Vietnam and other low-and-middle-income countries in East Asia needto make their higher education systems more responsive to labour marketdemands and the economy to climb up the income ladder, says a reportreleased on Oct. 14 by World Bank East Asia and Pacific Regional.
Titled "Putting higher education to work: Skills and Research forGrowth in East Asia", the report lists skills workers need to beemployable and to support to increase employers productivity andcompetitiveness and how higher education can produce research that helpapply, adapt and develop new technologies to drive growth.
World Bank lead economist and report lead author, Emmanuel di Gropellosaid that higher education institutions in the developing East Asia 'seconomies had yet to fulfil potential.
The World Bankpointed out challenges to Vietnam 's higher education systemincluding low enrolment at less than 20 percent, insufficient softskilled graduates as well as poor co-operation between universities andresearch institutions and firms.
Recent survey findingsshow that in Vietnam , only around 3 percent of firms co-operate withuniversities or research institutions. Around 20 percent of universitylecturers with PhD degrees merely teach, doing no research due to workoverload and limited time and resources.
Di Gropellorecommended that the government set up and create favourable conditionsthat help universities and other institutions interact and jointlydevelop projects via a so-called "innovation fund".
Moreover, she added that Vietnam was following the right directionin improving the quality of education by giving universities autonomy tomake critical decisions related to curricula, finances and staff.
Higher salary and employee benefits were also listed as ways to attract talent, helping improve education quality.
World Bank regional vice president James W. Adams said that with ageingpopulations, developing countries in the region faced the challenge ofachieving growth led by gains in productivity.
"Thesignificance of higher education will increase as the countries work toescape the middle income trap [ middle-income countries find themselvessqueezed between low wage competitors in poor countries and cutting edgeinnovators in rich countries]," he said.
According to theWorld Bank, over the last two to three decades, higher education accessin low-and-middle-income East Asian countries has expanded withenrolment rates of 10-50 percent, which were still lower thanhigher-income countries however.
In such countries,employers require employees to possess skills based on science,technology, engineering and math as well as problem-solving skills andcreativity to serve higher productivity.
The big challenge remains in how to develop and deploy the right types of skills and research.
The report suggests three priorities that Governments, public policymakers can make to improve higher education including efficientfinancing, better management of public institutions and stewardship ofthe system./.
Titled "Putting higher education to work: Skills and Research forGrowth in East Asia", the report lists skills workers need to beemployable and to support to increase employers productivity andcompetitiveness and how higher education can produce research that helpapply, adapt and develop new technologies to drive growth.
World Bank lead economist and report lead author, Emmanuel di Gropellosaid that higher education institutions in the developing East Asia 'seconomies had yet to fulfil potential.
The World Bankpointed out challenges to Vietnam 's higher education systemincluding low enrolment at less than 20 percent, insufficient softskilled graduates as well as poor co-operation between universities andresearch institutions and firms.
Recent survey findingsshow that in Vietnam , only around 3 percent of firms co-operate withuniversities or research institutions. Around 20 percent of universitylecturers with PhD degrees merely teach, doing no research due to workoverload and limited time and resources.
Di Gropellorecommended that the government set up and create favourable conditionsthat help universities and other institutions interact and jointlydevelop projects via a so-called "innovation fund".
Moreover, she added that Vietnam was following the right directionin improving the quality of education by giving universities autonomy tomake critical decisions related to curricula, finances and staff.
Higher salary and employee benefits were also listed as ways to attract talent, helping improve education quality.
World Bank regional vice president James W. Adams said that with ageingpopulations, developing countries in the region faced the challenge ofachieving growth led by gains in productivity.
"Thesignificance of higher education will increase as the countries work toescape the middle income trap [ middle-income countries find themselvessqueezed between low wage competitors in poor countries and cutting edgeinnovators in rich countries]," he said.
According to theWorld Bank, over the last two to three decades, higher education accessin low-and-middle-income East Asian countries has expanded withenrolment rates of 10-50 percent, which were still lower thanhigher-income countries however.
In such countries,employers require employees to possess skills based on science,technology, engineering and math as well as problem-solving skills andcreativity to serve higher productivity.
The big challenge remains in how to develop and deploy the right types of skills and research.
The report suggests three priorities that Governments, public policymakers can make to improve higher education including efficientfinancing, better management of public institutions and stewardship ofthe system./.
