Hanoi, Vietnam — A new decree from Vietnam’s Ministry of Education and Training bans visiting lecturers from teaching at universities unless they hold the title of professor or are able to show a “pedagogical certificate,” the online VietNamNet Bridge news service reports.

The new regulations are part of Vietnam’s efforts to raise the quality of teaching in the country’s universities, which is acknowledged to be poor even by ministry officials. Yet the decree comes at a time when Vietnam is experiencing a critical shortage of faculty members with graduate degrees or research experience. Vietnam’s state news media reported in November that, according to the National Title Council, the ratio of students to professors is 743 to 1.

In the past, universities have recruited foreigners to teach classes that their own faculty members may have little practical experience in, such as international banking, journalism, and information technology. Visiting lecturers also often volunteer their time, making them even more attractive to cash-strapped universities and colleges.

Several university leaders have expressed concern that the quality of education will decline rather than improve under the new regulations. —Martha Ann Overland