Recently, many universities have promoted international cooperation to have student exchange programs with foreign universities. The training cooperation agreement of 3 polytechnic universities and 10 economic universities in 2022 can be said to have pioneered a new trend - student exchange within the country. Accordingly, students will have the opportunity to experience different learning environments within the country, while also exchanging, connecting, and developing themselves...
However, these courses have not attracted many students.
THERE IS A PROGRAM WITH NO STUDENTS REGISTERED FOR
At the end of July 2022, 3 technical training units including Hanoi University of Science and Technology, Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology (Ho Chi Minh City National University) and University of Science and Technology (Da Nang University) signed a cooperation agreement on organizing student exchange courses. Accordingly, students from one of these 3 schools can register for short and long-term courses at the remaining 2 schools, starting from the summer semester of the 2022-2023 school year at the University of Science and Technology (Da Nang University). However, up to now, no students have registered to participate, so this course has not been organized yet.
The first lesson of the student exchange course of the economic universities
In October 2022, 10 universities in the economic sector also signed a cooperation agreement in training, scientific research and ensuring educational quality, including National Economics, Foreign Trade, Commerce, Economics (Hanoi National University), Economics (University of Danang), Economics (Hue University), Ho Chi Minh City University of Economics, Academy of Finance, Banking Academy and Academy of Policy and Development. According to the cooperation agreement, the 10 universities will organize student exchange courses.
Accordingly, schools will organize student exchange courses. Long-term courses are 1 semester (about 15 weeks) allowing students to register to study, intern, and research at partner schools with a maximum of 25 credits. Short-term courses (from 3 to 8 weeks) will be organized during the summer with a maximum of 12 credits. Accordingly, the courses students register for must be included in the training program of the receiving school and students will be arranged to study, intern, and research with students of the receiving school in open classes according to the school's study plan.
Associate Professor, Dr. Bui Quang Hung, Deputy Director of Ho Chi Minh City University of Economics, said: "2023 is the first year that the Summer Camp Student Exchange Program of 10 training units is organized at UEH Vinh Long branch. The number of registrations is limited with about 50 students from the signed schools. However, due to the difference in the training plan time frame, some students registered but could not participate because of overlapping class and exam schedules."
It is known that National Economics University is the next unit to host the Summer Camp program in 2024.
Lecturers and students of the first student exchange course took place at Ho Chi Minh City University of Economics, Vinh Long branch
FEAR OF CHANGE
Speaking to Thanh Nien reporter, Associate Professor Dr. Nguyen Huu Hieu, Principal of the University of Technology (University of Danang), the first of the three universities to organize a student exchange course, said: "According to the agreement, the course will be held in the summer. One difficulty is that the study schedules of the three schools are different. Not to mention, students from the 2020 course must study 180 credits in 5 years to get an engineering degree, so the summer semester is the time for them to take extra classes to keep up with the schedule."
Besides, according to Associate Professor Dr. Hieu, students often tend to be reluctant to move and want to focus on completing their school program so they can go to work immediately, which becomes a big challenge in organizing domestic student exchange courses.
Associate Professor Dr. Tran Thien Phuc, Vice Principal of the University of Technology (Ho Chi Minh City National University), also said that one of the reasons why no students registered for the first course at the University of Economics, Da Nang, was that they wanted to improve their subjects during the summer semester. "On the other hand, students who are stable in Ho Chi Minh City, going to another place to study, that place must be really attractive, must have something special. Not to mention that having to move and change accommodation in a short time will make them hesitant," Associate Professor Dr. Phuc acknowledged.
MUST BUILD SPECIAL CURRICULUM AND EXPERIENCES
Faced with the situation that domestic exchange programs have not attracted students, 10 economic universities also discussed in depth at the conference of leaders of partner schools to discuss the operation plan and the host unit of Summer Camp 2024. Here, the schools also proposed support policies and mechanisms to attract more students to participate.
Associate Professor, Dr. Bui Quang Hung said: "One of the difficulties when implementing student exchanges is mutual recognition of subjects and programs. We are gradually implementing this. In the near future, Ho Chi Minh City University of Economics also wants to open up. Accordingly, students from any school can register to study at the school. Whenever a student from any school registers, we will work to be able to recognize each other's subjects. We even aim to not need to recognize subjects to transfer credits anymore, but students from other schools, if in need, can register to study to experience, to gain more knowledge, then Ho Chi Minh City University of Economics will issue a certificate".
Associate Professor, Dr. Nguyen Huu Hieu also proposed a solution to recognize credits for equivalent courses of training programs in the same major/specialization, allowing students to register to participate in courses in training programs between the three polytechnics; at the same time, building a model of co-instructing students, graduate students, and doctoral students in graduation projects/theses/dissertation topics between the three schools.
At the end of the course, the receiving school will issue a transcript, confirming the completion of the internship, research, and extracurricular activities; and the school sending the student will recognize, exempt, or transfer the results of all courses studied, and recognize training and community service points when the student participates in extracurricular activities at the other school.
"Students participating in the exchange course will pay tuition fees according to the number of credits exempted and recognized at the sending school, and will not have to pay tuition fees to the receiving school. Participating schools are responsible for contributing funds to the school implementing the short-term course to organize cultural exchange activities and community experiences for students," Associate Professor, Dr. Hieu shared.
Meanwhile, Associate Professor Dr. Tran Thien Phuc said that in the coming time, schools that want to attract students to study exchange courses at their school must have interesting and special subjects and should organize an entire semester, not just a few subjects in the summer semester. "In addition, there must be support from the school such as accommodation in the dormitory. Students also want to have better and more interesting experiences when studying at other schools," Associate Professor Dr. Phuc commented.
Are foreign exchange programs more attractive to students?
According to Associate Professor, Dr. Tran Thien Phuc, before that, since 1999, Vietnam had 4 universities including Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology, Hanoi University of Technology, Da Nang University of Technology and Hanoi University of Construction, all training high-quality French programs, and in France there were 9 universities training this program. According to regulations, in the 2nd year, there will be an exam to re-evaluate the learning process, students who pass this exam can register to continue studying at any university among the 9 universities in France and 4 universities in Vietnam. This is also a form of student exchange, however, the number of students wanting to study in France is higher than studying at domestic schools because it is clear that going abroad will have a completely different learning environment, the experience will also be more special.
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