CIRCULAR

INTRODUCING REGULATION ON MANAGEMENT OF LOWER SECONDARY DIPLOMAS, UPPER SECONDARY DIPLOMAS, LEVEL 4 OF VQF DIPLOMAS IN TEACHER TRAINING, LEVEL 5 OF VQF ADVANCED DIPLOMAS IN TEACHER TRAINING, HIGHER EDUCATION DEGREES AND CERTIFICATES OF NATIONAL EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM

Pursuant to the Education Law dated June 14, 2005; and the Law amending a number of Articles of the Education Law dated November 25, 2009;

Pursuant to the Law on Higher Education dated June 18, 2012; the Law on amendments to some Articles of the Law on Higher Education dated November 19, 2018;

Pursuant to the Law on Vocational Education dated November 27, 2014;

Pursuant to the Government’s Decree No. 69/2017/ND-CP dated May 25, 2017 on functions, tasks, powers and organizational structure of the Ministry of Education and Training;  

Pursuant to the Government’s Decree No. 75/2006/ND-CP dated August 02, 2006 detailing and guiding the implementation of a number of Articles of the Education Law; the Government’s Decree No. 31/2011/ND-CP dated May 11, 2011 amending a number of Articles of the Decree No. 75/2006/ND-CP; the Government’s Decree No. 07/2013/ND-CP dated January 09, 2013 amending Point b Clause 13 Article 1 of the Decree No. 31/2011/ND-CP;

Pursuant to the Government’s Decree No. 23/2015/ND-CP dated February 16, 2015 on issuance of copies based on master registers, certification of true copies from originals, authentication of signatures and contracts;

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The Minister of Education and Training hereby promulgates a Circular introducing the Regulation on management of lower secondary diplomas, upper secondary diplomas, Level 4 of VQF diplomas in teacher training, Level 5 of VQF advanced diplomas in teacher training, higher education degrees and certificates of the national educational system.

Article 1. Promulgated together with this Circular is the Regulation on management of lower secondary diplomas, upper secondary diplomas, Level 4 of VQF diplomas in teacher training, Level 5 of VQF advanced diplomas in teacher training, higher education degrees and certificates of the national educational system.

Article 2. This Circular takes effect from January 15, 2020.

This Circular supersedes the Circular No. 19/2015/TT-BGDDT dated September 08, 2015 by the Minister of Education and Training introducing Regulation on management of lower secondary diplomas, upper secondary diplomas, higher education degrees and certificates of the national educational system.

The Decision No. 33/2007/QD-BGDDT dated June 20, 2007 by the Minister of Education and Training on Regulation on degrees and certificates of national education system and Circular No. 22/2012/TT-BGDDT dated June 20, 2012 by the Minister of Education and Training amending a number of Articles of Regulation on degrees and certificates of national education system enclosed with the Decision No. 33/2007/QD-BGDDT are hereby annulled.

Article 3. Chief of the Ministry Office, head of the Quality Control Department, heads of relevant affiliates of the Ministry of Education and Training; heads of Departments of Education and Training; directors of universities and academies; university principals; principals of pedagogical colleges; principals of pedagogical post-secondary schools and heads of relevant educational institutions shall implement this Circular./.

P.P. THE MINISTER
THE DEPUTY MINISTER




Nguyen Van Phuc

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REGULATION

ON MANAGEMENT OF LOWER SECONDARY DIPLOMAS, UPPER SECONDARY DIPLOMAS, LEVEL 4 OF VQF DIPLOMAS IN TEACHER TRAINING, LEVEL 5 OF VQF ADVANCED DIPLOMAS IN TEACHER TRAINING, HIGHER EDUCATION DEGREES AND CERTIFICATES OF NATIONAL EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM

(Enclosed with the Circular No. 21/2019/TT-BGDDT dated November 29, 2019 by the Minister of Education and Training)

Chapter I

GENERAL PROVISIONS

Article 1. Scope and regulated entities

1. This Regulation provides for management of lower secondary diplomas, upper secondary diplomas, Level 4 of VQF diplomas in teacher training, Level 5 of VQF advanced diplomas in teacher training, higher education degrees and certificates of the national educational system (hereinafter referred to as “degrees and certificates”), including contents and languages on degrees and certificates and appendices thereof; printing of blank degrees and certificates; management of degrees and certificates; issuance, amendment, revocation and annulment of degrees and certificates; and issuance of copies of degrees and certificates based on master degree/certificate registers (“master registers”).

