From January 1, the Ho Chi Minh City National University will get morefreedom, Phan Thanh Binh, Director of the Board of the Ho Chi Minh CityNational University told the Tuoi tre (Youth) newspaper.
* What will be the major changes in the Ho Chi Minh City NationalUniversity when the Prime Minister's Decree comes into effect?
Since its founding in 1995, the Ho Chi Minh City National Universityhas offered diverse educational opportunities, including technology,natural sciences, basic sciences, social and humanity sciences,literature, foreign languages, and business administration inundergraduate and graduate programmes.
I am very glad to say that between 60-70 percent of our students findjobs after three months or so following their graduation. And after ayear, more than 90 percent of the graduates find jobs.
As a result, our university and our students in particular havegreatly contributed to the country's socio-economic development.
In our university, if one of the universitymembers wants to open a new discipline, it has to explain before theNational University Council the merits of having that major and itsstrengths in offering the discipline.
For example, the University of Science - one of the National Universitymembers wants to open a discipline in environmental technology.
When the Board of Directors received therequest, we had to sit together to discuss the proposal and came to aconsensus that the environmental technology discipline will focus onbasic studies about environmental science, while the Ho Chi Minh CityUniversity of Technology will focus on the application of science andtechnology in environmental treatment and the Institute of NaturalResources and Environment will focus on practical environmentaltreatment technology.
The practice oftransparency and accountability throughout the process has furtherconsolidated ties between university members.
* What are the legal roles played by the decree on the Ho Chi MinhCity National University toward scientific studies?
I'm very proud to say that our university is one of the institutionshaving the most scientific articles published. From 1995-2010, a totalof 5,696 articles were published, of which 787 articles were publishedin foreign journals.
In addition, wehave successfully invited foreign scholars to come to our university togive lectures and helped build our research centres.
I'm confident that the Prime Minister's decree will serve as acatalyst for our university to adopt new policies and mechanisms tofurther develop our science and technology teaching and learning.
However, I understand this is not a simpleissue in the present context of the world economic downturn. We'll doour best to enable researchers and scientists, particularly the younggeneration, to pursue their dreams and turn them into reality.
The salary of a lecturer who received his or her doctorate degreeabroad, and is teaching at the Ho Chi Minh City National University, isonly 3 million VND (150 USD) per month.
* Do you think, in light of the new decree, you will be able to raisesalaries of lecturers at your university - a very important factor thathelps them feel at ease in their job?
This is a very difficult question for me. Although the decree gives us"high autonomy rights," how high it is remains a "mystery" to me. I'mwaiting for guidance to implement the document. At present, the budgetof our national university comes from four main resources; namely thestate budget, tuition fees, our self-income generation and fund from ourdonors.
Annually, we receive some 500billion VND (23.8 million USD) from the State budget for infrastructureconstruction. For the students' tuition fees, it depends on thestudents' enrollment - between 4-4.5 million VND (190-215 USD) perstudent per year.
For our self incomegeneration, mainly coming from the application of our scientificresearch, it is about 150 billion VND (7.1 million USD) per year.
For money coming from donors, we mainly use it to establish the development fund.
At present, the International University - a member of our NationalUniversity - has enjoyed a special financial mechanism with tuitionabout 1,500 USD per year.
Although therequired admission points for a student to enroll in the university is18 points - rather high compared to other universities, yet manytalented students have registered for the course.
From the next academic year, we plan to increase the students' admission to the university.
Any way, we will do our best to raise the salaries for our lecturersto make it compatible to their competency and performance.
* Do you think that the decree will help to make a basic and comprehensive change to our education sector?
We have developed a proposal entitled A pilot project toward a basicand comprehensive change at the Ho Chi Minh City National University.
In the project, we focus on fivemajor contents, including reforming the university management mode;applying advanced and practical training, which is appropriate toVietnam; conducting scientific research in service of the socio-economicdevelopment in key regions, while creating and developing eliteresearch groups and centres; making the best use of the autonomousmechanism and self responsibility of a national university status; andforming policy consultation groups focusing on training quality,verification and certification.-VNA
* What will be the major changes in the Ho Chi Minh City NationalUniversity when the Prime Minister's Decree comes into effect?
