Appropriate policy mechanisms are needed for regional universities to develop to their full potential.

One of the issues that the public is interested in in the Draft Law on Higher Education Amendment is the regional university model. In the context of organizing and rearranging the higher education system in a streamlined and efficient manner, reducing intermediaries as in the spirit of Resolution 71, many opinions suggest that it is necessary to carefully evaluate the position, role and operational effectiveness of the regional university model, on that basis, research, design and reorganize accordingly so that regional universities can develop commensurate with the requirements and tasks.

In 1994, when the country entered the period of renovation, our country's education policy makers made a strategic decision: Establishing regional universities. This was not only a bold step in reforming higher education but also demonstrated a far-sighted vision of developing high-quality human resources to serve the country's industrialization and modernization.

Building truly strong regional universities to play a leading role. Illustrative photo

The regional university model aims to concentrate resources, create large training and research centers in key economic regions, thereby contributing to the even development of higher education among regions. After more than 30 years of construction and development, the regional university model has proven its superiority and suitability to the practical conditions of Vietnam.

Regional universities such as Da Nang University, Thai Nguyen University, and Hue University have made great contributions to training local human resources, promoting the socio-economic development of the region, and creating conditions for member schools to develop more independently and effectively. This model also helps attract high-quality human resources for underdeveloped regions, ensuring social equity, and enhancing national competitiveness. Despite its many contributions, this model is also revealing some shortcomings when regional universities are now becoming administrative intermediaries.

Member universities of regional universities are still bound by the “two-tier” mechanism of having to go through the regional university and then the ministry in investment procedures, opening majors, international cooperation, leading to loss of opportunities and flexibility. On the other hand, the regional university brand has not been clearly identified, limiting competitiveness, affecting rankings and international cooperation. This is somewhat contradictory, even contrary to the spirit of Resolution 71 on eliminating intermediate levels, ensuring streamlined, unified, and effective governance for the higher education system...

Sharing with CAND Newspaper reporters on this issue, Dr. Le Viet Khuyen, former Deputy Director of the Department of Higher Education, Ministry of Education and Training, said that after more than 30 years of construction and development, all three regional universities, including Thai Nguyen University, Hue University, and Da Nang University, have made steady steps, remarkable progress, and have made important contributions to the economic and social development of the country in general as well as to each economic region in particular.

However, although designed with a multidisciplinary university model, in reality, regional universities still only exist in the form of a "union of specialized universities" with a "two-level university" structure, in which member schools still operate almost independently, without coordinating with each other, first of all in terms of training, so in recent years, regional universities have not had the real combined strength as expected by learners and society.

To promote the appropriate development of regional universities in the new context, Dr. Le Viet Khuyen proposed that the Government soon issue a new Decree for National Universities and regional universities, which clearly states the mission of each type of university, stipulates that these universities must change their structure in the direction of immediately transforming from the model of the Union of specialized universities to a truly multidisciplinary university model, with a reasonable division of labor and decentralization between universities and member schools, ensuring the promotion of the initiative and strengths of each school, along with the overall strength of the whole university.

In addition, the development strategy of regional universities must also be linked to the economic and social development strategy of the region in the direction of regional universities and regions developing together; only when the region reaches the general development level of the whole country, the State should raise the issue of changing the mission of regional universities. In addition, because regional universities are only established in regions with slow economic and social development, it is necessary to prioritize state budget investment and limit the application of Decree 60 on financial autonomy for this type of university, at the same time, build a mechanism for regional universities to be completely autonomous in all three aspects including academics, organization, personnel and finance.

National Assembly Delegate Tran Thi Nhi Ha, Hanoi Delegation also said that in the context of the whole country promoting digital transformation and restructuring the system of higher education institutions in the spirit of Resolution 71 with the requirement of streamlining the apparatus and eliminating intermediate levels, continuing to stipulate the regional university model as a separate structure in the law will no longer be appropriate. Therefore, it is necessary to redefine the system of higher education institutions according to international practices and in accordance with Vietnamese practice in the direction of establishing only two basic models: multi-disciplinary and multi-field universities and specialized universities for specific fields. In particular, regional universities can be arranged into the multi-disciplinary and multi-field university model.

Minister of Education and Training Nguyen Kim Son affirmed that regional universities have played an important role in training and research over the past time. In Party resolutions such as Resolution 29-NQ/TW, Conclusion 21-KL/TW and 6 regional resolutions as well as other Party resolutions, the need to develop truly strong national and regional universities to play a leading role in the national education system is emphasized.

“In fact, if we see that the regional university model still has shortcomings, including problems with the intermediary stage, we need to survey and evaluate it in the spirit of Resolution No. 71 requiring the reduction of intermediary stages. As the drafting agency of the revised Law on Higher Education, the Ministry of Education and Training will review and evaluate this content in a scientific, cautious and thorough manner,” said Minister Nguyen Kim Son.

Source: https://cand.com.vn/giao-duc/can-co-che-chinh-sach-phu-hop-de-dai-hoc-vung-phat-trien-xung-tam-i789717/