2. This Regulation is applicable to:

a) Departments of Education and Training or departments with competence in state management of education affiliated to provincial-level People’s Committees (hereinafter referred to as “Departments of Education and Training”);

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c) Lower secondary schools, upper secondary schools and multi-level schools;

d) Institutions of continuing education, foreign language training centers, computer training centers, institutions of vocational education - continuing education;

dd) Pedagogical post-secondary schools, post-secondary schools providing pedagogical training; pedagogical colleges, and colleges providing pedagogical training (hereinafter referred to as "pedagogical institutions");

e) Universities, and universities, academies and scientific research institutes permitted to provide doctoral training (hereinafter referred to as “higher education institutions”);

g) Foreign-invested educational institutions issuing Vietnamese degrees and certificates;

h) Other relevant organizations and individuals.

Article 2. Rules for management and issuance of degrees and certificates

1. Degrees and certificates shall be under uniform management; Departments of Education and Training shall be assigned management tasks, and pedagogical institutions and higher education institutions may exercise autonomy and shall take responsibility for their own actions according to regulations in Article 3 herein.

2. A degree or certificate shall be issued only once, excluding the cases prescribed in Article 18 herein.

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4. Degrees and certificates shall be issued with transparency.

Article 3. Task assignment and permission for autonomy and self-responsibility pertaining to management of degrees and certificates

1. The Ministry of Education and Training shall provide final guidance on management of degrees and certificates; and stipulate basic contents on higher education degrees and appendices thereof; specimens of lower secondary diplomas, upper secondary diplomas, Level 4 of VQF diplomas in teacher training, Level 5 of VQF advanced diplomas in teacher training and certificates of the national educational system; and rules for printing of blank degrees and certificates, management, issuance, revocation and annulment of degrees and certificates.

2. Departments of Education and Training shall manage and issue degrees and certificates according to regulations from the Minister of Education and Training; and manage use of blank degrees and certificates and issuance of degrees and certificates of Bureaus of Education and Training and educational institutions under their management.

3. Bureaus of Education and Training shall manage use of granted blank degrees and certificates as regulated and take responsibility for issuing degrees and certificates intra vires.

4. Higher education institutions and pedagogical institutions may exercise autonomy and shall take responsibility for management and issuance of degrees and certificates according to regulations of laws and of the Minister of Education and Training.

Article 4. Rights and obligations of degree/certificate holders

1. A degree/certificate holder has the rights to:

a) Request the authority with competence in issuance of the degree or certificate (“issuing authority”) to issue the degree or certificate promptly; ensure information on the degree or certificate is accurate and adequate; and reissue the degree or certificate or amend contents thereof  according to regulations in this Regulation;

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2. A degree/certificate holder has the obligations to:

a) Provide information to be written on the degree or certificate to the issuing authority accurately and adequately;

b) Review the information written on the degree or certificate before signing to acknowledge receipt of the degree or certificate;

c) Provide a letter of authorization as regulated if the degree or certificate is received by another person;

d) Protect the degree or certificate; neither erase or alter any content written on the degree or certificate nor allow another person to use it;

dd) Use the degree or certificate together with the decision on amendment to the degree or certificate after such amendment;

e) Inform the issuing authority and nearest public security authority upon loss of the degree or certificate;

g) Return the degree or certificate to the authority with competence in its revocation within 30 days starting from the date of receipt of the revocation decision. In case the degree or certificate is lost, draw up a written confirmation of such loss and be held accountable to the law for the confirmed contents.

Article 5. Responsibilities of issuing authorities and heads thereof

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a) Review and fill in contents of degrees and certificates precisely and adequately. Request degree/certificate holders to confirm their inspection of such contents, confirm requests for information amendment and provide grounds for such requests;

b) Compile and retain dossiers on issuance and management of degrees and certificates (“issuance dossiers”) according to regulations in this Regulation;

c) Ensure accuracy and take responsibility for information in dossiers and master registers;

d) Ensure facilities, equipment and prevention of fires and explosions to preserve degrees, certificates and issuance dossiers.

