Recruiting foreign lecturers: Many obstacles remain

In recent years, many Vietnamese universities have not only attracted Vietnamese talents from all over the world but also recruited foreign lecturers.

However, there are many barriers that make it difficult for schools to recruit foreign lecturers.

Students at a university in Ho Chi Minh City study with foreign lecturers.

PROMOTING AN INTERNATIONALIZED LEARNING ENVIRONMENT

Sharing with Thanh Nien , Master Tran Quynh Hoa, Head of the Department of Personnel Organization of the International University, Ho Chi Minh City National University, said that since its establishment, the school determined that it would teach entirely in English, so it also determined the important role of permanent foreign teachers.

According to Master Hoa, having a team of international lecturers also helps universities have more opportunities to expand cooperation, exchange, approach international partners and develop research because foreign lecturers often have a large research network and experience working in a multinational environment. "In particular, having a team of high-quality foreign lecturers contributes to enhancing the reputation of universities at home and abroad, attracting many talented students. The factor of foreign lecturers and students is also an important indicator in the ranking scale of universities according to international standards," said Master Hoa.

The development strategy of Ho Chi Minh City International University for the period 2025 - 2030, with a vision to 2045, is to promote the attraction of foreign teachers to work at the school. Specifically, the number of foreign teachers at the school has reached about 2.63% so far and is expected to increase in the near future.

Dr. Vo Van Tuan, Vice President of Van Lang University, believes that the presence of foreign lecturers will help internationalize the academic environment, while creating a multicultural learning environment, helping students access international perspectives, improve their communication skills and international integration. According to Dr. Tuan, Van Lang University currently has a total of 153 foreign lecturers and researchers in all fields of social sciences and humanities, languages, engineering and technology, health, administration - management, and arts.

Currently, Ho Chi Minh City University of Economics has nearly 20 permanent lecturers and more than 100 foreign guest lecturers. Universities such as Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology, University of Social Sciences and Humanities (Ho Chi Minh City National University), Ho Chi Minh City University of Technical Education, Ho Chi Minh City Bank, Ho Chi Minh City University of Industry and Trade... are also full-time or part-time workplaces for many lecturers from Europe, Asia, and America.

WANT TO RECRUIT MORE FOREIGN TEACHERS BUT IT'S NOT EASY

Associate Professor, Dr. Tran Thien Phuc, Vice Principal of Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology, said that the school needs to recruit more permanent foreign teachers, but in the 2023-2024 school year, the school has only recruited one person in the field of technical physics. "Recruiting foreign teachers faces many difficulties such as procedures for applying for foreign labor quotas and application for work permits. Meanwhile, the time to review applications is long, the procedures are complicated, and each country's experience certificates have different regulations... According to regulations, schools must also explain to the Department of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs the reason for not employing Vietnamese teachers but recruiting foreigners. Not to mention, immigration procedures must be carried out at the Vietnam Immigration Department in Hanoi, so school staff must often travel to Hanoi many times to do it, which takes a lot of time and money," Associate Professor, Dr. Tran Thien Phuc informed.

Associate Professor Dr. Bui Quang Hung, Vice Director of Ho Chi Minh City University of Economics, admitted that the most difficult step in recruiting foreign teachers is legal procedures. "Public schools must have a job position in the project and must prove that this position cannot be filled by Vietnamese people or does not yet have one. Obtaining a work permit for foreign teachers is not simple," Associate Professor Dr. Hung shared.

According to Associate Professor Dr. Nguyen Xuan Hoan, Principal of Ho Chi Minh City University of Industry and Trade, due to complicated procedures and long waiting times, many foreign teachers feel discouraged and cannot wait any longer. The school will have to look for someone else and start the process over again.

In another issue, Master Tran Quynh Hoa said that schools now have the basis to sign contracts with foreign teachers according to the provisions of Decree 111 of 2022. However, legal documents regulating job positions, professional titles, appointments and salary arrangements for teachers only apply to civil servants at public universities, and according to regulations, civil servants must be Vietnamese citizens. Therefore, these regulations cannot be fully applied to foreign teachers.

A representative of Ho Chi Minh City International University added that another main reason why the rate of foreign teachers at the school is not high is because the income payment for teachers, although being paid attention to and built, is still not attractive enough, while the financial resources of public universities still have some limitations. "The school is still in the process of searching for and building more effective policies to attract and retain prestigious international teachers and scientists to work long-term. However, it is currently facing difficulties in competing in terms of remuneration compared to universities in other countries around the world. Even many domestic universities have been and are making many different investments to expand international connections and integration, leading to increasingly fierce competition in recruiting teachers, especially highly qualified foreign teachers," said Master Tran Quynh Hoa.

International faculty help universities expand cooperation, exchange, approach international partners and develop research.

UNIVERSITIES SHOULD BE GIVEN AUTONOMY

Associate Professor, Dr. Nguyen Xuan Hoan said that in the near future, the demand for recruiting foreign lecturers of universities will increase. "To facilitate the process of international integration to improve quality, universities should be autonomous in this matter. After the recruitment results are available, the university will report to the competent authority for inspection and supervision. The procedures should be more favorable and shorten the time," Associate Professor, Dr. Hoan suggested.

The Ministry of Education and Training has issued many regulations to ensure teaching quality, however, Associate Professor, Dr. Tran Thien Phuc acknowledged that proving teachers' work experience during the application process takes a lot of time. "If some administrative procedures in this matter are reduced, schools will have a much easier time. The autonomy and decision-making power should be given to universities while the management agency conducts post-inspection," said Mr. Phuc.

According to Master Tran Quynh Hoa, in Decree 152 of 2020, amended and supplemented by Decree 70 of 2023, the Government has delegated the authority to the Ministry of Education and Training to confirm cases of foreign workers entering Vietnam to perform teaching and research work. "Currently, the Ministry of Education and Training is in the process of finalizing the Draft Law on Teachers. We hope that there will soon be favorable instructions and regulations for universities to carry out tasks related to the recruitment of foreign teachers," Master Hoa suggested.

Identifying professional experience requires more flexibility

According to regulations, foreign candidates who want to teach at Vietnamese universities must have 3-5 years of professional experience. Master Tran Quynh Hoa said that this is a general regulation for applying for work permits for foreign workers in expert positions, suitable for labor recruitment in general and teachers in particular, partly helping universities verify the experience of teachers.

However, in reality, the current determination of foreign workers' professional experience for university lecturer positions mainly only accepts evidence of relevant teaching experience, not evidence of working experience in the professional field at other enterprises or organizations, although this experience is very suitable for the teaching field that the university is recruiting for.

"This is somewhat inconsistent with the reality of the university education environment and somewhat deprives universities and learners of the opportunity to access and learn from foreign experts. Therefore, the requirement of 3 years of teaching experience needs to be considered in a more flexible and open way to suit the reality and orientation of the university education environment," shared Master Hoa.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/tuyen-giang-vien-nuoc-ngoai-con-nhieu-diem-vuong-185241106191927512.htm