Since its founding in 1995, the Ho Chi Minh City National Universityhas offered diverse educational opportunities, including technology,natural sciences, basic sciences, social and humanity sciences,literature, foreign languages, and business administration inundergraduate and graduate programmes.
I am very glad to say that between 60-70 percent of our students findjobs after three months or so following their graduation. And after ayear, more than 90 percent of the graduates find jobs.
As a result, our university and our students in particular havegreatly contributed to the country's socio-economic development.
In our university, if one of the universitymembers wants to open a new discipline, it has to explain before theNational University Council the merits of having that major and itsstrengths in offering the discipline.
For example, the University of Science - one of the National Universitymembers wants to open a discipline in environmental technology.
When the Board of Directors received therequest, we had to sit together to discuss the proposal and came to aconsensus that the environmental technology discipline will focus onbasic studies about environmental science, while the Ho Chi Minh CityUniversity of Technology will focus on the application of science andtechnology in environmental treatment and the Institute of NaturalResources and Environment will focus on practical environmentaltreatment technology.
The practice oftransparency and accountability throughout the process has furtherconsolidated ties between university members.
* What are the legal roles played by the decree on the Ho Chi MinhCity National University toward scientific studies?
I'm very proud to say that our university is one of the institutionshaving the most scientific articles published. From 1995-2010, a totalof 5,696 articles were published, of which 787 articles were publishedin foreign journals.
In addition, wehave successfully invited foreign scholars to come to our university togive lectures and helped build our research centres.
I'm confident that the Prime Minister's decree will serve as acatalyst for our university to adopt new policies and mechanisms tofurther develop our science and technology teaching and learning.
However, I understand this is not a simpleissue in the present context of the world economic downturn. We'll doour best to enable researchers and scientists, particularly the younggeneration, to pursue their dreams and turn them into reality.
The salary of a lecturer who received his or her doctorate degreeabroad, and is teaching at the Ho Chi Minh City National University, isonly 3 million VND (150 USD) per month.
* Do you think, in light of the new decree, you will be able to raisesalaries of lecturers at your university - a very important factor thathelps them feel at ease in their job?
This is a very difficult question for me. Although the decree gives us"high autonomy rights," how high it is remains a "mystery" to me. I'mwaiting for guidance to implement the document. At present, the budgetof our national university comes from four main resources; namely thestate budget, tuition fees, our self-income generation and fund from ourdonors.
Annually, we receive some 500billion VND (23.8 million USD) from the State budget for infrastructureconstruction. For the students' tuition fees, it depends on thestudents' enrollment - between 4-4.5 million VND (190-215 USD) perstudent per year.
For our self incomegeneration, mainly coming from the application of our scientificresearch, it is about 150 billion VND (7.1 million USD) per year.
For money coming from donors, we mainly use it to establish the development fund.
At present, the International University - a member of our NationalUniversity - has enjoyed a special financial mechanism with tuitionabout 1,500 USD per year.
Although therequired admission points for a student to enroll in the university is18 points - rather high compared to other universities, yet manytalented students have registered for the course.
From the next academic year, we plan to increase the students' admission to the university.
Any way, we will do our best to raise the salaries for our lecturersto make it compatible to their competency and performance.
* Do you think that the decree will help to make a basic and comprehensive change to our education sector?
We have developed a proposal entitled A pilot project toward a basicand comprehensive change at the Ho Chi Minh City National University.
In the project, we focus on fivemajor contents, including reforming the university management mode;applying advanced and practical training, which is appropriate toVietnam; conducting scientific research in service of the socio-economicdevelopment in key regions, while creating and developing eliteresearch groups and centres; making the best use of the autonomousmechanism and self responsibility of a national university status; andforming policy consultation groups focusing on training quality,verification and certification.-VNA
