In 2024, the National Economics University (NEU) plans to open 6 new majors, of which 4 majors are in the field of Computer and Information Technology, including Software Engineering, Information Systems, Artificial Intelligence, and Information Security. All four majors will train two bachelor and engineer programs, with an expected quota of 50-100 students per major.
Similarly, Foreign Trade University (FTU) also plans to enroll students in Computer Science, with a target of 30 students this year, and may increase in the following years.
Associate Professor Dr. Bui Duc Trieu and Associate Professor Dr. Vu Thi Hien, Head of Training Management Department of National Economics and Foreign Trade University, said that their schools both have the strategy of becoming multidisciplinary and multi-field universities.
"To match the goals and digital age, developing more majors in the fields of science and technology is the school's immediate and long-term task," said Mr. Trieu, adding that the National Economics University has opened majors in Information Technology and Computer Science for many years now.
Similarly, according to Ms. Hien, the school will open many new majors and programs. "Computer science is one of the technology majors that Foreign Trade University will open," Ms. Hien said.
New majors, expected to enroll from 2024 of NEU. ScreenshotDr. Le Viet Khuyen, former Deputy Director of Higher Education Department (Ministry of Education and Training), Vice President of the Association of Vietnamese Universities and Colleges, said that it is inevitable for universities to develop in a multidisciplinary and multi-field direction.
Previously, universities mainly trained in single majors, were managed by the state, and were closely linked to a centrally planned economy. However, when shifting to a multi-sector economy, schools that want to survive must become multi-disciplinary and multi-field.
For example, Vinh Pedagogical University and Quy Nhon Pedagogical University initially only trained in pedagogy. When the demand for human resources in this field was saturated, the schools had to reduce their scale, and operations were difficult, so they gradually developed into multidisciplinary schools, without the word "Pedagogy" in their names. Many private schools or public schools that trained in narrow fields also expanded to many new fields, according to social needs.
For example, at Ho Chi Minh City University of Economics, the majors of Software Engineering, Robotics and Artificial Intelligence, in the fields of computers, information technology and engineering technology, have been trained for many years. In the technical field, Hanoi University of Science and Technology also trains Business Administration, Finance - Banking, Accounting; the University of Water Resources trains Law, English and Chinese.
According to Mr. Khuyen, in that context, schools like Foreign Trade University, although very "hot" in training in economics and languages, must at some point develop into multidisciplinary, following the general trend.
However, Mr. Khuyen emphasized quality control. He said that when opening any training program, schools need to have careful preparation in terms of teaching staff, facilities and other conditions as required by the Ministry of Education and Training. At the same time, the Ministry needs to carefully consider the project when the school submits it.
"The demand for human resources in the computer and information technology fields is currently very large. It is not strange that schools want to train in many fields and open majors in this group, but when it comes to ensuring quality, we cannot follow the trend," said Mr. Khuyen.
Dr. Le Dong Phuong, former Director of the Center for Higher Education Research, Vietnam Institute of Educational Sciences, also said that universities with a tradition of training in social sciences should be cautious when opening majors in technology and engineering.
"Technical and technological training requires a supporting infrastructure system and connections with business organizations in that field. These are all criteria that require long-term and elaborate preparation," said Mr. Phuong. He believes that if a new technology major is opened, universities in the social sciences group should find a way to "hybridize" it with their strong fields.
Foreign Trade University students graduating in March 2023. Photo: FTU Corner
In response to concerns about the quality of a social science university opening a technology major, Ms. Hien said that the Foreign Trade University has prepared carefully. The plan to open a Computer Science major was developed by the school in 2021. After having a framework, the school will experiment by making Computer Science a short-term training program, with a duration of 15 credits in three months. Students inside and outside the school will be awarded a certificate after completing the course.
In addition, the Computer Science major of Foreign Trade University is built towards application in the field of economics and business to take advantage of training strengths.
Ms. Hien sees the challenge of opening a Computer Science major as fierce competition. The demand for IT human resources is huge, but there are also many universities training in this major. However, she believes that each school has its own "file" of candidates, so if they ensure quality conditions and take advantage of their inherent strengths, good schools can still find a place, regardless of whether they "play across fields" or not.
"We are confident in opening majors that people still think are the strengths of technology and engineering schools," Ms. Hien affirmed.
Similarly, Mr. Trieu said that the technology and engineering majors that the National Economics University is about to open are also different because of their application orientation, focusing on economics and business administration. The school's plan to open majors will be completed and accepted to report to the Ministry of Education and Training before April 13.
Dr. Le Dong Phuong said that it is too early to discuss the quality of training in non-strength fields at economic schools. The reason is that it will take at least 4 years for the first batch of students to graduate, and then it will take another 3-5 years for the labor market and employers to evaluate the reality.
Mr. Phuong advised students to consider carefully when choosing a major. According to him, the newly opened majors at the Foreign Trade University or the National Economics University are probably suitable for students who want to find an environment where technology and economics intersect. As for those who want to develop deeply in technology and engineering, they should still consider choosing schools with a long history of training in this field.
By the end of 2022, nearly 150 higher education institutions had become autonomous, out of a total of 232 schools.
The Law on Higher Education stipulates that schools are autonomous and responsible for recruiting students and opening majors, as long as they meet the Ministry's regulations. For example, to open a major at the undergraduate level, the school must have at least one full-time lecturer with a doctorate, relevant expertise, three or more years of university management or teaching experience, and be in charge of curriculum development; have at least five full-time lecturers with doctorates participating in teaching, along with a number of other conditions.
Thanh Hang - Duong Tam
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