Start today to 'save' the young scientist.

As Thanh Nien newspaper reported, at a recent scientific conference organized by the Ministry of Science and Technology in collaboration with the Ministry of Education and Training, leaders of these two ministries recognized that it was time for state management agencies to step in to address the pressing issues of scientific integrity. However, how to step in and how to resolve these issues remains an open question.

Scientists at a workshop on scientific integrity organized by the Ministry of Science and Technology and the Ministry of Education and Training.

" HISTORICAL FACTORS" OF THE CONCEPT OF SCIENTIFIC INTEGRITY

According to scientists, there are currently many conflicting views within the scientific community regarding the definition of the concept of scientific misconduct. This is a concept with cultural and historical significance. Some actions that might be considered unethical in the present era could have been considered normal (or acceptable by the scientific community) in the past.

At the aforementioned conference, Professor Hoang Anh Tuan, Rector of the University of Social Sciences and Humanities - Vietnam National University, Hanoi , stated that more than 30 years ago, when he entered the research profession (1995-1999), many professors (even in the academic environment of developed countries) still had a simplistic view of publishing scientific works.

"So now, looking back at some things, using the current context, we see many discrepancies, and because of these discrepancies, many things become tragic. (...) I say this to show that there are issues that perhaps need sharing, need to be recognized, and placed in the historical context, which would be better. The important thing is that we aim towards what we want to build," Professor Hoang Anh Tuan said.

According to Professor Nguyen Xuan Hung of Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology (Hutech), young scientists in Vietnam face many difficulties on their journey to pursue scientific research. Hutech University also issued regulations on scientific research collaboration in April 2023, but implementing these regulations is extremely difficult because a faculty member has many different tasks to do, and now they have to learn the entire process, which takes a lot of time. Therefore, sharing and support are needed for mutual development.

Mr. Tran Hong Thai, Deputy Minister of Science and Technology, also agreed with the view that there needs to be a cultured and civilized approach in the process of building the Science and Technology Council. He stated that relevant parties, including intellectuals and educators, should not be named until investigations and evidence are available, as this could negatively impact individual scientists and scientific groups.

WE MUST BUILD A CULTURE OF SCIENTIFIC INTEGRITY.

Professor Phung Ho Hai, from the Institute of Mathematics, Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, believes that the reality of the struggle for scientific exchange in recent times shows that there are painful consequences that must be accepted. "In the mathematics community, there are people who sell papers indiscriminately, raking in huge sums of money, ignoring and disregarding everyone else. The problem now is to prevent others from following those people. We must prevent young people from following that path. Scientific culture lies in the students learning from their teachers; if the teachers are bad, the students will inevitably be bad too. Therefore, we must build a culture of scientific exchange," Professor Hai said.

According to Dr. Duong Tu of Purdue University, USA, in a social environment with many integrity issues like ours, scientists should play a role model of honesty and integrity as an academic obligation to restore public trust in science and inspire society. If scientists abandon this responsibility, abandon this opportunity, they are failing those who fund their scientific research.

Professor Phung Ho Hai, Institute of Mathematics, Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology

A LEGAL FRAMEWORK IS NEEDED

According to Associate Professor Nguyen Tai Dong, Institute of Philosophy, Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences, we have many regulations in laws, decrees, regulations of the Ministry of Science and Technology, the Ministry of Education and Training, many schools, many journals... The only problem is that we lack a comprehensive framework.

According to Associate Professor Dong, it is necessary to research and establish major principles, universal regulations, and a common set of indicators or criteria for scientific research. This is mandatory. If there is such a common framework, then units, research institutions, universities, and journals can develop their own unique approaches. Associate Professor Nguyen Tai Dong also suggested the need to establish a number of pioneering, leading units to guide the process, similar to the State Supervisory Council and the NAFOSTED Fund.

Associate Professor Tran Anh Tuan, Chief of the Office of the State Council of Professors, stated that although the Ministry of Education and Training has issued Decree 109, which assigns universities the autonomy to issue regulations and take responsibility for academic integrity, it is still essential for the ministry or higher levels to issue a general regulation on codes of conduct or scientific research. Based on this, universities and institutes will have a basis to detail their own regulations, especially regarding sanctions.

Many questions need to be answered soon.

According to Deputy Minister of Science and Technology Tran Hong Thai, the Ministry of Science and Technology and the Ministry of Education and Training currently need the Vietnamese scientific community's help in identifying phenomena that can be considered violations of scientific integrity, and gradually forming a concept of scientific integrity. The Law on Science and Technology, the Law on Education , and the Law on Higher Education all have regulations on integrity. But integrity is not only within the scope of the law but also culture and ethics. "So which issue is legal, and which is cultural? Is it necessary to change the legal regulations on scientific integrity? What needs to be changed? These are questions that need to be answered soon. Currently, the Ministry of Science and Technology is advising the Government on preparing a project to amend the Law on Science and Technology. This is the time to gather opinions so that the issue of scientific integrity can be deeply integrated into the law," Mr. Thai said.

Speaking to Thanh Nien newspaper and on the Science and Technology Integrity Forum, Dr. Duong Tu expressed concern that currently there is no specialized department for science and technology integrity, meaning there will be no one to continue implementing the directives of relevant ministries in the future. "This is part of the reason I believe Vietnam should establish the Vietnam Office of Research Integrity (VORI), similar to many countries such as the US, UK, China, France, and the Netherlands, with genuine experts in science and technology integrity: continuously updating and sharing knowledge and information on research integrity with the scientific community; providing expert opinions when issues of integrity arise; inspecting, auditing, and monitoring the assurance of science and technology integrity at research units, limiting units from covering up for their own people; and handling complaints and denunciations of integrity violations when necessary."

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