“Whether our country becomes beautiful and prosperous and whether our people can stand shoulder to shoulder with the great powers of the five continents, depends largely on your efforts in study.” – According to President Ho Chi Minh, excerpted from the “Letter to Students on the Occasion of the First School Opening Day of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam.”
In the harmonious atmosphere of the nationwide ceremony of the 80th Anniversary of the education sector, in the morning of September 5th, 2025, nearly 500 students, lecturers and laborers of Ho Chi Minh City Open University gathered at Hall 602, 97 Vo Van Tan Campus to witness and attend the National Ceremony of the 2025 – 2026 academic year via livestream. This ceremony was connected to 52,000 schools all across the country, bringing together approximately 1.7 million teachers and over 26 million students. This event was the first time all educational institutions concurrently held a flag-raising and sang the Vietnam National Anthem, creating a sacred moment that affirmed national pride and study spirit.
Education – The Nation’s Ultimate Policy: A Vision and a Commitment to Innovation
In the ceremony, General Secretary To Lam expressed his warmest greetings and best wishes to education instructors, administration and learners all around the nation. At the same time, it emphasized that this occasion is a time to reflect on the proud tradition of the education sector and extend gratitude for the contribution made by generations of educators. In addition, this is a chance to affirm the strong determination to pursue comprehensive and vigorous reforms, ensuring education stands at the top of national priority, an inspiration for the country’s development and the future of the nation, for Vietnam’s long-standing tradition of learning and aspiration for progress.
He also pointed out several limitations that must be addressed, including imbalance quality and a shortage of synchronization in reform efforts. From this assessment, the General Secretary proposed nine major orientations, emphasizing the demand to shift from a mindset of “adjustment” to one of proactive “institution building,” placing education at the center of national development. These orientations specifically include: strongly renewing thinking and action; ensuring an equitable approach to education; reforming general education; creating breakthroughs in higher education; strengthening international integration; improving the quality and well-being of educational instructors; accelerating the digital transformation and AI; prioritizing investment in education and building a lifelong study society.
Another speech by Mr. Nguyen Kim Son, Minister of Education and Training, stated that breakthrough policies have been introduced to inherit and further develop the existing achievements. These policies include: The No. 71 Revolution of the Political Bureau on education and training development; the National Assembly’s on preschool education for children aged 3 – 5; tuition-free and financial support for preschool and general-education learners; the establishment of 248 boarding and semi-boarding education institutions in the border communes; supply for school meals and the implementation of two-shifted schooling in general-schooling schools. Especially, breakthrough policies about the teaching workforce have been codified in the Law on Teachers.
35 years of Ho Chi Minh City Open University: A Journey of Progress.
With the mission of implementing the “Open Education” philosophy, Ho Chi Minh City Open University has consistently made efforts to create equal learning opportunities for all, contributing to building a learning society. After 35 years of establishment and development, the University has achieved numerous proud accomplishments:
- Training Quality and Accreditation: The University achieved second institutional accreditation in 2023. Currently, 36 training programs meet accreditation standards, including 13 programs certified by FIBAA (Europe), 4 programs by AUN-QA, and 19 programs by the Ministry of Education and Training (MOET). The employment rate of graduates within 12 months after graduation remains high, ranging from 89.22% to 94.78%.
- International Position and Reputation: The University’s stature has been strongly affirmed in prestigious rankings. In 2025, it made its debut in the QS Asia Rankings (ranked 701-750 in Asia). Simultaneously, the University maintained its position among the Top 20 leading educational institutions in Vietnam according to the SCImago Institutions Rankings and ranked among the Top 1001-1500 global universities in the Times Higher Education (THE) rankings.
- Scientific Research and Cooperation: The University ranks among the Top 10 higher education institutions with outstanding scientific research achievements recognized by the Ministry of Education and Training. The average number of international publications annually exceeds 750 articles. The University also actively collaborates with over 200 domestic enterprises and international universities from Australia, France, Belgium, and Germany to expand learning and research opportunities for students.
- Dynamic Learning Environment: Each year, the University allocates over VND 40 billion to award scholarships to more than 7,000 students. With over 75 diverse clubs and teams, students are facilitated to comprehensively develop soft skills and participate in vibrant extracurricular activities.
- Pioneering Digital Transformation: The University heavily invests in digital transformation in management, teaching, and administration, deploying modern systems such as LMS, VMOOCS, and online student services. Notably, the University leads the network of excellence training centers in Educational Technology.
In the 2025-2026 academic year, Ho Chi Minh City Open University is honored to welcome 5,000 new students, including nearly 30 international students, ushering in a year full of expectations and aspirations for innovation.
The official Opening Ceremony of the University is scheduled to take place on October 14, 2025.
