamese Ministry of Education and Training issued Decision No. 995, approving 90 new undergraduate and master’s programmes in STEM fields across 23 universities. The programmes focus on strategic technologies such as semiconductor chips, robotics, artificial intelligence, and automation. Hanoi University of Industry will host three talent engineering tracks (computer science, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering) and three master’s tracks, while the National University of Science in Ho Chi Minh City will run three specialist master’s programmes in chemistry, atomic physics, and technical physics.

In a separate regulatory update, the Ministry released a new post‑graduate recruitment and training regime effective from 2027. Doctoral candidates must study full‑time, devote all research time to their supervising institution, and are barred from holding full‑time jobs elsewhere. Supervisors and institutions will be required to monitor and evaluate candidates throughout their study, aiming to raise PhD quality to international standards.