Nearly 100 domestic and foreign scholars are discussing tertiary education reform at a conference that opened in Ho Chi Minh City on July 31.

The two-day event is hoped to help the Government senior officials, educators and entrepreneurs work on strategies and proposals to change higher education in Vietnam.

Professor Ngo Bao Chau, representing the education dialogue group, stressed the need to conduct a fundamental, comprehensive reform in the system, saying it is necessary to recognise bottlenecks and eliminate them as soon as possible.

The purpose of tertiary education is not only to provide knowledge for students but also help them promote their logical thinking and creativity, said Deputy Minister of Education and Training Bui Van Ga.

However, Vietnam is facing with an array of difficulties to increase the quality of higher education. Many universities fail to equip their students with intensive knowledge and practice skills, while scientific research is underestimated, Ga added.

Furthermore, a lot of universities have managed to cling onto the State subsidy mechanisms for their survival, Minister of Science and Technology Nguyen Quan pointed out, adding that the National Education Council is seeking to help them stand on their own feet.

Given the restrictions, Processor Chau, Fields Medal winner, recommended considering the quality of the teaching staff as an assessment of the university leadership, and taking the lecturers’ income as one of the criteria to rank the colleges.-VNA