Discussing solutions to modernize and improve university education

On October 24, the Central Propaganda and Mass Mobilization Commission, the Party Committee of the Ministry of Education and Training , and Ho Chi Minh City National University jointly organized a national scientific conference on the theme "Modernizing and improving Vietnam's higher education, creating breakthroughs in developing highly qualified human resources and talents, leading research and innovation" in Ho Chi Minh City.

Attending the workshop were Mr. Nguyen Trong Nghia, Politburo member, Secretary of the Party Central Committee, Head of the Central Propaganda and Education Commission; Mr. Huynh Thanh Dat, Party Central Committee member, Deputy Head of the Central Propaganda and Education Commission; Mr. Nguyen Van Phuc, Deputy Minister of Education and Training; representatives of the leadership of Ho Chi Minh City National University along with managers, scientists and experts in the field of education.

Upgrade and decentralize higher education institutions

In his speech at the workshop, Associate Professor Dr. Do Phu Tran Tinh, Director of the Institute for Policy Development, Ho Chi Minh City National University, made a series of proposals to strengthen decentralization and delegation of authority to Ho Chi Minh City National University in the context of implementing Resolution 71-NQ/TW of the Politburo.

According to Mr. Tinh, the current mechanism of decentralization and delegation of authority in organizational structure and personnel in self-financed public service units still has many shortcomings.

Associate Professor, Dr. Do Phu Tran Tinh, Director of the Institute for Policy Development, Ho Chi Minh City National University, presented a paper at the workshop.

He cited that a university with 40,000 students or just 4,000 students can only have a maximum of 3 vice presidents, which is not suitable for management practice.

Therefore, he proposed allowing a pilot autonomous mechanism in regulations on organizational structure and personnel at a number of key universities.

Mr. Tinh proposed giving autonomy in deciding the number of vice principals and departmental structure depending on the scale and specific operations of each school, along with a transparent monitoring and evaluation mechanism and clear accountability.

Another notable proposal is to allow a pilot program to consider and recognize the titles of professor and associate professor at key, multidisciplinary, prestigious universities with strong scientific potential.

These establishments will be self-recognized and appointed on the basis of compliance with common standards issued by the Prime Minister; the recognition results have nationwide legal value.

The Director of the Institute for Policy Development of Ho Chi Minh City National University also emphasized the need for more flexibility in policies towards exceptionally talented scientists, with the proposed pilot period being 3 years.

Prof. Dr. Nguyen Thi Thanh Mai, Vice President of Ho Chi Minh City National University, spoke at the conference.

The workshop aimed to disseminate and guide the implementation of Resolution 71-NQ/TW of the Politburo on breakthroughs in education and training development. The main content was to raise awareness, make proposals and recommendations to concretize breakthroughs to modernize and improve Vietnam's higher education.

Prof. Dr. Nguyen Thi Thanh Mai, Vice President of Ho Chi Minh City National University, emphasized that Resolution 71-NQ/TW conveyed a strong message that higher education is the core foundation for developing high-quality human resources and innovation.

She affirmed that Ho Chi Minh City National University is well aware of its pioneering role and has determined its development strategy for the 2021-2030 period in line with the orientation of the Party and State, aiming to be in the top 100 universities in Asia by 2030.

Increase investment in higher education

Economist Tran Thi Anh Nguyet (World Bank) raised the issue of finance and investment in higher education.

According to Ms. Nguyet, Resolution 71-NQ/TW emphasizes that higher education institutions are the key foundation for training high-quality human resources and talents, as well as promoting science, technology and innovation.

Currently, Vietnam’s higher education, science and technology, research and development, and innovation sectors are facing significant challenges in terms of finance and infrastructure. State budget expenditures for higher education institutions have not kept pace with the growth in student numbers, making institutions increasingly dependent on tuition fees.

Economist Tran Thi Anh Nguyet (World Bank) raised the issue of financing higher education.

To date, no Vietnamese higher education institution has made it into the world’s Top 100 in science or engineering. This reflects a lack of outstanding research and international innovation capacity.

To overcome this, Ms. Nguyet proposed a minimum investment budget of 12-17 billion USD for the 2026-2030 period to implement programs to develop science, technology, innovation and higher education.

This capital needs to come from the state budget, the private sector and development partners, with the goal that by 2030, every dong of the budget spent on human resource development will receive a corresponding contribution from the private sector.

Modernize and improve university education

Summing up the workshop, Deputy Minister of Education and Training Nguyen Van Phuc said that leaders, experts, scientists, businesses and representatives of training institutions across the country discussed and agreed on many important issues to effectively implement Resolution 71-NQ/TW.

Deputy Minister Nguyen Van Phuc delivered a closing speech at the workshop.

Regarding the content of innovation in higher education, delegates said that the issue must start with innovation in institutions, mechanisms and governance, ensuring autonomy. This is the foundation for schools to promote capacity, creativity and improve training quality. Upcoming expenditure on higher education will reach at least 3% of total state budget expenditure.

Universities need to build an ecosystem for research, innovation, and entrepreneurship in universities, in which the connection between the State - schools - businesses is strengthened. In the field of training, delegates especially emphasized the importance of new technology industries, such as artificial intelligence and sustainable development, to meet the requirements of the digital age.

Fourth, many opinions affirm the importance of the team of intellectuals, teachers and scientists as the decisive factor in the quality and stature of Vietnamese higher education. Therefore, there needs to be a mechanism to attract, employ and reward talents appropriately, creating motivation for them to contribute and develop.

Prof. Dr. Mai Thanh Phong, Principal of the University of Technology (Ho Chi Minh City National University) shares the school's solutions to attract talent.

The Deputy Minister emphasized the pioneering role of national universities, regional universities and key schools. These will be the centers of knowledge and innovation in each region, contributing to the realization of the country's sustainable development goals.

Source: https://giaoducthoidai.vn/ban-giai-phap-hien-dai-hoa-nang-tam-giao-duc-dai-hoc-post753878.html