ĐẠI HỌC QUỐC GIA TP HỒ CHÍ MINH VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY-HO CHI MINH CITY DOCTORAL EDUCATION IN VIETNAM High in Demand, Enormous Opportunity and Challenge, New Approach Dr. Le Quang Minh, Assoc. Prof. Vice President Vietnam National University-Ho Chi Minh city Second EUA-CDE Global Strategic Forum on Doctoral Education Dublin 20-22 March 2013
HIGHER EDUCATION IN VN IN BRIEF
Key words Opened door policy from 90s Transition + fast-growing economics 3 paces of reform Economical Educational Institutional
Reforms in higher education system in Vietnam Period Before 1954-1975 1975-1990 1990 to date 1954 Colony Vietnam war Reunification Reform North South French system French system Remarks Russian (++++) French (+) American (+++) French (+) Russian (++++) French (+) Russian (+++) American (++) French (+) 1. Majority of leaders in HE studied before reform 2. A lot of brand-new concepts, not well-defined Broadening curricula More comprehensive university More practical, less theoretical Standard degrees, QA 2 national, 3 regional, >100 monodisciplinary, >30
VISION 2020 OF HE By 2020, advanced HE system: international standard, highly competitive, appropriate to socialist-oriented market mechanism
PRESSURE OF CHANGE Private universities Foreign universities open door VN Universities Economics/ society
VISION 2020 OF HE By 2020, advanced HE system: international standard, highly competitive, appropriate to socialist-oriented market mechanism
DOCTORAL EDUCATION IN VN
DOCTORAL EDUCATION IN VIETNAM IN A NUTSHELL strongly influenced by French and then Russian before 1996: very complicated, now it s less complex 2 levels of Doctor degrees: DSc (mostly offered by the Former Eastern Bloc and the French Docteur d Etat) and PhD o French: Dr. 3 rd Cycle, Dr. Universitaire, Dr. d État, o American: Ph.D., and all kind of Doctor degrees o Russian: Candidate of Science (3-3.5 years after Bachelor) = PhD and Dr.Sc.
DOCTORAL EDUCATION IN VIETNAM IN A NUTSHELL offered by near 160 institutions (including 50 universities). very un-balanced in subject: very diverse quality (it s looked very much like) research-based
HOW ISOLATION PERIOD AFFECTED HE SYSTEM? FRENCH natural sciences social sciences Isolation period (1975-1990) Very limited external info UN Almost no change engineering Narrowlyspecialized Old-fashioned scientists BIG GAP New generation of scientists MOST IMPORTANT: CRITICAL MASS
DOCTORAL EDUCATION IN VIETNAM PROGRAM duration (in theory): 3 years for Master-degree holders, 4 years for Bachelor (hon.) in reality: 5-6 years, max 7 years 3 seminars and one thesis with one big topic or series of smaller ones (all related) at least 1 or 2 papers in local journal* proficiency in English
DOCTORAL EDUCATION IN VIETNAM INSTITUTION minimum requirement for an institution to offer PhD programs: 15 or more PhD holders and at least 5 Prof. or Assoc. Prof. at least 5 PhD holders/phd program approval by the Prime Minister
DOCTORAL EDUCATION IN VIETNAM PROCESS entrance examination at least 3 seminars research outline proposal approved by department research thesis draft defense at the department short version for comments anonymous reading committee: full version public defense
HIGH IN DEMAND, SHORT IN SUPPLY IN QUANTITY Fast-growing number of HE institutions: from about 160 (2000) to more than 400 (now) and more than 700 (2020) number of students: 900,000 (2000) => 1.8 M (now) low ratio Student/Faculty: 30/1 now => 15/1 (2020) PhD-holders in universities: 15% (now) => 35% (2020) 70% PhD holders: outside universities
HIGH IN DEMAND, SHORT IN SUPPLY IN QUALITY unbalanced 46% PhD degrees issued in Social Science and Humanity => weak 18% in Natural Sciences => very strong the rest in Engineering, Medicine, Agriculture, => OK, VN needed most large spectrum of quality numerous sources => user-defined quality => chaotic
HIGH IN DEMAND, SHORT IN SUPPLY IN QUALITY mostly part-time in-breeding effects staff mobility
OPPORTUNITIES high demand, top priority of the country: National Fellowship Program: 911 (5M USD/year) 20,000 PhD program (700 M in 10 years): 3 forms 1. full-time in foreign university 2. local cooperated with foreign university (sandwich) 3. local university with a short practicum in foreign universities Regional Fellowship Programs: HCM 500, Mekong 1000, ECV 1000, bi-lateral fellowship grants: Europe, Australia, USA, Japan, Korea,
OPPORTUNITIES National Science and Technology R&D Programs (4 excellent universities, about 20 National Key Labs) interested research topics (2% National Budget => Science and Technology R&D) Vietnamese universities: eager to build long-term partnership
STRENGTHS OF VIETNAMESE STUDENTS brilliant, hard-working Strong foundation of math, physics, chemistry, (hated subjects of other students) Soft- complaining Disciplined
WEAKNESS OF VIETNAMESE STUDENTS Passive learning => take time to adapt Communication Team work Rigid family hierarchy (king-teacher-father) => difficult to think out-of-the-box
NEW APPROACH
NEW APPROACH international collaboration, partnership: top priority selection and preparation for candidates => Predoctoral Training Center Languages, including coaching TOEFL, IELTS, other exams Strengthen foundation subjects Research method Culture Critical thinking, independence in research,
PRE-DOCTORAL CENTER ACTIVITY English Strengthen foundation 12 m (Math, physics, stat., ) Strengthen research co-supervisor research methods research outline prep Networking team up foreign Prof. research topic collect find resources Paper works
NEW APPROACH partnership (long-term) with well-reputed universities assistance to the Center pair up the scientists (local and foreign) identify topics develop research (and study) plan co-supervision long-term strategic research: build up research team (example: Climate Change, BioTechnology, )
3 rd story A dialog between an American prof. and a Vietnamese prof. about social research in VN Q: Do you have academic freedom in VN? A: Yes Thank you
THANK YOU VERY MUCH lqminh@vnuhcm.edu.vn