Times Higher Education: VinUni University is increasingly asserting its position
Báo điện tử VOV•02/07/2024
The prestigious British education magazine Times Higher Education commented that VinUni is one of the typical representatives of the private university model owned by enterprises that is increasingly asserting its position on the map of Asian higher education. With a culture that emphasizes action and flexibility in management, universities like VinUni can better meet the needs of high-quality education and be suitable for the labor market. The trend of multinational corporations participating in the field of higher education is increasing. According to Times Higher Education Magazine, over the past decades, this trend has become evident with the emergence of many universities established and sponsored by large corporations. Some notable examples include Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH) in South Korea, founded in the 1980s by the Pohang Steel Corporation, Petronas University of Technology in Malaysia founded by Petronas Oil and Gas Group, and one of the most recent newcomers, VinUni, invested in by Vingroup, Vietnam’s largest multi-industry corporation.
Vingroup established VinUni with the goal of becoming an excellent university, with the mission of training talents for the future.
Vingroup established VinUni with the goal of becoming an excellent university, with the mission of training talents for the future. The school has established strategic partnerships with Cornell University and the University of Pennsylvania, demonstrating its commitment to excellence, innovation in research and teaching as well as making a difference in the world.
Times Higher Education commented that opening a university often does not generate much profit for businesses. However, businesses can be motivated by other motivations. Professor Emeritus Philip Altbach of the Center for International Higher Education at Boston University (USA) commented: "These prestigious universities are truly among the best universities, and the most advanced educational institutions in their countries." According to professors and doctors at these universities, the highlight of the university model established by businesses lies in its flexibility and superior efficiency compared to traditional public universities. "Thanks to being freed from the administrative machine, these universities can focus on their core mission," Times Higher Education commented. A typical example is VinUni University. This magazine quoted Professor David Bangsberg, President of VinUni University, as saying that the culture here emphasizes action. “The construction team at VinUni completed the work with a speed and efficiency that I have never seen before. The entire campus, an impressive architectural work, was built in just 14 months. By comparison, a new public health school project in the US that I participated in took five years to build a building,” Bangsberg said. “Working closely with a prestigious multinational corporation, we have access to advanced financial management and accounting methods. That is a great thing.” Some scholars believe that universities with business roots have an advantage in training students who are adaptable to work, due to their close connection to practice and the labor market.
VinUni University - the first elite and private non-profit university in Vietnam, located in Vinhomes Ocean Park urban area (Gia Lam, Hanoi). For example, Sunway University, where students have the opportunity to intern at Sunway Group and partner organizations, helps them gain practical experience and enhance their employability. However, the university does not prioritize recruiting graduates to Sunway, but encourages them to pursue diverse career opportunities. “In general, business-based universities are highly regarded in middle-income countries where public education systems can be limited. With abundant financial resources and flexibility in management, these universities can better meet the demand for high-quality education and be relevant to the labor market,” Times Higher Education commented. According to the British magazine, VinUni has emerged as a typical example of efforts to ensure sustainability. Professor David Bangsberg said that VinUni is implementing a comprehensive strategy that includes diversifying revenue sources, strengthening cooperation with businesses and attracting funding for research. “Our entrepreneurial spirit extends to the university,” says Bangsberg. “Our biggest challenge is to build an airplane on the fly, which is to prioritize flexibility and urgency over pre-planned implementation.”
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