'Universities must act, promote science and technology to accelerate'

GD&TĐ - Higher education is receiving attention and resources from the policies of the Party and the State, the task of schools is to take action.

This is one of the messages mentioned by Prof. Dr. Nguyen Thi Thanh Mai, Vice President of Ho Chi Minh City National University, in her speech at the 2025 Opening Ceremony of Ho Chi Minh City National University.

The Opening Ceremony of the 2025 school year with the theme "Aspiration for innovation for a strong Vietnam" took place on the morning of October 25.

Professor Nguyen Thi Thanh Mai emphasized that in recent years, higher education has received increasing attention and strong investment from the Party and State, especially in training in basic sciences and strategic technologies - the foundation of national sustainable development.

The year 2025 is considered a milestone of transformation for the country, entering a new era with many expectations and challenges.

Students from member schools of Ho Chi Minh City National University attended the ceremony.

According to Resolution 71-NQ/TW of the Politburo on breakthroughs in education and training development, the phrase “higher education” was mentioned 29 times and “innovation” was mentioned 13 times, demonstrating the strategic importance of this field.

The Resolution affirms that "University education is the core of developing highly qualified human resources and talents, promoting the development of science and technology and innovation", and at the same time sets out the requirement of "prioritizing investment in university education", with the budget for this field reaching at least 3% of total state budget expenditure.

In addition, new legal documents such as the Law on Teachers, the Law on Science, Technology and Innovation, and the Law on Higher Education (amended) are about to be passed, creating a solid legal corridor for the development of the national university system.

Entering a new era, Ho Chi Minh City National University identifies its core mission as nurturing well-rounded talents with social responsibility, research and creative capacity to contribute to sustainable development, social progress and raising the level of Vietnamese knowledge.

Students of Gifted High School (Ho Chi Minh City National University) attended the ceremony.

According to the Development Strategy for the period 2021 - 2030, Ho Chi Minh City National University aims to become one of the top 100 universities in Asia by 2030 and further aim to reach the group of top 100 universities in the world.

The Vice President of Ho Chi Minh City National University emphasized the new spirit of action according to Resolution No. 57-NQ/TW of the Politburo: "People and businesses are the center, the main subject, resource, and driving force; scientists are the key factor; the State plays the leading, promoting, and creating the most favorable conditions for the development of science, technology, innovation, and national digital transformation".

"The State has paved the way, businesses have taken the lead and accompanied, now it is the university's turn to act, promoting science and technology to accelerate," said Professor Mai.

Traditional flag-raising ceremony at the opening ceremony.

Ms. Mai sent a short message to all lecturers and students: "Dare to think differently - Dare to fail - Dare to try again".

She emphasized that only when people dare to be different, dare to confront and dare to stand up, can they mature and society develop.

For students, she encourages: "Dare to think further, learn not only in the classroom but also from teachers, friends, experts and even ordinary people around us."

Students of Ho Chi Minh City National University have the opportunity to meet Nobel Prize-winning professors and participate in international scientific and social projects. But the most important thing is to turn knowledge into social value through the spirit of innovation.

"The world is flat, and the path to success is only for those who think differently. Be ready to accept all challenges in studying and researching. Every difficulty is an opportunity to learn. The most valuable lesson is learning from failure," she sent a message to students.

With the team of lecturers, staff and workers, the Vice President of Ho Chi Minh City National University hopes that each teacher is an example of creativity and resilience.

In the context of increasingly open mechanisms and legal corridors, she called on the teaching staff to boldly experiment with new topics, innovate teaching methods, and cooperate openly for the common goal - to elevate Vietnamese knowledge on the world map.

Representatives of Ho Chi Minh City National University leaders awarded scholarships and rewards to valedictorians, students and pupils with excellent achievements.

After 30 years of establishment and development, Ho Chi Minh City National University currently gathers more than 6,000 lecturers, staff and nearly 100,000 full-time students, training nearly 20,000 bachelors, engineers, doctors, masters and PhDs each year, contributing high-quality human resources to Ho Chi Minh City and key economic regions in the South.

On the international academic map, Ho Chi Minh City National University is currently in the top 801-850 best universities in the world, with 18 highly ranked fields and disciplines, of which 15 are in the top 500 and 1 is in the top 100 globally.

The university also leads the country in the number of international publications, with about 2,700 articles in the first 9 months of 2025, and holds the number one position in internationally accredited training programs with 174 programs.

In the new phase, the system is focusing on developing key areas such as artificial intelligence (AI), semiconductor technology and biotechnology, aiming to be in the top 100 universities in Asia before 2030.

Source: https://giaoducthoidai.vn/dai-hoc-phai-hanh-dong-thuc-day-khoa-hoc-cong-nghe-de-tang-toc-post754005.html