Opening the Conference, Rector Hoang Anh Tuan sent New Year greetings and thanks to all leaders, staff, lecturers, employees as well as all postgraduate students, postgraduate students, and students of the whole University. Reviewing the outstanding achievements in 2023 of the University of Social Sciences and Humanities in the fields of: enrollment, quality assessment, scientific research, international publications, cooperation and development, care and support for learners, administrative management, and community service, Rector Hoang Anh Tuan affirmed: The University has achieved outstanding achievements, maintaining its leading position in training, research and social service in the field of social sciences and humanities. At the same time, it is emphasized that 2024 will open up many opportunities but also pose many challenges from changes in regulations of the State, the Ministry of Education and Training, and VNU related to higher and postgraduate education (typically the issuance of Decree 97 replacing Decree 81), from fierce competition between training institutions, changes in the structure of industries as well as the digital transformation process that is taking place at an increasingly rapid pace. That context requires all staff, lecturers, students and pupils to change and must identify change as the key to breakthrough development, maintaining and enhancing the leading position and brand of the University of Social Sciences and Humanities on the national university map, while improving its ranking in the region and the world.
Principal Hoang Anh Tuan chaired the January 2024 meeting
Also at the Conference, Principal Hoang Anh Tuan presented congratulatory flowers and presented the decision to appoint the position of Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities, concurrently holding the position of Head of the Department of Rural and Urban Sociology, Faculty of Sociology to Prof. Dr. Nguyen Tuan Anh. At the same time, presented congratulatory flowers and presented the decision to recognize the title of Associate Professor by the State Title Council to 03 lecturers of the University, including Assoc. Prof. Dr. Hoang Cam Giang (Faculty of Literature), Assoc. Prof. Dr. Do Van Hung (Faculty of Information - Library) and Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Dinh Lam (Faculty of Vietnamese Studies and Vietnamese Language).
Prof. Dr. Nguyen Tuan Anh shared: “In the joy of the New Year, I would like to thank the School Board of Directors for entrusting me with this new assignment. With my professional capacity and high sense of responsibility, I will do my best to work with the editorial team to continuously improve the quality of the journal towards international standards. To achieve that goal, the Journal hopes to always receive favorable conditions in terms of mechanisms and policies from the School Board of Directors, and support from staff and lecturers in prioritizing the submission of quality articles to the Journal.”
Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities, Prof. Dr. Nguyen Tuan Anh, shares the development orientation of the Journal in the coming time.
Emphasizing the key tasks in training, Associate Professor, Dr. Bui Thanh Nam (Head of Training Department) said: In January 2024, the Training Department will coordinate with relevant units to develop and complete the 2024 Enrollment Project for all training levels. Based on the training results in recent years, while meeting the needs of a large number of learners, the School will propose that VNU increase the enrollment target for undergraduate and postgraduate students in 2024 (at least 10% compared to 2023), especially at the postgraduate level. With the strategy of developing the School into a research university, the goal in the new year is to ensure that the number of postgraduate students reaches 20% of the total number of students at the School. It is recommended that heads of units widely communicate this policy to staff and lecturers to respond, promote communication, and introduce information about the major to a large number of learners.
Head of Training Department Bui Thanh Nam discussed the key tasks of Training in January and Quarter I/2024
The school will also create favorable opportunities for students to register for some university courses to promote early career guidance for students of the Specialized High School, creating a high-quality source of input for university admission. At the same time, students of the school will also be given favorable conditions to register for master's courses to orient students to continue at higher levels of study. The Head of the Training Department also noted: currently the training programs have been adjusted, but to successfully implement them in practice requires staff, lecturers, and training assistants to be proactive and closely coordinate with the Training Department in converting courses to ensure the rights of students.
Speaking at the Conference, Associate Professor Dr. Nguyen Van Suu (Head of the Faculty of Anthropology) proposed: The school needs to develop a strategy for internationalizing training activities, taking it as a goal and also a tool, creating a competitive advantage to improve the quality and position of the school as well as Vietnamese education in the region. The content of the internationalization program aims to create a common awareness throughout the school: what is internationalization, measured by what criteria, how to implement it in specific scientific fields? We have been doing it for a long time but there is no specific KPI.
Associate Professor, Dr. Do Van Hung also shared: The project of digital transformation in teaching of lecturers, improving digital capacity for students of the University in the recent past has achieved many results, especially during the time of the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. The Ministry of Education and Training is implementing a project to build a digital university, enhancing the application of information technology in training activities, hoping that the University of Social Sciences and Humanities will pioneer and actively participate in this project. In particular, the University needs to have a plan to build online teaching modules to anticipate this trend. The Faculty of Information and Library Science has registered to build 2 online teaching modules: Basic Informatics and Information Capacity.