2. Responsibilities of heads of issuing authorities:

a) Promulgate the regulation on preservation, retention, use and issuance of degrees and certificates by issuing authorities. Such regulation must specify the responsibility of each unit and individual and sanctions against violations;

b) Organize printing and issuance of degrees and certificates intra vires and promptly according to regulations in this Regulation;

c) Revoke and annul degrees and certificates according to regulations in Article 25 herein;

d) Issue copies of degrees and certificates based on master registers according to regulations in Chapter IV herein;

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e) Verify degrees and certificates upon requests from regulatory bodies, organizations and individuals;

g) Amend contents of degrees and certificates as prescribed by Articles 21, 22, 23 and 24 of this Regulation; reissue degrees and certificates according to regulations in Article 18 herein;

h) Be individually answerable to supervisory authorities and the law for management and issuance of degrees and certificates.

Article 6. Issuance of degrees and certificates of foreign-invested educational institutions and of Vietnamese educational institutions providing joint training with foreign educational institutions

Any foreign-invested educational institution or Vietnamese educational institution providing joint training with a foreign educational institution that issues or requests the issuing authority to issue a degree or certificate of the national educational system mentioned in Clause 1 Article 1 herein shall implement the regulations in this Regulation.

Article 7. Contents on degrees and certificates and appendices thereof

Basic contents on higher education degrees and appendices thereof are stipulated by the Minister of Education and Training. Contents on lower secondary diplomas, upper secondary diplomas, Level 4 of VQF diplomas in teacher training, Level 5 of VQF advanced diplomas in teacher training and certificates of the national educational system shall follow the specimens promulgated by the Minister of Education and Training.

Article 8. Languages on degrees and certificates

Degrees and certificates shall be written in Vietnamese. For degrees and certificates that incorporate foreign languages, the contents translated into the foreign languages must hold equivalent meaning to the Vietnamese; and the font size of the writing in foreign languages shall be smaller than that of the Vietnamese.

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PRINTING AND MANAGEMENT OF BLANK DEGREES AND CERTIFICATES AND MANAGEMENT OF ISSUANCE OF DEGREES AND CERTIFICATES

Article 9. Printing blank lower secondary diplomas, upper secondary diplomas and certificates of the national educational system

1. The Ministry of Education and Training shall print blank lower secondary diplomas, upper secondary diplomas and certificates of the national educational system in amounts registered by issuing authorities.

Procedures for management of printing, security, code assignment, preservation and provision of blank degrees and certificates are prescribed by the Minister of Education and Training.

2. Higher education institutions and pedagogical institutions may print blank certificates of the national educational system using the specimens provided by the Minister of Education and Training after reporting to the Ministry of Education and Training in writing. The blank certificate specimens must be submitted to the Ministry of Education and Training, and the supervisory authority and the public security authority of the province where each institution’s headquarters is located.

Article 10. Printing blank higher education degrees, Level 4 of VQF diplomas in teacher training and Level 5 of VQF advanced diplomas in teacher training

1. Higher education institutions have the power to design specimens and print blank higher education degrees. Pedagogical institutions have the power to print blank Level 4 of VQF diplomas in teacher training and Level 5 of VQF advanced diplomas in teacher training using the specimens prescribed by the Ministry of Education and Training and may add their logos and additional patterns to such diplomas.

2. The head of a higher education institution or pedagogical institution shall approve and send the degree/certificate specimen to the Ministry of Education and Training, the supervisory authority and the public security authority of the province where the institution’s headquarters is located for reporting. After at least 30 working days from the date of reporting, the head shall announce the specimen on the institution’s website or web portal (“portal”), organize printing of blanks degrees or certificates and take responsibility for the contents written on such blanks degrees or certificates.

Article 11. Management of blank degrees and certificates

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2. Blank degrees and certificates must be assigned codes  for management. Such codes shall be natural numbers assigned in a continuous and ascending manner upon printing; ensure codes of each type of degree or certificate are distinguishable and printing location is identifiable. Each code shall be written on a single blank degree or certificate.

3. For blank degrees and certificates that are damaged, wrongly written, of poor quality or have fallen into disuse due to change of specimen, the head of the issuing authority must decide to establish a handling council. The handling council shall convene, consider and draw up a record of disposal specifying the quantity, codes, disposal reason, and state of the blank degrees and certificates pre-disposal and disposal method. Records of disposal must be added to dossiers for monitoring and management.

