Governing AI in Higher Education Research: A Spolskyan Language Policy Analysis of Vietnam’s Scientific Integrity Regulation (Decision 2557/QD-BKHCN)
Keywords:
: language policy; AI governance; academic integrity; higher education; VietnamAbstract
The widespread adoption of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) in higher education research and academic writing has led governments to develop regulatory frameworks governing its use. Despite growing attention to AI governance, no prior study has analyzed a national AI-integrity instrument in Southeast Asia through a language-policy lens. Addressing this gap, this qualitative, document-based study examines Article 16 of Vietnam’s Decision No. 2557/Q?-BKHCN, which outlines principles of scientific integrity and research ethics, through Spolsky’s (2004, 2009) language policy framework. By conceptualizing AI-generated academic text, the study interprets the Decision as a form of top-down language management governing AI use. Using Critical Policy Analysis (CPA) and Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA), the study analyzes the six provisions of Article 16 in relation to Spolsky’s three dimensions: language practices, language beliefs and ideologies, and language management. The findings indicate that the policy promotes an ideology of academic integrity in which AI is framed as a tool, thereby maintaining human responsibility for scholarly outputs. As empirical data on researchers’ practices are not yet available, the study does not assess compliance. Instead, it identifies a potential gap between policy requirements and the rapidly changing use of AI by researchers in Vietnamese higher education. By comparing Vietnam’s approach with international AI-governance frameworks, the study extends Spolsky’s framework to AI governance and provides practical recommendations for aligning legal compliance with responsible AI use, academic writing instruction, and digital literacy.
https://doi.org/10.26803/ijlter.25.9.23
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