10.6.3. Access to university underrepresented groups recruit

University of Economics Ho Chi Minh City (UEH) demonstrates a strong and systematic commitment to promoting diversity and inclusion in higher education through its admission and recruitment plans targeting underrepresented groups. UEH’s policies go beyond the principle of equality and have been translated into concrete, planned, measurable, and transparent actions – thereby building a diverse and comprehensive community of learners and staff, reflecting the spirit of equity, integration, and sustainable development of a modern university.

Admissions targeting underrepresented groups

UEH ensures the right to equal opportunity access through a non-discriminatory admission policy (Decision 584/QD-DHKT-DT, 2024: https://daotao.ueh.edu.vn/quyet-dinh-ve-viec-ban-hanh-quy-che-to-chuc-tuyen-sinh-trinh-do-dai-hoc-cua-dai-hoc-kinh-te-thanh-pho-ho-chi-minh-ma-truong-ksa-ksv/), affirming that no candidate loses the opportunity to apply due to sex, ethnicity, income, religion, or disabilities. Concurrently, UEH implements affirmative action policies publicly and transparently:

+ Ethnic minorities, poor households, and particularly disadvantaged areas: receive priority points, direct admission, or a one-year preparatory program for candidates from ethnic groups with very small populations, border areas, and islands; public guidance on providing proof is available on the Admission Portal.

+ People with disabilities: are eligible for direct admission with valid disability certification and assurance of learning accessibility; the university ensures an accessible learning environment.

+ Women: UEH’s online admission system integrates a gender field, features a dashboard to track the female ratio across three stages (application – admission – enrollment), and deploys the gender-neutral advisory tool “Understand You” to reduce gender bias in major selection.

+ Non-traditional students: expands admissions for part-time, transfer, and second-degree programs, with no age limit or restrictions on learning forms.

+ LGBT community and refugees: while separate data is not yet available due to legal constraints, all of UEH’s advisory and communication tools are designed to be gender-neutral, ensuring no group is excluded.

These preferential admission policies help ensure the rights and encourage capable candidates with special circumstances, bringing equal opportunity access to quality education at UEH

Student Doan Cong Phat receives a scholarship sponsored by a business

These activities help UEH transition from policy to measurable implementation, with a data tracking system spanning from application – admission – enrollment, serving reporting and equitable public policy planning.

Diverse and inclusive recruitment

Alongside admissions, UEH also develops a recruitment strategy focusing on diversity, inclusion, and equity, ensuring all candidates and staff are evaluated based on capability and achievement, regardless of gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or social status. The university complies with the Law on Gender Equality No. 73/2006/QH11, the Labor Code No. 45/2019/QH14, and regulations in Resolution No. 28-NQ/TW on salary policy reform, social protection, and welfare, while maintaining a safe, respectful workplace free from harassment and discrimination in any form. It also integrates a mechanism for priority bonus points for candidates from underrepresented groups:

+7,5 points: Heroes of the Armed Forces, Labor Heroes, war invalids, and equivalent subjects.

+5 points: Ethnic minorities, relatives of people with meritorious services, professional soldiers after service, children of martyrs, war invalids, sick soldiers…

+2,5 points: individuals who have completed military service, public security service, youth volunteer service.
(Priority levels apply only the highest rate if a candidate belongs to multiple groups.)

UEH implements a strategy for developing a regionally diverse academic workforce through two key programs – “From EXCELLENT UEH STUDENT to EXCELLENT COLLEAGUE” at UEH Mekong and “UEH Global Talent” at UEH Nexus Nha Trang. 

At UEH Mekong, the program has been maintained continuously since 2022 and continues with the goal of selecting and training excellent UEH graduates from the Mekong Delta region – an area still underrepresented in the higher education system. Candidates are awarded 100% scholarships for the Vietnam – Netherlands Master’s program (VNP), supported with affordable housing and scientific research, aiming to cultivate a young faculty committed to serving regional development. Simultaneously, UEH is preparing policies and implementation plans for the “UEH Global Talent” program at UEH Nexus Nha Trang in 2025, aiming to nurture a young faculty and management team from the South Central Coast and Central Highlands regions, with the orientation of developing a regionally diverse academic workforce for the upcoming operational phase.

These two initiatives clearly demonstrate UEH’s direction in developing a regionally diverse academic workforce, expanding career opportunities for young people in underrepresented areas, while also contributing to the dissemination of knowledge and promoting sustainable development goals throughout the UEH university system.

Evidence:

2024: 9 students with disabilities admitted to the university

Compared to 2023 – a period where UEH primarily focused on affirming its equality policy and initiating preliminary regional recruitment programs – 2024 marked a significant leap forward in scale, depth, and data management capabilities. While 2023 was limited to issuing a preferential policy, 2024 saw UEH standardize all guidelines for preferential evidence, establish a multi-tiered data tracking system with a dashboard, and expand its academic personnel development strategy to new regions through the “UEH Global Talent” plan for UEH Nexus Nha Trang. Furthermore, by linking its human resources and enrollment strategies with the 17 SDGs and implementing a regular reporting mechanism for inclusion data on underrepresented groups, UEH has transitioned from a “policy of commitment” to an “execution and measurement governance system” – demonstrating a superior maturity in 2024 throughout the entire social protection and inclusion management chain.

Open related links:

1. Decision 584/QD-DHKT-DT, 2024 – https://daotao.ueh.edu.vn/quyet-dinh-ve-viec-ban-hanh-quy-che-to-chuc-tuyen-sinh-trinh-do-dai-hoc-cua-dai-hoc-kinh-te-thanh-pho-ho-chi-minh-ma-truong-ksa-ksv/

2. Admissions for underrepresented groups – https://daotao.ueh.edu.vn/quy-che-to-chuc-tuyen-sinh-trinh-do-dai-hoc-cua-truong-dai-hoc-kinh-te-tp-hcm-ban-hanh-kem-theo-quyet-dinh-584-qd-dhkt-dt-ngay-02-02-2023-cua-ueh/ 

https://tuyensinh.ueh.edu.vn/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/UEH-TB-1641-DHKT-DT-Tuyen-sinh-chung-CQ-va-VLVH-Dot-T9.2024-Co-dau.pdf

3. Gender equality monitoring and measurement – https://xettuyen.ueh.edu.vn/ 

https://hieuveban.ueh.edu.vn/ 

4. Diverse staff recruitment – https://hotro.ueh.edu.vn/bai-viet/tuyen-dung-vien-chuc-3601 

5. Human resource development in underrepresented regions – https://www.facebook.com/share/p/14QMWwPqX5m/

6. January 27th – Fair and non-discriminatory recruitment – https://ueh.edu.vn/cuoc-song-ueh/tin-tuc/trien-khai-cac-chinh-sach-nguon-nhan-luc-gan-voi-17-sdgs-huong-toi-no-luc-dong-gop-tri-luc-cho-muc-tieu-phat-trien-ben-vung-73312