Majors with many advantages in the technology era

The online consultation program "Choosing a future major" with the theme "Information technology and technology industries" organized by Thanh Nien Newspaper on January 7, online at thanhnien.vn , Facebook fanpage, YouTube channel of Thanh Nien Newspaper, provided a lot of useful information about human resource needs, development trends, training programs, tuition fees, scholarships... of technology majors at universities.

HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF WORKERS SHORTAGE

Associate Professor, Dr. Pham Thanh Duong, Dean of the Faculty of Engineering at Vietnam-Germany University, said that Vietnam is witnessing the strong development of new technology trends such as artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning, cloud computing, internet of things... In particular, Vietnam is located in the center of Southeast Asia, near the gateway shipping route to leading economies such as China, Australia... The government is always actively building policies to support businesses. Vietnam also has an abundant labor force, students are good at natural sciences...

Experts provide much necessary information for candidates when choosing a technology-related major in a consulting program at Thanh Nien Newspaper.

PHOTO: DAO NGOC THACH

"These are the strengths that attract many large technology corporations, including the world's number 1 technology corporation NVIDIA, to Vietnam to develop research centers, expand investment, business, and production, creating great opportunities for labor and employment," Associate Professor, Dr. Thanh Duong commented.

Dr. Truong Hai Bang, Head of Computer Science at Saigon International University, informed: "The demand for human resources in the technology industry in Vietnam is growing very high. According to the forecast of the recruitment site TopDev, by 2025 Vietnam will need 700,000 information technology (IT) workers while currently there are only 530,000, so we are short of 170,000 - 200,000 workers. The number of AI experts in Vietnam is currently limited. People working in the field of information security currently only meet 10% of the human resource demand".

UNIVERSITY TRAINING MANY TECHNOLOGY MAJORS TRENDS

Regarding the importance of IT and technology majors, especially AI, semiconductors, big data, etc., Dr. Vo Thanh Hai, Permanent Deputy Director of Duy Tan University, said that in the context of the current technology boom in the world, especially after the Covid-19 pandemic, IT in general plays a key role in promoting all activities of life; the role of AI becomes more important and prominent.

"Since 2020, the Government has issued decisions, projects, and dispatches to promote high-tech human resources in the semiconductor and AI fields. In particular, by 2030, the aim is to train at least 50,000 engineers to serve in the semiconductor industry... This affects the orientation of university training and creates opportunities for learners to access and develop in this field," said Dr. Hai.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Dieu Anh, Deputy Head of the Faculty of Information Technology, Van Hien University, commented: With the role of training human resources to serve the country's technological trends, universities are having to change, aiming to train high-quality staff, focusing on AI, big data, and the Internet of Things. Training programs are regularly updated with knowledge and skills about new technologies, are tested, and cooperation with businesses, especially technology businesses, needs to be promoted.

Currently, many trending technology majors have been opened at universities. Dr. Nguyen Ha Giang, Head of the Information Technology Department of the University of Economics and Finance, Ho Chi Minh City, said that some majors that universities have focused on developing in the past 2 years are related to the fields of computers and IT such as data science, software engineering, AI, in addition to some interdisciplinary technology majors. Even in old majors, the training program has been adjusted to better suit the trend.

Dr. Cao Van Kien, Deputy Head of the Faculty of Information Technology at Nguyen Tat Thanh University, shared that AI will be a new major at the university in 2025. At Vietnam-Germany University, AI is integrated into all technology majors. The university is also continuing to develop semiconductor programs and build a laboratory system to serve in-depth training.

Dr. Truong Hai Bang said that Saigon International University has majors in AI, big data systems, microchip design, and IT in healthcare. Students studying these majors use AI platforms and advanced software from AI labs...

Meanwhile, Master Duong Thanh Phet, Deputy Head of the Faculty of Information Technology at Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology, said that the school is training in the fields of IT, information security, data science, computer science, AI, robotics and AI, and in 2025 will open a major in semiconductor technology...

QUALITIES NEEDED TO STUDY TECHNOLOGY WELL

At the consulting program, many candidates asked whether they should rush to register to study AI, semiconductors... or should they only pursue it if they are truly passionate and have certain qualities?

According to Dr. Vo Thanh Hai, to study technology well, students must be good at natural sciences and have logical thinking. In addition to the two main subjects of math, physics or math, chemistry, some schools consider a third subject, English or literature, for comprehensive training, linked to future career skills.

Dr. Le Viet Tuan, Head of the Artificial Intelligence Department, Faculty of Information Technology, Ho Chi Minh City Open University, said: "IT has many job positions for both introverts and extroverts. Regardless of the type, it is necessary to have the ability to work in a team, communicate, present in front of others... The first quality is passion for technology - unlimited energy to overcome challenges in the profession. Besides, the spirit of learning, desire to learn, curiosity about new things will help us continuously learn knowledge in studying and working. In addition, having the ability to think logically and make good judgments will help us be more successful in our careers."

In addition, Dr. Nguyen Van Kha, Deputy Director of the Admissions and Communications Center of Ho Chi Minh City University of Industry and Trade, said that when studying technology and IT, students still have to approach other fields of knowledge. "In the era of developing technology, studying technology and working in this field have changed a lot. Therefore, these fields of study no longer have gender discrimination," Dr. Kha commented.

Dr. Cao Van Kien further noted that students need to be equipped with solid professional knowledge; practical skills and practical experience to meet business requirements; soft skills and foreign language ability; innovative thinking and a spirit of continuous learning to meet the constant changes of new technology.

Associate Professor, Dr. Pham Thanh Duong (Head of Engineering Faculty, Vietnam-Germany University)

Workers must be more skilled than machines.

AI cannot replace jobs that require creativity. But with the development of AI, workers need to have higher skills, focusing more on creative work, strategy development, monitoring and supervision, and cross-disciplinary working capacity.

Dr. Truong Hai Bang (Head of Computer Science Department, Saigon International University)

To meet the requirements of technology corporations

Vietnam is an attractive destination for many world-famous technology corporations. However, to meet the requirements, in addition to solid expertise, Vietnamese workers need skills such as development thinking, communication, time management, etc.

Master Nguyen Thi Dieu Anh (Deputy Dean of Information Technology Faculty, Van Hien University)

Focus on soft skills and foreign languages

Universities also need to aim to train global citizens, focusing on soft skills and foreign languages, because later when working, students have to interact with foreign experts or work for multinational enterprises...

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/nhung-nganh-hoc-co-nhieu-loi-the-trong-thoi-cong-nghe-185250107195615409.htm