One of the specific targets of the planning for the development network of higher education institutions and teacher training schools that the Government has just approved is that by 2030 all higher education institutions and teacher training schools will meet standards.
Before the Government approved the planning for the development network of higher education institutions and teacher training colleges, leaders of major cities committed to allocating land funds for universities in their areas to meet standards.
Deputy Minister Hoang Minh Son
The plan for the development of the network of higher education institutions and teacher training colleges that the Government recently approved on February 27 is that by 2030, all higher education institutions and teacher training colleges (hereinafter referred to as universities) will meet standards. In addition, the plan also sets a number of specific goals that are challenging to the current state of the higher education system. Speaking to Thanh Nien Newspaper, Deputy Minister of Education and Training Hoang Minh Son (photo) said that the Ministry of Education and Training has calculated and worked closely with relevant parties to ensure the feasibility of the plan.
HANOI AND HO CHI MINH CITY BOTH COMMIT TO GUARANTEE LAND FUND
Dear Deputy Minister, according to university standards, one criterion considered to be the top challenge today is land area. This pressure is especially great for schools in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. Has the Ministry of Education and Training worked with those localities on this issue?
At the final meeting, before Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Thanh Long signed the approval of the plan, the leaders of the two cities were also invited to discuss. Through that, we learned that Hanoi had prepared enough land. Even the land area that Hanoi prepared for higher education was larger than the number given in the plan. Ho Chi Minh City was also ready to arrange land.
The requirements in the planning are minimal, and localities can arrange larger land funds. In addition, the planning also requires arranging land funds for higher education in neighboring localities such as Hung Yen, Ha Nam, Vinh Phuc, Bac Ninh... and not just concentrated in Hanoi; then Binh Duong, Dong Nai... and not just in Ho Chi Minh City.
Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi have committed to being ready to allocate land for higher education. In the photo: Hoa Lac campus of Hanoi National University
To ensure feasibility, the planning includes a list of key projects, through which national universities, regional universities, key universities, etc. will be developed. The priority investment list includes programs to develop and relocate universities out of the inner city.
In the inner city of Hanoi, there are currently large universities, or famous universities such as Hanoi University of Science and Technology, National Economics University, Foreign Trade University, Hanoi Medical University... So Hanoi said how they will arrange land funds for these units, or will they have to relocate?
The content of this planning has not answered the specific implementation questions as the journalist raised. The planning only gives requirements on scale, based on the basic standards of higher education facilities, the land area that universities need can be calculated. This issue is also related to the detailed planning of the capital. When implementing, Hanoi will have to consider. Where to arrange universities, what proportion in the inner city, what proportion in the suburbs, which part to keep, which part to move out for expansion... Those will be the tasks to be implemented later.
S MERGE TO GET STRONGER, NOT TO REDUCE LEADER
Regarding the plan to arrange and develop higher education institutions, the plan requires arranging and reducing the number of public higher education institutions. What will be the specific results of this arrangement and reduction?
The plan does not give specific numbers, but only sets out the general requirement of narrowing down and reducing focal points. In principle, in a system, if the number of focal points is reduced, investment and implementation supervision will be more effective. The reduction of focal points will follow the mechanism as stated in the Law on Higher Education, which is based on equal competition between schools. Universities compete in an equal environment, if any school trains and conducts research well in the field that is focused on, that is, achieves good results in that field, the state will focus its investment on it instead of spreading investment. There will be a roadmap for universities to demonstrate their capacity, with such a competitive mechanism, any school that does not meet the standards will be eliminated. That is a way to reduce focal points.
University network planning is to develop high-quality human resources, science - technology, digital transformation, and national innovation.
Another way to reduce the number of focal points is to merge some schools to create a large-scale multidisciplinary, multi-field higher education institution that better meets the development needs of localities when developing regional universities. The important thing is not to reduce the number of focal points but to strengthen the capacity of universities.
We have merged An Giang University into Ho Chi Minh City National University, and merged Ha Nam College into Hanoi Pedagogical University. What lessons has the Ministry of Education and Training learned from the merged units?
During the planning process, the drafting team studied lessons from merged units, and these lessons were all stated in the report when drafting the planning. The lesson learned is how to ensure that the merger does not take place mechanically. Merge to become stronger, not to reduce the number of units or to enlarge a certain unit. The lesson is also that the only goal should not be to reduce the number, but more importantly, how to reduce to increase the capacity of stronger schools. Accept that weak schools must be dissolved.
TO ATTRACT TALENTED PEOPLE TO STAY IN THE COUNTRY TO DO DOCTORAL STUDY
The plan sets a target that by 2030 we will have about 25-30 research universities. So what benefits will they get when universities become research universities?
When setting that goal, we first look at the country's interests. Network planning is to develop higher education. The mission of higher education is to develop quality human resources, science - technology, digital transformation, and national innovation. So don't talk about the interests of the schools first. This is a plan for the state to invest in, and when investing, we choose the focus and key points. Therefore, the plan will choose 50 - 60 schools that train at the doctoral level - the highest level of higher education. If out of those 50 - 60 schools, we do not have 25 - 30 schools (ie 50%) following the research orientation, it will be very difficult to develop human resources in science and technology to implement the strategies set out, the directions given in Resolution 57 of the Politburo.
The content emphasized in the planning is to develop a network of STEM universities (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) with a scale of more than 1 million students, of which about 1% have doctoral degrees. How to achieve this 1% figure, especially how to attract talented people to stay in the country to do doctoral degrees?
Planning is to create capacity for implementation, not the only solution. The capacity to achieve lies in the investment content for key universities, key national, regional, and sectoral levels... Planning is to invest in those areas to enhance research capacity. Postgraduate training and doctoral training must be linked to research capacity. In the solution section, the planning has proposed policies on how to enhance research capacity for schools. We will have other solutions besides planning.
In which, promoting and enhancing research capacity for universities is an important solution. For example, to increase the number of postgraduate students (masters, PhDs), first of all, there must be a policy mechanism to support students such as scholarship policies, tuition exemption and reduction. There must be research topics for postgraduate students, so that they can actually participate in research.
To attract talented people to stay in the country to do PhDs, the prerequisite is to have a team of good lecturers. To do so, there must be solutions to attract and develop the team of lecturers such as salary regime, working conditions, tax incentives, creating a worthy position for them, there must be topics for research... There must be investment in facilities. There must be a comprehensive solution, not just relying on this one solution or plan.
Dissolve before 2030 substandard facilities and branches
According to the plan, the operation of facilities and branches of facilities that do not meet standards or do not complete the establishment of legal status according to the provisions of law will be terminated before 2028 and dissolved before 2030.
Another option is to arrange and reduce the number of focal points. The State will only consider establishing new public universities when there is an urgent need and there are favorable conditions in cases such as establishing in some areas with low university access (Northwest, South Central, Central Highlands and Mekong Delta), or reorganizing some training and fostering schools under ministries, branches... or having an establishment policy approved by competent authorities and still within the prescribed time limit before this planning takes effect.
According to the plan, the number of higher education institutions nationwide is 172 - 176 public schools and 68 - 72 private schools. Currently, the country has 174 public schools.
Source: https://thanhnien.vn/quy-hoach-mang-luoi-de-tang-cuong-nang-luc-cac-truong-dai-hoc-185250311215538492.htm
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