Proposal to abolish the national university model

On May 14, the Ministry of Education and Training held a policy consultation seminar on the development of the Law on HigherEducation (amended).

Speaking at the seminar, Mr. Bui Xuan Hai, Principal of Hai Phong University, said that if we consider eliminating national universities and regional universities, this will be a breakthrough and a new feature of the Law on Higher Education (amended).

According to Mr. Hai, the national university model was born in 1995-1996 with a different perspective from the present, the national university included many member schools and established many faculties. Over the years, these faculties have become member schools and colleges. There are small member schools, with about 100 lecturers and a few thousand students.

“When I talk to foreign professors, they keep asking what our national university and university are, and how they are different. Is there any country in the world like ours that has a two-level university like this?”, Mr. Hai said.

Mr. Bui Xuan Hai, Principal of Hai Phong University. Photo: Tran Hiep.

In terms of state management, according to Mr. Hai, the two-level university model puts member universities in a situation of "one neck, two yokes".

“National universities and regional universities are not state management agencies and do not have any state management functions. However, they manage their member schools. This is contrary to the principle of university autonomy,” said Mr. Hai.

Mr. Hai added: "If we define member schools as higher education institutions, let them be autonomous like other independent universities, there is no need for this 'umbrella' anymore."

According to Mr. Hai, it is necessary to strongly reform this so that member schools of national universities and regional universities can be autonomous and develop.

“It is impossible to classify Vietnamese higher education institutions as including national universities, regional universities, colleges, universities, and academies,” said Mr. Hai.

Supporting the development of the university model, but with schools within it, Mr. Hai said that member universities should not have legal status within the university.

“National universities and regional universities should be abolished; small schools of national universities and regional universities should be developed and merged to match their stature,” Mr. Hai proposed.

Mr. Vu Hoang Linh, Chairman of the Council of the University of Science - Vietnam National University, Hanoi. Photo: Tran Hiep.

Mr. Vu Hoang Linh, Chairman of the Council of the University of Natural Sciences - Vietnam National University, Hanoi, also said that the two-level university model is facing difficulties and needs to be reviewed.

According to him, for those working in the field, the most difficult thing about the two-level university model is not management, but when working with foreign partners, it is difficult to explain what a "university within a university" is.

“We introduce ourselves as a University, and above us we have another University. Foreigners do not understand what Vietnamese higher education is like, but there is a ‘university in university’ (a university within a university). We have to explain the ‘university above’ as an umbrella; or similar to the model of the University of California in the US, but it is not like that at all. Therefore, I completely agree that the model of national university and regional university (a 2-level model) has problems and we have to review it,” said Mr. Linh.

Source: https://vietnamnet.vn/de-xuat-bo-mo-hinh-dai-hoc-quoc-gia-2401208.html