Hanoi National University: pioneer in training human resources towards innovation and creativity

Building 19 Le Thanh Tong, Hoan Kiem District - a campus of Hanoi National University

As a leading educational institution in Vietnam, in recent years, VNU has had many new policies to promote innovative teaching and research activities, innovation; participate in many major national science and technology tasks and expand cooperative relations with many prestigious universities in the world. The academic reputation and training quality of VNU have been recognized by many Asian and world ranking organizations. Most recently, in the QS World University Rankings 2021 (QS WUR 2021) announced on June 10, 2020, VNU ranked in the group of 801-1000 best universities in the world for the third consecutive time.

Leading in innovation of teaching methods at university and postgraduate levels

In the first two years of its term (2015, 2016), VNU successfully organized an entrance exam based on the method of assessing learners' abilities, which was highly appreciated by society. Since 2017, this model has been transferred to the Ministry of Education and Training for use in the national high school exam. Along with using the results of this exam, to increase the quality and quantity of input, VNU has developed assessment and testing science, innovated other admission methods for undergraduate and graduate admission, as well as innovated the entire measurement and assessment system in training activities.

Conference to deploy the plan to innovate teaching activities of VNU held in 2019

The work of building and innovating training programs in the direction of approaching output products, both in line with the general trend of the world and meeting the requirements of high-quality, highly qualified human resources to serve the socio-economic development of the country. Up to now, 100% of training programs of VNU have been built on the basis of clearly defining goals and output standards. Along with that, the training program is innovated in the direction of both ensuring basic knowledge and creative capacity, while enhancing practice, internship, reality, closely linked to reality and social needs; training content and methods both support the development of individual talents and promote entrepreneurial capacity, meeting the capacity standards of job positions in businesses and employers.

The structure of training majors has been adjusted more reasonably. VNU is the pioneer in the country to implement planning (in 2014) and stratify training programs (in 2015). This is an important orientation for opening new training majors and majors at VNU. In the context of rapid and continuous changes in society and the labor market, VNU has quickly adapted to regularly adjust and supplement the planning to suit practical requirements.

From 2015 to present, the training industry structure has been shifted to adapt to the Fourth Industrial Revolution, increasing applicability and the ability to start a business and innovate. Specifically: the proportion of the industry structure in the field of natural sciences, medicine and life has shifted from 36% (in 2015) to a smaller proportion of 16% (in 2019); the technology - engineering group: in 2015 it only accounted for 9%, in 2019 it increased to 18%. In particular, the strength of VNU in interdisciplinary and inter-disciplinary science and technology has also shifted greatly: from 5% in 2015 to 15% in 2019.

To meet the demand for high-quality human resources for the country's socio-economic development, VNU has made innovations in thinking, from the perspective of maintaining a stable scale (24,000 students in 2015), to gradually increasing the scale (over 35,000 students in 2019), mainly from new interdisciplinary and spearhead training programs and engineering, technology and new scientific fields with high entrepreneurial factors that society has a high demand for human resources.

The increase in total training scale, while ensuring quality, is the consistent policy of VNU, both developing and focusing on high-quality, high-level training.

The national responsibility of VNU in training high-quality human resources for the country is well implemented. Every year, VNU provides over 5,000 bachelors, thousands of masters and hundreds of doctors, including lecturers from universities across the country and about 1,000 bachelors from the talented, advanced and high-quality training system. In addition, VNU has provided the Party and State with many university and postgraduate research and theoretical propaganda cadres.

Doctoral and postgraduate training has always been a focus of VNU. Many PhD graduates from VNU have been accepted into postdoctoral research programs at prestigious universities and research centers around the world. Doctoral training activities have also contributed to increasing the quantity and quality of international publications and maintaining VNU's position in regional and international rankings. Especially in the fields of natural sciences - engineering - technology, VNU has 90% of PhD students having international publications in international journals ISI/Scopus.

Pioneer in innovation of teaching activities towards "Individualization",

Taking learners as the center, promoting the proactive role of learners, creating motivation for learners to actively participate in the process of improving training quality. Many conferences, seminars, talks, forums, and training courses on innovation in teaching activities have been organized. The Teaching Support Center under the Institute for Education Quality Assurance was established, effectively supporting the innovation of teaching and learning methods at VNU. Teaching activities at VNU are implemented on the basis of innovation in training philosophy and output standards of training programs, maximizing the capacity of each individual, on the basis of advanced teaching technology, digital learning materials, and modern information technology infrastructure.

Personalization in teaching activities - an effective approach to awaken learners' potential is being implemented by VNU and has initially had positive results.

The innovation of teaching general subjects is implemented according to the Project on "Innovation in training management of general subjects at VNU", which has created favorable conditions for students to choose subjects according to their plans and time. The Project "Innovation in internship and practical training to enhance the employability of students at VNU" is implemented in the direction of students having internships at localities and enterprises; promoting students to approach early the professional requirements of the labor market and improve their ability to find jobs after graduation. The implementation of personalized education is just the first step, but it is a promising direction at VNU.

Based on scientific research

Improving the quality of comprehensive education and training, developing the qualities, vision, capacity and skills of learners is emphasized. Accordingly, along with innovating teaching methods and enhancing practice and reality to improve learners' capacity, organizing supplementary activities to develop learners' qualities, vision and skills is also given special attention.

In addition, VNU has always persistently pursued the philosophy of developing high-quality training, elite training, not relying on quantity. Over the years, VNU has maintained a reasonable stability in the scale of regular training to create conditions to improve training quality. Thanks to that, the ratio of regular students/lecturers reached 15/1 - the highest ratio among universities in Vietnam. The ratio of postgraduate training students has accounted for nearly 30% of the total number of regular students and trainees.

VNU students do scientific research

On the basis of inheriting the tradition of training and scientific research of the country's leading university of Hanoi, along with promoting the right to autonomy and self-responsibility, VNU has developed the university in the direction of closely integrating training with scientific research according to the model of an advanced research university, training associated with research and through research. Prof. Dr. Vu Minh Giang (senior expert, former Vice President of VNU) shared his view: "VNU considers scientific research as an indicator of training quality. Regulations on scientific research and other policies of VNU encourage and create mechanisms for all levels of education to "immerse" themselves in the scientific research environment. Students, undergraduates, and graduate students participating in research with lecturers is very common at VNU". Scientific research has also created the premise for VNU to develop new training majors and disciplines that are not yet included in the State's training list, creating unique and pioneering features of VNU such as majors in nanomaterials and components, climate change, sustainable science, etc.

Focus on closely integrating scientific research with training, training based on research to improve the quality of training and the creative capacity of learners according to international standards. Continue to innovate the selection of scientific and technological topics and projects associated with master's and doctoral training. Provide learners with experience and practical application through exercises in laboratories, simulation rooms, and workshops; encourage learners to participate in science clubs, scientific seminars, and faculty reports; create opportunities for learners to participate in field surveys, scientific experiments, carry out theses, graduation theses, research topics, and apply scientific advances in practice in scientific research programs of lecturers, faculties, schools, and within the framework of subject teaching activities. Use scientific research results to serve, improve teaching quality, and develop new training programs.