This regulation is also applicable to wrongly written degrees and certificates that have obtained signatures and seals from persons with competence in issuing such degrees and certificates.

4. In case a blank degree or certificate is lost, the unit managing such blank degree or certificate shall make a record of the incident, immediately inform the nearest public security authority, and report to the supervisory authority and the Ministry of Education and Training.

Article 12. Responsibilities of heads of educational authorities and educational institutions for printing and management of blank degrees and certificates

1. Responsibilities of the head of an authority with competence in issuance of lower secondary diplomas, upper secondary diplomas or certificates of the national educational system:

a) Promulgate the regulation on preservation, use and provision of blank degrees and certificates, which must specify the responsibility of each unit and individual and sanctions against violations;

b) Ensure facilities and equipment for preservation of blank degrees and certificates;

c) Compile dossiers to manage provision, use, revocation and annulment of blank degrees and certificates;

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dd) Direct inspection of use of blank degrees and certificates in units under the authority’s management.

2. Responsibilities of the head of a higher education institution or pedagogical institution:

a) Promulgate the regulation on printing procedures and management, and on preservation, security, use and provision of blank degrees and certificates, which must specify the responsibility of each unit and individual and sanctions against violations;

b) Compile dossiers to manage printing, provision, use, revocation and annulment of blank degrees and certificates. Such dossiers must be capable of informing current use of each blank degree or certificate when necessary;

c) Cooperate with the public authority of the locality where the educational institution’s headquarters is located in printing, security, management and use of blank degrees and certificates;

d) Ensure facilities, equipment and prevention of fires and explosions for printing and preservation of blank degrees and certificates as prescribed by law;

dd) Regulate assignment of codes and signs used to identify blank degrees and certificates printed by the educational institution for the purposes of security, identification and prevention of forgery of blank degrees and certificates;

e) Organize inspection of printing, preservation, provision and use of blank degrees and certificates.

Article 13. Management of issuance of degrees and certificates

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2. Register entries shall be assigned consecutive natural numbers in ascending order for each year, from January 01 to December 31 inclusive; ensure register entry numbers for each type of degree or certificate are distinguishable from year of issuance. Each register entry number shall be written on a single degree or certificate.

3. In case a degree or certificate signed and stamped by a competent person is lost before it is conferred on its holder, the educational authority or institution responsible for such loss shall draw up a record, immediately inform the public security authority of the locality where its headquarters is located, and report to its supervisory authority and the Ministry of Education and Training.

Article 14. Reporting printing and management of blank degrees and certificates and management of degrees and certificates

Before December 31 of every year, Departments of Education and Training, pedagogical institutions and higher education institutions shall report quantity of blank degrees and certificates printed (if any); quantity of blank degrees and certificates used and quantity of degrees and certificates issued within the year to the Ministry of Education and Training.

Chapter III

ISSUANCE, REISSUANCE, AMENDMENT, REVOCATION AND ANNULMENT OF DEGREES AND CERTIFICATES

Article 15. Competence in issuance of degrees and certificates

1. Competence in issuance of degrees and certificates:

a) Lower secondary diplomas shall be issued by heads of Bureaus of Education and Training;

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c) Level 4 of VQF diplomas in teacher training and Level 5 of VQF advanced diplomas in teacher training shall be issued by heads of pedagogical institutions or heads of higher education institutions providing pedagogical training;

d) Higher education degrees shall be issued by university directors, university principals, academy directors and heads of scientific research institutes permitted to provide training and issue degrees appropriate to such training;

dd) University directors shall grant higher education degrees to learners of affiliated training and research units (excluding member universities).

2. Heads of Departments of Education and Training and heads of educational institutions shall grant certificates to learners according to regulations.

Article 16. Conditions for issuance of degrees and certificates

1. A degree of the national educational system will be conferred to learners upon successful completion of an educational level or a training program, achievement of outcome standards of the training qualification as regulated and fulfillment of learner’s obligations and responsibilities.

2. A certificate of the national educational system will be granted to learners to acknowledge their learning results upon successful completion of a training or refresher course to improve their academic or professional qualification, or conferred on candidates of a certification examination as prescribed by the Minister of Education and Training.

