The Ministry of Education and Training is seeking feedback on the Project for Training High-Quality Human Resources from Ethnic Minorities.

Associate Professor Dr. Nguyen Anh Dung - Deputy Director of the Department of Higher Education, Ministry of Education and Training ; Professor Dr. Tran Trung - Director of the National Academy of Ethnic Minorities; and Professor Dr. Cao Tien Duc - Rector of Buon Ma Thuot University of Medicine and Pharmacy co-chaired the seminar.

Also in attendance were representatives from departments and bureaus under the Ministry of Education and Training, along with experts, scientists, and leaders of higher education institutions in the South Central region.

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Anh Dung - Deputy Director of the Department of Higher Education, delivered the opening remarks at the seminar. (Photo: NA)

Accordingly, the draft "Scheme for training and fostering high-quality human resources from ethnic minorities in key industries, sectors, and fields in the period 2025–2035, with a vision to 2045" aims to implement Decision 1657/QD-TTg of the Prime Minister on the Strategy for Ethnic Affairs in the period 2021–2030, with a vision to 2045.

Specifically, ethnic minorities account for approximately 14.7% of Vietnam's population, equivalent to over 14 million people, with a rapidly growing population and currently in a demographic dividend. However, the quality of human resources among ethnic minorities remains low, with the proportion of trained workers reaching only about 6.2% – less than one-third of the national average. Policies supporting the development of human resources for ethnic minorities are still inconsistent and have not truly fostered the upward mobility of ethnic minority communities.

Dr. Phan Thi Duyen - Department of Higher Education, presented the program for the seminar. (Photo: NA)

Objectives and directions of the Project

According to the draft, in the period 2025–2035, the Ministry of Education and Training aims to develop a highly qualified workforce of ethnic minorities, focusing on key fields such as: Medicine, Pharmacy, Information Technology, Agriculture, Finance – Banking, and teacher training.

The goal by 2035 is for the workforce of ethnic minorities to be strong enough to meet the development requirements of key sectors, contributing to job security, increasing income, and making a practical contribution to the socio-economic development of ethnic minority regions and the whole country.

Associate Professor Dr. Nguyen Van Nam – Vice Rector of Tay Nguyen University, contributed his opinion. (Photo: NA)

Associate Professor Dr. Nguyen Van Nam – Vice Rector of Tay Nguyen University – believes that to achieve the set goals, it is necessary to link training in key sectors with directly addressing socio-economic issues in the locality. Dr. Nam proposed: “In the field of agriculture, it is necessary to combine biotechnology, processing, and related sectors to form key industry clusters. At the same time, there must be articulation between educational levels from preparatory, undergraduate to postgraduate. However, this affects enrollment quotas. Therefore, a separate mechanism is needed, supplementing quotas to give universities more training capacity. Besides support at the undergraduate level, scholarships should also be available for ethnic minority students to pursue master's and doctoral degrees to create a truly high-quality workforce.”

Challenges and solutions regarding tuition fees and support policies.

From a training management perspective, Associate Professor Dr. To Van Phuong – Head of the Undergraduate Training Department, Nha Trang University, raised concerns about tuition fees in the context of universities moving towards autonomy.

Associate Professor Dr. To Van Phuong – Nha Trang University contributed his opinion. (Photo: NA)

Professor Phuong suggested that more support policies are needed for ethnic minority students. “Currently, socio-economic conditions in ethnic minority areas are still very difficult, and with universities becoming more autonomous in the future, the issue of tuition fees is very challenging. Therefore, policies supporting tuition fees, living expenses, and learning activities for students need to be maintained and given more attention to create conditions for them to access higher education,” Associate Professor To Van Phuong emphasized.

Representing private educational institutions, Dr. Luu Viet Tinh – Vice Rector of Buon Ma Thuot University of Medicine and Pharmacy – stated that there are still policy discrepancies between the public and private sectors.

“Private schools must be completely autonomous in terms of facilities, teaching staff, and resources to operate in accordance with the regulations of education law. We are very pleased that the Ministry of Education and Training has shown its determination to socialize education, without distinction between public and private. However, a fairer mechanism is needed, from policy formulation and human resource development to tuition fee support. We are fully capable of participating in human resource training programs for ethnic minority areas and especially wish to contribute to training basic healthcare personnel – the foundation for a healthy community and sustainable social development,” Dr. Luu Viet Tinh expressed.

Professor Cao Tien Duc, Rector of Buon Ma Thuot University of Medicine and Pharmacy, speaks at the seminar. (Photo: NA)

Opinions expressed at the seminar also emphasized the need to improve the selection and recruitment mechanisms to suit the conditions of ethnic minority regions. At the same time, it is necessary to develop policies to support scholarships, tuition fees, dormitory expenses, and to find solutions for the effective utilization of human resources after training.

During the meeting, many delegates suggested that attention should be paid to developing a team of lecturers from ethnic minority groups at universities and colleges in the locality.

Associate Professor Dr. Nguyen Anh Dung - Deputy Director of the Department of Higher Education, said that they will consider and select opinions, and advise the Ministry of Education and Training to finalize the draft soon, submit it to the Government for approval, contributing to realizing the goal of sustainable development and ensuring that all ethnic minorities have the opportunity to access quality education.

Source: https://giaoducthoidai.vn/bo-gddt-lay-y-kien-de-an-dao-tao-nhan-luc-chat-luong-cao-nguoi-dan-toc-thieu-so-post741477.html