Granting scholarships to improve the quality of doctoral training.

Full scholarships for doctoral students are one of the many new features in the draft revised Higher Education Law. This proposal aims to improve the quality of doctoral training.

Báo Thanh niên•07/12/2025

TO BE ABLE TO FOCUS ENTIRELY ON STUDYING AND RESEARCHING

Many opinions have been expressed in agreement with the aforementioned new points in the draft revised Law on Higher Education .

Dr. Nguyen Tan Tran Minh Khang, Vice Rector in charge of the University of Information Technology (Vietnam National University Ho Chi Minh City), believes that this is a correct, necessary, and appropriate policy in line with the strategy of developing high-quality human resources, especially in the context where universities need a strong team of lecturers and researchers to meet the requirements of higher education reform and university autonomy.

Granting scholarships to improve the quality of doctoral training - Photo 1.

The University of Information Technology (Vietnam National University Ho Chi Minh City) is one of the universities with a policy to support its staff and lecturers in participating in doctoral training programs in Vietnam.

PHOTO: NHAT THINH

Based on practical experience, Dr. Khang observed: "To improve the quality of lecturers and attract talent, full scholarships and stable remuneration are crucial factors that determine whether candidates are willing to pursue a doctoral degree. Government support policies will reduce financial pressure, thereby creating conditions for doctoral candidates to focus on scientific research and complete their dissertations on time. This proposal also contributes to attracting outstanding young professionals back to universities, strengthening the teaching staff and experts in the long term."

Sharing the same view, Dr. Le Ngoc Son, Director of the Institute of International and Postgraduate Training, Ho Chi Minh City University of Industry, believes that the proposal to grant full scholarships to doctoral students is an effective solution to promote the development of a highly qualified workforce in the country and enhance competitiveness, attracting international doctoral students to study and conduct research in Vietnam. This model is also consistent with international practice, as most doctoral students are awarded scholarships to fully dedicate themselves to research and study.

From the perspective of a private university, Ms. Nguyen Thi Xuan Dung, Director of Communications at Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology, assesses the policy of granting full scholarships for doctoral training as a necessary step by the Ministry of Education and Training to improve the quality of the teaching staff, meet the requirements for developing high-quality human resources, and promote scientific research in the higher education system. According to Ms. Dung, expanding scholarship opportunities to both public and private universities will create equality in access and encourage private universities to continue investing heavily in research, supporting doctoral candidates, and developing their teaching staff.

HOW SHOULD SCHOLARSHIPS BE IMPLEMENTED?

Supporting the awarding of scholarships to doctoral candidates, experts have offered many suggestions for effective implementation. According to Dr. Nguyen Tan Tran Minh Khang, scholarships should be accompanied by a commitment to post-training service, but with flexible policies tailored to the specific characteristics of each field. There needs to be a transparent reward and penalty mechanism to encourage research of international quality. Additional support should be provided to doctoral candidates regarding funding for scientific publications, international conference fees, and research conditions.

Dr. Le Ngoc Son also believes that for this policy to be sustainably effective, its implementation needs to be linked to specific directions. First, doctoral scholarships should be allocated according to the nation's development needs, focusing on priority areas, key programs, state-level science and technology projects, or technology and innovation sectors where Vietnam is experiencing a shortage of high-quality human resources. This is the way to ensure that scholarship resources truly contribute to the country's long-term development strategy.

Furthermore, according to Mr. Son, scholarship recipients need to be carefully selected and have clear orientations. Students applying for state scholarships must commit to post-training service, participation in research, technology transfer, or work at the assigned unit. This helps ensure investment efficiency and avoid wasting budget resources. Finally, scholarships should be designed flexibly at various levels, including full scholarships for particularly priority fields or outstanding candidates, partial scholarships or scholarships based on research progress, as well as scholarships linked to the topics and projects of supervising professors. This multi-tiered approach will strongly motivate doctoral candidates and make the best use of state resources.

Meanwhile, Master's student Nguyen Thi Xuan Dung suggested: "To ensure the policy is effective, I propose that the Ministry of Education and Training consider adding some accompanying support such as research funding, scientific publication, laboratory facilities, and necessary academic conditions for doctoral candidates. These are core elements that enable students to complete their doctoral dissertations with high quality."

Government support policies will reduce financial pressure, thereby creating favorable conditions for doctoral candidates to focus on scientific research and complete their dissertations on time. This proposal contributes to attracting outstanding young talents back to universities, strengthening the faculty and expert workforce in the long term.

Dr. Nguyen Tan Tran Minh Khang, Vice Rector in charge of the University of Information Technology (Vietnam National University Ho Chi Minh City)

MANY UNIVERSITIES HAVE POLICIES FOR GRADUATE STUDENTS

In fact, many universities have policies to waive tuition fees, provide scholarships, and even sign training contracts that pay full-time doctoral students.

Since 2019, the University of Economics Ho Chi Minh City has implemented a tuition-free and salary-paying program with many attractive benefits for doctoral students studying at the university. Accordingly, doctoral students are considered full-time employees, signing contracts with the university and receiving 100% tuition fee exemption and monthly living allowances. If residing outside Ho Chi Minh City, doctoral students are provided with free accommodation at one of the university's accommodation facilities. With the approval of their supervisor, doctoral students can participate in teaching and receive remuneration equivalent to that of visiting lecturers. The maximum teaching time for doctoral students at the university is no more than 450 hours per year. Notably, doctoral students who complete their doctoral program are given priority for recruitment as university staff if they so wish...

Granting scholarships to improve the quality of doctoral training - Photo 2.

Graduate students at many universities are offered attractive opportunities such as becoming university researchers, priority in participating in research projects, receiving a monthly salary, and becoming lecturers with high incomes.

PHOTO: BH

The University of Information Technology (Vietnam National University Ho Chi Minh City) currently has comprehensive support policies for its staff and employees participating in domestic doctoral training programs. Specifically, the university offers advance funding and support covering 90-120% of tuition fees, along with incentive scholarships (50% of tuition fees per semester) for doctoral candidates with published scientific papers. In addition, doctoral candidates receive a 50% reduction in mandatory service hours, support for research groups, and assistance in completing their dissertations. The university also has a reward system for successful dissertation defenses and support for participation in state-funded doctoral training programs.

Ho Chi Minh City University of Industry also implements many support policies for doctoral students. The university completely waives tuition fees for staff and employees pursuing doctoral studies. The university provides financial support for research projects and programs for doctoral candidates through its annual science and technology budget. In particular, the university has a policy of rewarding international publications with high rewards, ranging from 40 to 75 million VND per ISI/Scopus article depending on the journal ranking.

Over the past period, Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology (HCMUT) has issued policies to support and encourage employees to pursue doctoral degrees. When studying at HCMUT or within its system, employees receive a 40-50% tuition fee subsidy and a 100 million VND bonus upon successfully defending their doctoral dissertation. When studying at other universities, they receive a reduction of 50-100 standard research hours per year and a 100 million VND bonus upon completion. For those pursuing doctoral degrees abroad, in addition to support in finding scholarships and social insurance during their studies, employees receive a 200 million VND bonus upon receiving their doctoral degree.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/cap-hoc-bong-de-nang-chat-luong-dao-tao-tien-si-185251207180637629.htm