Article 17. Time limit for issuance of degrees and certificates

1. The competent persons prescribed in Clause 1 Article 15 of this Regulation shall grant degrees to learners within the following time limits:

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b) Within 30 days from the date on which the decision on recognition of pedagogical post-secondary school, pedagogical college or university graduation is issued;

c) Within 30 days from the date on which the  decision on master graduation recognition and master’s degree conferment is issued;

d) Within 30 days from the date on which the decision on doctorate recognition and conferment is issued.

2. The competent persons prescribed in Clause 2 Article 15 of this Regulation shall grant certificates to learners no later than 30 days from the date of completion of a training or refresher course to improve academic or professional qualification or the date of certification examination.

3. While awaiting degree conferral, learners eligible for a degree shall receive a temporary certificate of graduation from the educational institution where they completed their study or training.

Heads of Departments of Education and Training shall elaborate specimens of temporary certificates of graduation granted to learners eligible for a lower secondary diploma or upper secondary diploma within their provinces; heads of pedagogical institutions and higher education institutions shall stipulate specimens of temporary certificates of graduation granted to learners eligible for a Level 4 of VQF diploma in teacher training, Level 5 of VQF advanced diploma in teacher training and higher education degrees

Article 18. Reissuance of degrees and certificates

1. If an issued degree or certificate is found to have been wrongly written by the issuing authority, the issuing authority shall reissue the authentic copy of the degree or certificate.

2. Heads of the issuing authorities specified in Article 15 herein have the power to reissue degrees and certificates.

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a) The person who requests a degree or certificate be reissued shall submit an application in person or by post to the authority with competence in reissuing the degree or certificate. The application shall consist of a letter of application for reissuance; the degree or certificate to be reissued; and documentary evidences proving the degree or certificate was incorrectly written by the issuing authority;

b) Within 05 working days from the date of receipt of the valid application, the authority with competence in reissuing the degree or certificate (“reissuing authority”) shall decide on reissuance of such degree or certificate, and send a written explanation to the applicant if the application is rejected;

c) If the specimen of the issued degree or certificate is no longer in use, the reissuing authority shall use the applicable specimen to reissue the degree or certificate.

Article 19. Master registers

1. A master register is a document drawn up by the issuing authority upon issuance of degrees and certificates. It contains all Vietnamese contents written on authentic copies of the degrees and certificates issued by such authority. If a degree or certificate is amended or reissued, an appendix recording the change to the degree or certificate must be included in the master register.

Master registers must be compiled with precision, have their pages numbered and fan stamped and be strictly managed and permanently retained. Erasure of information in master registers is prohibited.

Specimens of master registers are provided for from Appendix I to Appendix VII enclosed therewith.

2. Procedures for master register compilation, issuance and management for lower secondary diplomas and upper secondary diplomas:

a) After compilation of master registers according to regulations in Clause 1 herein, Bureaus of Education and Training and Departments of Education and Training shall transfer diplomas fully filled in, signed and stamped to lower secondary schools, upper secondary schools, continuing education institutions, vocational education - continuing education institutions (“schools”) to have the diplomas awarded to their holders;

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c) Heads of Departments of Education and Training shall stipulate procedures for transfer and receipt of diplomas between Bureaus of Education and Training, Departments of Education and Training and schools; responsibilities for management and award of diplomas of schools; and retention of diplomas not yet conferred on learners.

Article 20. Signing and stamping degrees and certificates

1. The competent persons prescribed in Article 15 of this Regulation must add their signatures, which are consistent with the specimens registered with competent authorities, and their full names and positions to degrees and certificates.

2. In case a person with competence in issuing a degree or certificate is not yet appointed or recognized by the competent authority, the degree or certificate shall be signed by the deputy of the issuing authority who is assigned management of the issuing authority by the competent authority. In this case, the deputy shall sign the degree or certificate on behalf of the competent person and put their official position in the issuing authority (vice principal, deputy head of institute, deputy director) on the degree or certificate. A copy of the decision on assignment of management of the issuing authority to the deputy must be included in the issuance dossier of such degree or certificate.

3. Seals shall be applied over signatures of persons with competence in issuing degrees and certificates according to existing regulations on record management.

Article 21. Competence in deciding amendment to contents of degrees and certificates

The person with competence in deciding amendment to contents of a degree or certificate is the head of the authority issuing such degree or certificate and managing the master register containing information on such degree or certificate. In case the issuing authority of the degree or certificate has undergone merger, division or dissolution, the person with competence in deciding amendment to its contents is the head of the authority managing the master register.

