Lan, a final-year English Language student, faced uncertainty after the Ministry of Education and Training suspended 12 programs at Kinh Bac University for 9 months in early August, including her own.

"The news left me completely bewildered," Lan said.

The Ministry mandated that Kinh Bac University transfer students to other institutions, cancel admissions, or refund tuition fees if transfers weren't possible by 31/12.

However, in late August, the university announced the start of the new academic year on its website, with students returning on 3/9. The university stated it was appealing the suspension and that "many students and parents earnestly requested to continue their studies."

Classroom scene from a video posted by Kinh Bac University on Facebook, 9/9. Screenshot from Kinh Bac University's fanpage

Lan is currently taking three courses this semester, two online and one in person. Her class has about 20 students left, with around 10 others having withdrawn.

"I don't know how to transfer and still have my past three years of study recognized, so I'm continuing here," Lan explained.

Thanh, a second-year medical student, is in a similar predicament. He acknowledges that if he continues, an unrecognized degree would be a waste of time and money. However, transferring is difficult due to the specialized nature of medicine and its stringent entry requirements. He pays over 70 million VND per year in tuition.

Tien, a third-year IT student, said about 20 of his classmates have either withdrawn or transferred by reapplying to other universities. He missed the transfer deadline and, reluctant to lose three years of study, continues attending classes despite his anxiety.

The students reported contacting the university with their families but received no satisfactory answers. They are confused and frustrated, unsure if the university is operating legally and whether their degrees will be valid.

"Neither the Ministry nor the university has offered any guidance or support for students to transfer," Tien added.

A representative from the Department of Personnel Organization, Ministry of Education and Training, told VnExpress that Kinh Bac University's current operation is "incorrect" according to the suspension, but provided no further details. The department is finalizing its inspection report and will make an announcement soon.

According to Ministry regulations, students can transfer if they meet several conditions: not being in their first or final year, meeting the entry requirements of the receiving institution, and obtaining approval from both university presidents.

Consequently, a university admissions officer in northern Vietnam acknowledged the difficulty of accepting transfers from Kinh Bac University.

With no guarantee of his degree's validity, Binh, a medical student, decided to withdraw. He had transferred from a medical technician program to the medical program. He recently applied to and was accepted by a university in southern Vietnam.

"I only studied at Kinh Bac University for one year. I'd rather start over than live in uncertainty," Binh stated.

Kinh Bac University campus. Photo: University Website

Kinh Bac University, established in 2012 and located in Vu Ninh ward, Bac Ninh province, offers 10 undergraduate programs: Pharmacy, Traditional Medicine, Medicine, IT, Economic Law, Law, Tourism and Travel Services Management, English Language, Business Administration, and Accounting. It also offers two master's programs: Economic Management and Economic Law. The university has over 2,360 students, according to its 2024-2025 academic year report.

Duong Tam