10-7-2024 (HANOI) The Hanoi School of Business and Management (HSB) has eliminated its contentious height requirements for prospective students. The decision, announced on Friday, comes in response to a directive from the Ministry of Education and Training and follows widespread criticism of the school’s admission criteria.
Previously, the HSB, a prominent institution under the Vietnam National University in Hanoi, stipulated that female applicants must be at least 1.58 metres tall, while male applicants were required to be 1.65 metres or taller. These requirements, coupled with demands for good physical strength and eyesight, sparked a heated debate about discrimination in educational access.
The controversy surrounding these criteria was further intensified by comparisons with specialised institutions such as military and police academies, which paradoxically maintain similar or even lower height standards for their applicants.
Responding to the public outcry, the Education Ministry urged the Vietnam National University in Hanoi to instruct the HSB to review its admission policies. The ministry emphasised the importance of upholding fundamental principles in admissions, stating that “no candidate should lose the opportunity to apply due to regulations unrelated to qualifications and abilities, except for those specified by the Ministry of Public Security and the Ministry of National Defense.”
This directive aligns with both university admission regulations and the Education Law, which guarantees equal educational opportunities for all citizens, regardless of personal characteristics.
In light of these developments, the HSB has now revised its admission criteria. The height standard will only apply to applicants for the Management and Security programme, which the school describes as “strategic for the career of training talents, contributing to the construction and protection of the nation.” Even in this case, exceptions will be considered for candidates with special talents.
The HSB, known for its financial autonomy and internationally accredited programmes, offers four undergraduate courses: Business and Technology Management, Marketing and Communications, Human Resource and Talent Management, and Management and Security. The school plans to admit 500 students in the upcoming academic year.
A school representative, in a recent interview, defended the original policy, stating that physical fitness and appearance play a crucial role in developing future leaders’ professional and confident image. However, this stance faced significant pushback from critics who viewed it as unnecessarily discriminatory.
The admission process at HSB remains rigorous, with applicants required to achieve a minimum IELTS score of 4.5 or equivalent and pass two preliminary rounds assessing their application and emotional intelligence.