Article 22. Cases of amendment to contents of degrees and certificates

A person awarded a degree or certificate has the right to request amendment to the contents written on such degree or certificate in the following cases:

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2. Ethnicity re-determination or sex re-assignment;

3. Addition or adjustment to civil status information;

4. Late birth registration or birth re-registration.

Article 23. Procedures for amendment to contents of degrees and certificates

1. An application for amendment to the contents of a degree or certificate:

a) A letter of application for amendment to contents of the degree or certificate;

b) The degree or certificate to be amended;

c) A civil status extract or decision on change or amendment to civil status, ethnicity re-determination or sex re-assignment for cases of amendment due to change or amendment to civil status, ethnicity re-determination or sex re-assignment;

d) A birth certificate for cases of amendment due to addition or adjustment to civil status information, birth re-registration or late birth registration;

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2. If the copy of a component specified in Points b, c, d and dd Clause 1 herein is not certified, the applicant shall present its authentic copy for the person receiving the application to inspect; the person receiving the application must sign and leave their full name on the copy to acknowledge it and take responsibility for its accuracy compared to the authentic one.

3. Procedures for amendment to the contents of a degree or certificate:

a) The applicant submits 01 (one) application prescribed in Clause 1 herein in person or by post to the authority with competence in amending the degree or certificate (“amending authority”);

b) Within 05 working days from the date of receipt of the valid application, the amending authority shall decide on amendment of the degree or certificate, and send a written explanation to the applicant if the application is rejected;

c) A degree or certificate shall only be amended upon an amendment decision; direct amendment to a degree or certificate is prohibited. The amendment decision must be retained in the issuance dossier of such degree or certificate.

d) Based on the amendment decision, the issuing authority shall record information on the degree or certificate and amendment thereof in the appendix of the master register.

Article 24. Basic contents of amendment decisions and scope of  amendment to contents of degrees and certificates

1. Basic contents of a decision on amendment to contents of a degree or certificate include:

a) Last name, middle name, first name; and date of birth of the degree/certificate holder (as written on the issued degree or certificate);

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c) The content(s) to be amended;

d) Amendment reason;

dd) Effect and implementing responsibility.

2. Degrees and certificates issued before the effective date of this Regulation may be amended according to regulations herein.

Article 25. Revocation and annulment of degrees and certificates

1. A degree or certificate will be revoked and annulled in any of the following cases:

a) Fraudulence in admission, academic performance, examination or defense of the graduate project, thesis or dissertation, or in application for conferral of the degree or certificate;

b) The degree or certificate was granted to an ineligible person;

c) The degree or certificate was not issued by a competent person;

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dd) The degree or certificate is used by another person;

e) An error from the issuing authority.

2. The competent authorities prescribed in Article 15 herein shall revoke and annul degrees and certificates.

In case an issuing authority has undergone merger, division or dissolution, the authority with competence in revocation and annulment of a degree or certificate (“annulling authority”) is the authority managing the master register containing information on such degree or certificate.

The Minister of Education and Training has the power to decide revocation and annulment of degrees and certificates or request competent authorities to perform such task in other cases.

3. The head of an issuing authority shall issue decision on revocation and annulment of a degree or certificate. The decision must contain the reason for such revocation and annulment; be posted on the portal of the annulling authority; sent to the holder of the revoked degree or certificate, the inspecting authority which has detected the violation (if any), the workplace of the holder (if any) and relevant regulatory bodies and organizations.

Article 26. Announcement of issuance of degrees and certificates on portals

1. The issuing authority shall develop a database for management of degrees and certificates conferred on learners to announce degree and certificate issuance. Information to be announced includes name of the degree or certificate; last name, middle name, first name and date of birth of degree/certificate holders; code and register entry number; and date of issuance. The announced information must be consistent with that in master registers, and regularly updated and uploaded onto the issuing authority’s portal; ensure ease of management, access and searching and compliance with regulations of laws. Announcement of degree and certificate issuance is not applicable to educational institutions of the public security and the army and other cases as prescribed by competent authorities.

2. Announcement of issuance, amendment, revocation and annulment of degrees and certificates on portals is also required for degrees and certificates issued before the date this Regulation comes into force.

