| Abstract: |
University autonomy expands institutional decision-making but simultaneously increases legal exposure, accountability and the need for professional compliance systems. This article examines the current Vietnamese legal framework for legal affairs work in universities, with particular attention to the Higher Education Law 2025 and Decree No. 55/2011/ND-CP as amended by Decree No. 56/2024/ND-CP. The 2024 amendment is significant because it expressly brings public service units, including public universities, within the legal-affairs framework and identifies five principal functions: drafting and reviewing internal regulations, documents and contracts; advising on legal issues; disseminating and educating staff about law and institutional rules; monitoring and inspecting compliance; and performing other legally assigned tasks. The Higher Education Law 2025, effective from 1 January 2026, further strengthens the relationship between autonomy and accountability, requires truthful disclosure, internal quality assurance, self-inspection, digital governance and protection of the lawful rights of learners and employees, and introduces major transitional changes to the governance of public universities. The article analyses the institutional position of university legal-affairs units and their work in internal rule-making, academic administration, human resources, finance, procurement, public assets, research, intellectual property, international cooperation, student affairs, data governance, dispute prevention and legal education. It argues that the existing framework provides an important foundation but remains incomplete, especially for private universities and for determining organisational independence, staffing standards, professional privilege, mandatory review procedures and performance indicators. The article proposes a risk-based model of university legal governance built on early legal involvement, a central regulatory register, systematic compliance monitoring, specialised professional development, digital legal management and clear accountability of university leaders. |
