Organizational and Personnel Autonomy at Thu Dau Mot University: Legal Framework and Practical Implementation

Abstract

This study examines the legal framework and current status of organizational and personnel autonomy in Vietnamese higher education, with a particular focus on Thu Dau Mot University (TDMU), against the backdrop of the country's ongoing shift toward greater university autonomy. Employing document analysis and a comparative review of international practice, the study evaluates how effectively Vietnam's legal framework - anchored in the Law on Higher Education and reinforced by a series of legal instruments issued in 2025-2026 - translates the principle of autonomy into practice. The findings indicate that, despite an increasingly robust legal foundation, implementation continues to be constrained by inconsistencies among legal documents, an uneven understanding of autonomy among stakeholders, and limited delegation of authority from governing bodies to university councils. Drawing on the experience of the United States, the United Kingdom, Japan, China, and Thailand, together with an assessment of TDMU's own governance context following its 2025 organizational restructuring, the study proposes a four-pillar autonomy framework comprising: (1) a flexible organizational model; (2) an autonomous personnel policy for recruitment, remuneration, and professional development; (3) a transparent accountability mechanism; and (4) a phased, three-stage implementation roadmap. The proposed framework is intended to help TDMU accelerate its autonomy process, strengthen governance capacity, and enhance its competitive position, while also offering practical insights that may be of relevance to other Vietnamese public universities navigating a similar transition.