Abstract

The article examines international law and selected experience from Australia and Indonesia to identify implications for safeguarding the right to education of ethnic minority university students in Vietnam. Using doctrinal legal analysis, a rights-based approach, and functional comparison, it develops five assessment criteria: access; affordability; academic continuation and support; identity and safety; and complaint and remedy. Vietnamese law establishes a foundation for equality, educational priority, student support, and institutional responsibility, but does not yet form an integrated mechanism covering the whole student journey. Australia illustrates how funding can be linked to services and outcomes; Indonesia shows the value of connecting preferential admission with scholarships. The article recommends needs-based support, a coordinating focal point, measurable indicators, data safeguards, and accessible complaint procedures. The aim is to remove controllable barriers and create a realistic opportunity to meet common academic standards, not to guarantee individual outcomes.

Keywords: Ethnic minorities, higher education, right to education, substantive equality, Vietnam.