Head of the Faculty of Information and Library Do Van Hung proposed some solutions to successfully implement the digital university project.
MSc. Kim Thi Diep Ha, Head of Planning and Finance Department, shared: According to the auditor's announcement, in 2022, the University of Social Sciences and Humanities has basically done a good job in financial and accounting work.
Vice President Dao Thanh Truong emphasized a number of key tasks of scientific research in 2024: The University's science and technology strategy is very suitable and in line with the strategy of VNU and the Ministry of Science and Technology. In particular, focusing on promoting the role of the University in policy consulting. In 2024, VNU will increase the assignment of policy consulting targets to the University and will classify them according to tasks from the central level, local level, to specific tasks. To perform that task well, it is necessary to strengthen the role of the University's policy advisory council; further promote the connection between scientific research and training, closely coordinate with localities to develop geographical maps and a number of research topics to effectively serve the economic, social, cultural and educational development of the locality.
Vice Principal Dao Thanh Truong speaks at the January 2024 meeting
Vice Principal Lai Quoc Khanh informed: From January 2024, the School will hold regular conferences every 3 months to evaluate the use of equipment and facilities, and listen to opinions and suggestions from units. On that basis, the School will make timely adjustments to ensure that the infrastructure system is invested in the right direction, used to the maximum, effectively and effectively serving the teaching and learning activities of lecturers, students and staff of the School.
Vice Principal Lai Quoc Khanh speaks at the January 2024 meeting
Vice Principal Dang Thi Thu Huong happily reviewed the outstanding results achieved in enrollment (especially at the university level), quality assessment, student care and support, etc. and emphasized that in the coming time, the enrollment projects will be reviewed and adjusted to both update all new regulations from the Ministry of Education and Training and VNU, while ensuring sufficient enrollment, improving quality, and meeting the increasing needs of society. To achieve that goal, along with the determination of the Board of Directors, it is necessary to have the support and sharing of all units, the solidarity of all staff and lecturers. In 2024, the School's Admissions Department will carry out direct enrollment consultation sessions in the locality, and look forward to receiving the active participation of leaders and lecturers from training units, both advising students and parents on specific information about the majors and contributing to spreading the image of the School. In addition, it is necessary to focus on communicating training programs according to technical and economic standards so that learners can clearly understand and promptly register for enrollment in 2024.
Vice Principal Dang Thi Thu Huong speech at the January 2024 Conference
After listening to the opinions exchanged and discussed by the units and functional departments, and the opinions of the Vice Principals; Principal Hoang Anh Tuan concluded:
- Assign the Personnel Organization Department to review the organizational structure of units in the School, especially the current structure of departments to continue to integrate and merge; coordinate the implementation of the organizational structure of departments with the structure of majors/training sectors that are/will be restructured; Develop a breakthrough project in training, fostering and increasing the team of high-quality experts and scientists for the School; balance between training local resources and attracting high-quality scientific human resources to work at the School.
- Assign the Training Department to be the focal point for reviewing the team of professional staff currently assigned to each industry and specialty; allocating human resources to maximize capacity and efficiency but absolutely not affecting the working position, benefits or professional activities of the staff.
- Continue to review and present a plan to integrate some narrow majors at master's and doctoral levels to facilitate enrollment and improve training quality.
- Assign the Department of Scientific Research Management to review the system of documents on current scientific policies, including the recently issued international publication support document to continue affirming the philosophy of "substantial investment in developing experts and staff of the School". Increase direct support for lecturers and scientists in promoting research networks associated with publishing to serve training (textbook products, monographs associated with the field of postgraduate training, "masterpiece" collections, tool books... Prioritize book series that have a widespread effect in the academic community, have a guiding effect - are used by many training/scientific institutions...)
- Assign the Board of Directors of the Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities to research and develop a project to develop the journal in the new period in the direction of an advanced nation, approaching international standards...
- Assign the Administration - General Department to be the focal point for developing and implementing projects to renovate the school's facilities to best serve the teaching, learning, research and service of the staff, lecturers, postgraduates, students and pupils of the school. The project needs to be comprehensive, with a consistent humane design language, strict in legal procedures, effective in investment, and harmonious between the functionality and the school's image.
- Assign the Center for Communication and Information Technology to develop a project to review the content and adjust the website according to international standards. In particular, focus on completing the entire staff information system as soon as possible, especially paying attention to standard information about lecturers - scientists - professors/visiting experts, training programs, research results... Review the static information system to bring the image of the school: updated, modern, luxurious, international standards. Request heads of units to inform all lecturers: the scientific resume of staff must be updated every 6 months on the school's website.
On the occasion of the New Year 2024, once again, Principal Hoang Anh Tuan sends his best wishes for health, peace, happiness and success to all staff and lecturers of the University and their families. Wishing the University of Social Sciences and Humanities a 2024 of great success in all areas.
