The ministry reviewed all universities in the country in 2013 on their abilities to ensure quality of education and training. More than 2,400 and 1200 specialisation courses of universities and colleges respectively were reviewed.

The review found that lecturers in 207 specializations courses offered by 71 universities did not meet the training requirements.

The courses, admissions to which have been suspended, are being offered by prestigious universities. These include Italian Linguistics and Literature, Spanish Linguistics and Literature offered by the University of Social Sciences and Humanities; mathematics, literature, chemistry, philosophy and information technology offered by the Hanoi National University of Education and, oceanography offered by the Ho Chi Minh University of Natural Sciences.

Deputy Minister Bui Van Ga told Tuoi Tra (Youth) Newspaper that the ministry has also issued warnings about 296 college-level specialisations, the faculty of which also did not have the required standards. These courses too may not be able to admit new students in 2015 if the host universities do not improve the quality of their lecturers.

Current regulations state that universities have to ensure that their permanent lecturers cover 70 per cent of the curriculum and at least one lecturer has a doctorate and three are post-graduates. Deputy Minister Ga said the faculty departments of courses to which new admissions have been suspended do not meet these requirements.

Vice Rector of the HCM University of Natural Sciences Nguyen Kim Quang said he was surprised at the announcement.

He said oceanography is a traditional course offered by his university and that the quality of the faculty has been maintained for years.

Meanwhile, Vice Rector of the University of Finance and Marketing Hua Minh Tuan said the announcement would confuse students because many are interested in joining the university's accounting courses, which would have to stop recruiting from this year.

"When the university started the course, the Ministry of Education and Training examined all the required conditions, including the faculty requirements. We're quite confused," he said, adding that the university would contact the ministry today for more information.