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COPIES OF DEGREES AND CERTIFICATES BASED ON MASTER REGISTERS

Article 27. Issuance of copies of degrees and certificates based on master registers

1. Issuance of a copy of a degree or certificate from a master register (“copy issuance”) refers to the process where an authority managing a master register issues a copy of a degree or certificate based on the master register.

2. In case the specimen of a copy of a degree or certificate is no longer in use at the time of copy issuance, the authority managing the master register shall use the applicable specimen to issue a copy of the degree or certificate to learners.

3. Contents of copies of degrees and certificates based on master registers must be consistent with those in master registers.

Article 28. Legal value of copies of degrees and certificates based on master registers

1. Copies of degrees and certificates based on master registers may be used in place of authentic copies in transactions unless otherwise provided for by law.

2. If there is any evidence proving that a copy of a degree or certificate is forged or invalid, the regulatory body or organization receiving the copy shall request the person possessing the copy to present the authentic copy for comparison or verification.

Article 29. Competence in and responsibility for issuance of copies of degrees and certificates based on master registers

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Article 30. Persons entitled to request issuance of copies of degrees and certificates based on master registers

Persons entitled to request copy issuance include:

1. The holder of the authentic copy of the degree or certificate.

2. The legal or authorized representative of the holder of the authentic copy of the degree or certificate.

3. Parents, children; spouse; biological siblings; and other heirs of the holder of the authentic copy of the degree or certificate in case the holder is deceased.

Article 31. Procedures for issuance of copies of degrees and certificates based on master registers

1. An application for copy issuance consists of:

a) A letter of application for copy issuance which includes information on the issued degree or certificate;

b) The authentic copy or a certified true copy of an unexpired identity card or passport for the person receiving the application to inspect;

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d) If the application is sent by post, the applicant must include certified true copies of the documents specified in Points a, b and c herein and 01 (one) stamped addressed envelope to the authority with competence in copy issuance (“copy issuing authority”).

2. Procedures for copy issuance:

a) The applicant submits 01 (one) application prescribed in Clause 1 herein in person or by post to the copy issuing authority;

b) Within the date of receipt of the application or the next working day (if the application is received after 03:00PM), the copy issuing authority must issue the copy to the applicant. In case the application is submitted by post, the time limit for issuance shall begin from the time of receipt of the valid application attested by the postal mark denoting its arrival;

c) Should the applicant request copies from different master registers or multiple copies, or the degree or certificate contain information that is difficult to inspect or compare, and the copy issuing authority be unable to abide by the time limit prescribed in Point b herein, such time limit may be extended by a maximum of 02 (two) working days or a longer period under a written agreement with the applicant.

3. The copy issuing authority shall issue the copy to the applicant based on the master register; and contents of the copy must be consistent with those retained in the master register. In case the master register is unavailable or missing information necessary for the copy to be issued or the application is rejected, the copy issuing authority shall provide a written explanation to the applicant by the deadline prescribed in Point b Clause 2 herein.

Article 32. Copy registers and management of issuance of copies of degrees and certificates based on master registers

1. Registers of copies of degrees and certificates issued based on master registers (“copy registers”) shall be compiled by the competent authorities specified in Article 29 of this Regulation upon copy issuance, which include full contents of copies issued by such authorities.

Copy registers must be compiled with precision, have their pages numbered and fan stamped and be strictly managed and permanently retained. Erasure of information in copy registers is prohibited.

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Register entries shall be assigned consecutive natural numbers in ascending order for each year, from January 01 to December 31 inclusive; ensure register entry numbers for copies of each type of degree or certificate are distinguishable from year of copy issuance.

Chapter V

INSPECTION AND HANDLING OF VIOLATIONS

Article 33. Inspection

1. Educational authorities at all levels shall inspect management of degrees and certificates according to their assigned duties.

2. The Ministry of Education and Training shall inspect printing, management, issuance and use of degrees and certificates of the national educational system.

3. Departments of Education and Training shall inspect printing, management, issuance and use of degrees and certificates of the national educational system in educational institutions under management of provincial People’s Committees.

4. Regulatory bodies, organizations and individuals in charge of printing blank degrees and certificates, or management, issuance or use of degrees and certificates shall assist and facilitate inspection.

Article 34. Handling of violations

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