The subcommittee attracted considerable attention from scientists and administrators. Echoing the perspectives of representatives from universities and research institutes from both Germany and Vietnam regarding the obstacles in science development policy, Rector Hoang Anh Tuan shared that, having worked in the field of science for over 15 years as both a researcher and an administrator, he acknowledges significant differences in the planning and implementation of science policies at universities.
Scene from the opening session
While scientists desire the freedom to develop their own research directions and reduce pressure regarding publication deadlines, universities often expect staff to accelerate the publication of scientific products. This reality is not simply due to the unit's KPI targets, but also stems from the development requirements of the staff themselves, as scientists are required to apply for scientific projects at various levels, standardize academic ranks, participate in scientific councils, supervise postgraduate students, etc. Most of these activities require conditions related to domestic and international scientific publication targets.
Deputy Minister of Education and Training Nguyen Van Phuc held discussions with Ms. Katja Yang (representative of the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, Federal Republic of Germany) on the sidelines of the conference session on the afternoon of April 26, 2023.
Discussing the need to ensure financial resources for research, Rector Hoang Anh Tuan affirmed the necessity of fully investing in scientific research for faculty and students in accordance with Decree 99/2014/ND-CP on the investment in developing potential and encouraging scientific and technological activities in higher education institutions. Strictly implementing Decree 99/2014/ND-CP will fundamentally solve the problem of minimum investment in scientific research.
Furthermore, attracting funding from domestic and international science funds, sponsors, and corporate orders plays a crucial role and should become a "habit" for organizations and individual scientists. "Opportunities to access domestic and international funding are increasingly wide open, almost limitless; the issue is that organizations and scientists need to recognize that applying for funding is a 'very natural' part of today's integrated academic life. If it's not approved this time, there will always be opportunities next time. Scientists shouldn't feel 'offended' if their application is rejected by a fund," shared Professor Hoang Anh Tuan.
A view of the seminar introducing the potential for exploring funding opportunities from the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation in 2023, jointly organized by the University of Science and the University of Social Sciences and Humanities on April 21, 2023.
Regarding the current situation and potential for cooperation with scientific partners from the Federal Republic of Germany, Rector Hoang Anh Tuan shared the results and experiences of the University over the past two decades, affirming that German universities in general, and German scientists in particular, have made significant contributions to establishing the academic position of the University of Social Sciences and Humanities as a leading research university in Vietnam and the region in the fields of social sciences, humanities, and arts.
In recent years, the number of research topics and projects implemented by the University under the framework of funding from German science funds (DAAD, KAS, FES, Hans Seidel, Gerda Henkel, Humboldt, etc.) has steadily increased. In particular, the results of these collaborations are becoming more practical, focusing more on official international scientific publications and practical professional advice aimed at developing the country's socio-economic development – in addition to traditional products such as seminars and scientific proceedings.
Germany is a leading country in Europe in scientific activities and education, with numerous universities, research institutes, and especially funding sources. The potential for significant and groundbreaking advancements is enormous. The challenge is for Vietnamese universities to develop a sound cooperation strategy to best utilize not only financial resources but, more importantly, the high-quality scientific human resources readily available to collaborate with Vietnamese universities.
Professor Hoang Anh Tuan was a scholar and visiting professor at Frankfurt am Main University from 2012-2013 under the sponsorship of the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation (Federal Republic of Germany).
In 2017, the Humboldt Foundation appointed Professor Hoang Anh Tuan as its Ambassador Scientist for the 2017-2020 term, which was later extended to the 2020-2023 term. |
Related articles:
USSH lecturers have many opportunities to receive postgraduate scholarships from the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation (Federal Republic of Germany).
