From January 1, the Ho Chi Minh City National University will get more freedom, Phan Thanh Binh, Director of the Board of the Ho Chi Minh City National University told the Tuoi tre (Youth) newspaper.
* What will be the major changes in the Ho Chi Minh City National University when the Prime Minister's Decree comes into effect?
Since its founding in 1995, the Ho Chi Minh City National University has offered diverse educational opportunities, including technology, natural sciences, basic sciences, social and humanity sciences, literature, foreign languages, and business administration in undergraduate and graduate programmes.
I am very glad to say that between 60-70 percent of our students find jobs after three months or so following their graduation. And after a year, more than 90 percent of the graduates find jobs.
As a result, our university and our students in particular have greatly contributed to the country's socio-economic development.
In our university, if one of the university members wants to open a new discipline, it has to explain before the National University Council the merits of having that major and its strengths in offering the discipline.
For example, the University of Science - one of the National University members wants to open a discipline in environmental technology.
When the Board of Directors received the request, we had to sit together to discuss the proposal and came to a consensus that the environmental technology discipline will focus on basic studies about environmental science, while the Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology will focus on the application of science and technology in environmental treatment and the Institute of Natural Resources and Environment will focus on practical environmental treatment technology.
The practice of transparency and accountability throughout the process has further consolidated ties between university members.
* What are the legal roles played by the decree on the Ho Chi Minh City National University toward scientific studies?
I'm very proud to say that our university is one of the institutions having the most scientific articles published. From 1995-2010, a total of 5,696 articles were published, of which 787 articles were published in foreign journals.
In addition, we have successfully invited foreign scholars to come to our university to give lectures and helped build our research centres.
I'm confident that the Prime Minister's decree will serve as a catalyst for our university to adopt new policies and mechanisms to further develop our science and technology teaching and learning.
However, I understand this is not a simple issue in the present context of the world economic downturn. We'll do our best to enable researchers and scientists, particularly the young generation, to pursue their dreams and turn them into reality.
The salary of a lecturer who received his or her doctorate degree abroad, and is teaching at the Ho Chi Minh City National University, is only 3 million VND (150 USD) per month.
* Do you think, in light of the new decree, you will be able to raise salaries of lecturers at your university - a very important factor that helps 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'm waiting for guidance to implement the document. At present, the budget of our national university comes from four main resources; namely the state budget, tuition fees, our self-income generation and fund from our donors.
Annually, we receive some 500 billion VND (23.8 million USD) from the State budget for infrastructure construction. For the students' tuition fees, it depends on the students' enrollment - between 4-4.5 million VND (190-215 USD) per student per year.
For our self income generation, mainly coming from the application of our scientific research, 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 National University - has enjoyed a special financial mechanism with tuition about 1,500 USD per year.
Although the required admission points for a student to enroll in the university is 18 points - rather high compared to other universities, yet many talented 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 lecturers to 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 basic and comprehensive change at the Ho Chi Minh City National University.
In the project, we focus on five major contents, including reforming the university management mode; applying advanced and practical training, which is appropriate to Vietnam; conducting scientific research in service of the socio-economic development in key regions, while creating and developing elite research groups and centres; making the best use of the autonomous mechanism and self responsibility of a national university status; and forming policy consultation groups focusing on training quality, verification and certification.-VNA
* What will be the major changes in the Ho Chi Minh City National University when the Prime Minister's Decree comes into effect?
Since its founding in 1995, the Ho Chi Minh City National University has offered diverse educational opportunities, including technology, natural sciences, basic sciences, social and humanity sciences, literature, foreign languages, and business administration in undergraduate and graduate programmes.
I am very glad to say that between 60-70 percent of our students find jobs after three months or so following their graduation. And after a year, more than 90 percent of the graduates find jobs.
As a result, our university and our students in particular have greatly contributed to the country's socio-economic development.
In our university, if one of the university members wants to open a new discipline, it has to explain before the National University Council the merits of having that major and its strengths in offering the discipline.
For example, the University of Science - one of the National University members wants to open a discipline in environmental technology.
When the Board of Directors received the request, we had to sit together to discuss the proposal and came to a consensus that the environmental technology discipline will focus on basic studies about environmental science, while the Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology will focus on the application of science and technology in environmental treatment and the Institute of Natural Resources and Environment will focus on practical environmental treatment technology.
The practice of transparency and accountability throughout the process has further consolidated ties between university members.
* What are the legal roles played by the decree on the Ho Chi Minh City National University toward scientific studies?
I'm very proud to say that our university is one of the institutions having the most scientific articles published. From 1995-2010, a total of 5,696 articles were published, of which 787 articles were published in foreign journals.
In addition, we have successfully invited foreign scholars to come to our university to give lectures and helped build our research centres.
I'm confident that the Prime Minister's decree will serve as a catalyst for our university to adopt new policies and mechanisms to further develop our science and technology teaching and learning.
However, I understand this is not a simple issue in the present context of the world economic downturn. We'll do our best to enable researchers and scientists, particularly the young generation, to pursue their dreams and turn them into reality.
The salary of a lecturer who received his or her doctorate degree abroad, and is teaching at the Ho Chi Minh City National University, is only 3 million VND (150 USD) per month.
* Do you think, in light of the new decree, you will be able to raise salaries of lecturers at your university - a very important factor that helps 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'm waiting for guidance to implement the document. At present, the budget of our national university comes from four main resources; namely the state budget, tuition fees, our self-income generation and fund from our donors.
Annually, we receive some 500 billion VND (23.8 million USD) from the State budget for infrastructure construction. For the students' tuition fees, it depends on the students' enrollment - between 4-4.5 million VND (190-215 USD) per student per year.
For our self income generation, mainly coming from the application of our scientific research, 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 National University - has enjoyed a special financial mechanism with tuition about 1,500 USD per year.
Although the required admission points for a student to enroll in the university is 18 points - rather high compared to other universities, yet many talented 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 lecturers to 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 basic and comprehensive change at the Ho Chi Minh City National University.
In the project, we focus on five major contents, including reforming the university management mode; applying advanced and practical training, which is appropriate to Vietnam; conducting scientific research in service of the socio-economic development in key regions, while creating and developing elite research groups and centres; making the best use of the autonomous mechanism and self responsibility of a national university status; and forming policy consultation groups focusing on training quality, verification and certification.-VNA
