The Vietnamese Government will give 72 billion VND (3.3 million USD) for training students of agriculture, forestry and fisheries at the Vietnam National University of Agriculture (VNUA) in the 2016-2017 period.

The funding is part of government decision number 873/QD-TTg that Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung issued on June 17, to approve the VNUA's project on experimental operational reform in the 2015-17 period. It aims to boost education and training for the three sectors to implement their restructuring plans.

The decision also confirms an increase in the student annual fee for study at the VNUA during the 2015-16 and 2016-17 periods, which should stand at a maximum of 13 million VND and 14 million VND respectively.

However, those students who choose to study agriculture, forestry and fisheries will have a chance to benefit from the government funding. Each such student would have to pay a lower annual fee of about 6.4 million VND and 7.3 million VND for 2015-16 and 2016-17, respectively, the decision said.

The government would provide 40 billion VND and 32 billion VND each for two years of the VNUA operational reform, the decision said.

The PM ordered the VNUA to finalise all expenditures in purchasing and installing necessary equipment for education. The university also has the right to supervise its operational activities such as training, research, staff and financing, as well as fee and scholarship planning.

He said the university should continue to implement policies to give priority to poor and meritorious students.-VNA