Dong Nai education sector transforms alongside the two-tier local administration

On July 1, 2025, the two provinces of Dong Nai and Binh Phuoc were officially merged to form the new Dong Nai province, which is not only larger in area and population but also stronger in terms of economic scale. The newly established Dong Nai province enjoys greater opportunities and more favourable conditions for rapid and sustainable development towards a green, prosperous, civilised and modern future. To achieve this goal, the role of education and training is indispensable, particularly in developing high-quality human resources capable of meeting labour market demands in the new context.

12th graders at Quang Trung High School for the Gifted, Dong Xoai ward, during a class session. Photo: Vu Thuyen

Against this backdrop, schools across the province have continued to make strong efforts to fulfil their professional missions while closely adhering to Party resolutions and directives from authorities. Educational institutions have proactively developed programmes and plans aligned with the operation of the two-tier local administration model.

Linking training with labour market needs and international integration

On December 23, 2025, the Startup Club of Dong Nai University was officially launched, marking a specific move by the only public university in the new Dong Nai province in implementing the Government's and the provincial People's Committee's policies on developing an innovative startup ecosystem within the tertiary education environment. Earlier, in November 2025, the university hosted a panel discussion themed: Developing innovative startup activities in educational institutions”, attracting the participation of 500 students.

Startup promotion is just one of many initial activities undertaken by Dong Nai University to advance its strategic objectives. To meet labour market demands during the province’s new development phase in the 2025–2030 period, the Party Committee of Dong Nai University has identified one of its key tasks as diversifying academic disciplines in two directions: expanding new undergraduate programmes to serve key provincial projects, such as logistics and supply chain management, engineering technology, semiconductor microchips, and manufacturing technology, while accelerating the launch of postgraduate programmes, including master’s degrees in linguistics, chemistry and mathematics. At the same time, the university has prioritised promoting science and technology activities, digital transformation, and the development of a smart-university model.

In parallel with closely following the development orientations of the new Dong Nai province, many tertiary education institutions in the locality have proactively strengthened international cooperation to enhance training quality and move closer to global standards. Lac Hong University stands out as one of the institutions actively promoting the internationalisation of education as a key solution for training high-quality human resources to meet socio-economic development requirements in the new period.

In recent years, Lac Hong University has established a broad network of partnerships with international universities, research institutes, and enterprises, focusing on countries with strong advantages in science, technology, and human resource training, such as the United States, Japan, and the Republic of Korea. Notably, its strategic cooperation with Arizona State University (ASU) in the United States has opened new avenues for Lac Hong University to renew its training curricula, teaching methods, and university governance in line with international standards.

“Through cooperation with ASU, the Lac Hong University has gradually applied a training model closely linked to the practical needs of enterprises, with a focus on high-tech and key fields such as information technology, automation, artificial intelligence, and semiconductor microchips – sectors with strong labour demand in Dong Nai and the southern key economic region. Lecturers have opportunities to participate in training programmes and research collaboration with international experts. At the same time, students gain access to internationally standardised curricula, enhance foreign language proficiency, professional skills, and the ability to work in a global environment," said Nguyen Vu Quynh, Associate Professor and Vice Rector of Lac Hong University.

In 2025, Vietnam’s vocational education and training (VET) system recorded a new milestone when, for the first time, three VET institutions nationwide were listed in the UI GreenMetric World Ranking 2025, a prestigious global ranking on sustainable development and green educational institutions.

Encouragingly, Dong Nai accounted for two of the three VET institutions featured in the ranking, namely College of Machinery and Irrigation in Ho Nai ward and Lilama 2 International Technology College in Long Phuoc commune. This result reflects the initial efforts of VET institutions in integrating sustainable development elements into governance, operations, and training, while also affirming that the quality of VET institutions in Dong Nai aligns with labour market requirements.

More than 75% of the population in the border commune of Bu Gia Map consists of ethnic minorities. To promote education development, the commune authorities have placed special emphasis on building a strong contingent of officials and teachers at local schools. The outstanding officials and teachers with high achievements recognized at all levels are reviewed and included in personnel succession planning, thereby motivating teachers to continue striving for professional advancement. Such planning also gives the commune more options and flexibility in personnel work.

TRAN QUANG BINH, Vice Chairman of the Bu Gia Map commune People’s Committee

Building smart and happy schools

The Action Programme implementing the Resolution of the 1st Congress of Dong Nai Provincial Party Committee for the 2025–2030 term clearly identifies the orientation of "building smart schools and happy schools" as a key task to develop education and improve human resource quality. Alongside equipping students with knowledge and skills, educational institutions have also placed strong emphasis on creating smart and happy school environments.

Over the years, Quang Trung High School for the Gifted in Dong Xoai ward has consistently affirmed and maintained its leading position in elite education and overall training quality. In the digital era and under the two-tier local administration model, teachers and students of the school continue to focus on maintaining the quality of national-level gifted student training and achieving success in international competitions.

According to Tran Minh Hien, Vice Principal of Quang Trung High School for the Gifted, to remain among the top institutions for elite education quality in the digital era, the school has promoted an innovation ecosystem, increased investment in and maximised the use of physics, chemistry, and biology laboratories as well as modern computer rooms to transform theoretical ideas into practical STEM products. In particular, the school has fostered a culture of scientific research from an early stage, encouraging students to participate in national and international science and technology competitions as a foundation for nurturing an entrepreneurial spirit and global problem-solving thinking.

Alongside formal classes, the school has strengthened life skills education to support students' holistic development. This includes a focus on soft skills, critical thinking, and emotional management through activities at boarding facilities, multi-purpose sports halls, and extracurricular clubs. Notably, in the context of deep international integration, the school is moving towards making English a widely used second language.

Chu Van An A High School is the first school in the province to have a dedicated resolution issued by the ward-level People's Committee of Chon Thanh ward on building a happy school. This provides a solid foundation for the school to implement the initiative with close cooperation and support of local Party committees, authorities, organisations and residents. This systematic approach is expected to help Chu Van An A High School truly become a “happy school”, rather than a slogan or formality.

Following the move of the Chon Thanh ward Party Committee, several other localities in the province are currently studying and formulating resolutions on building happy schools tailored to their specific conditions.

In 2025, in addition to implementing state and professional management in line with the two-tier local administration model, the education and training sector also began implementing Resolution No. 71-NQ/TW dated August 22, 2025, issued by the Politburo on breakthroughs in education and training development.

Hoang Thi Ngoc, Principal of Nguyen An Ninh Primary School in Tam Hiep ward, shared: “As a primary school administrator, I am particularly impressed by the content on strengthening comprehensive education in morality, intellect, physical development and aesthetics, and shaping the value system of Vietnamese people in the new era. This is also a direction that our school has persistently pursued in recent years, alongside efforts to renew and improve teaching and learning quality.”

She expressed confidence that, with the operation of the two-tier local administration, education institutions would be granted greater empowerment and have existing obstacles removed, enabling them to implement the resolution more strongly and decisively. As a result, students would benefit from the best possible conditions for comprehensive development.

By Hai Yen, Vu Thuyen – Translated by My Le, Thu Ha