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 Colony 1954-1975 1975-1990 1990 to date Vietnam war Reunification Reform North French system Russian (++++) French (+) Russian (++++) French (+) South French system American (+++) French (+) Russian (+++) American (++) French (+) Broadening curricula More comprehensive university More practical, less theoretical “Standard” degrees, QA 2 national, 3 regional, >100 monodisciplinary, >30 Remarks 1. Majority of leaders in HE studied before reform 2. A lot of brand-new concepts, not well-defined VISION 2020 OF HE By 2020, advanced HE system: international standard, highly competitive, appropriate to socialist-oriented market mechanism Private universities Foreign universities PRESSURE OF CHANGE 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. 3rd 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? Isolation period (1975-1990) FRENCH UN natural sciences Almost no change Narrowlyspecialized engineering Old-fashioned scientists social sciences BIG GAP Very limited external info MOST IMPORTANT: CRITICAL MASS New generation of scientists 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 Strengthen research co-supervisor research methods research outline prep Networking team up foreign Prof. research topic collect find resources Paper works 12 m (Math, physics, stat.,…) 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, …) 3rd 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