Dr. Phan Van Kien, what are your thoughts on the fact that in recent years, some departments at your institute have had admission scores that were almost perfect?
Dr. Phan Van Kien:University admission scores for a particular major are based on the enrollment quota and the number of applications submitted. Typically, universities select candidates from highest to lowest scores until the quota is filled. In recent years, some universities have not received enough applications to meet their quotas, so the cutoff scores are usually not high. However, the University of Social Sciences and Humanities in general, and the Institute of Journalism and Communication Training in particular, have always received a very large number of applications. Therefore, the need to select candidates with high scores is understandable.
For university admissions, high entrance exam scores indicate a field of study with high societal demand. Our modern society is an information society, and journalism and media in general are fields that create the flow of information in society. Therefore, the demand for human resources in this field has increased significantly over the years and remains ever-present. We can see that people's dependence on media is growing. Consequently, the field of journalism and media itself is developing increasingly richly and complexly, encompassing various disciplines, specializations, and narrow sub-disciplines. Besides journalism, in recent years, new media-related fields of study have continuously emerged, such as multimedia communication, digital journalism, digital communication, external communication, media culture, and transnational communication…
Simultaneously, the proliferation of media-related majors in universities, especially private ones, demonstrates the growing popularity of this field. However, currently, the number of universities offering journalism programs is still very limited. Among them, the Institute of Journalism and Communication Training at the University of Social Sciences and Humanities is one of the leading and most reputable institutions in this field. Therefore, applicants choosing a top-tier training institution to apply to often results in higher admission scores for our Institute compared to other majors.
Does the high entrance score put pressure on you and the faculty at the Institute?
Dr. Phan Van Kien:In my opinion, entrance scores only help determine two aspects: the societal demand for the field of study and the quality of the incoming students. This is obviously an important condition in the training process. However, it is not the sole determining factor in the quality of the field of study or the training institution, and certainly not the determining factor in the quality of the graduates. Therefore, it is obvious that in a context where competition and university rankings have become key factors, we cannot say that we do not face pressure. However, our pressure does not come from entrance scores.
Our pressure stems from two main aspects: Firstly, in the context of increasingly important university rankings, the pressure to "fall behind" is a constant concern for top schools and academic disciplines, prompting them to continuously innovate and improve their quality.
Secondly, the field of journalism and media is highly dependent on the social context and technological development. While society and technology are changing daily, in the context of Industry 4.0 and the current strong trend of digital transformation, the pressure on training institutions and lecturers in journalism and media is how to maintain the academic integrity of a traditional university while remaining relevant and not becoming outdated in the face of rapidly changing realities.
"What is the 'identity' of students at the Institute of Journalism and Communication Training, sir?"
Dr. Phan Van Kien:The Institute of Journalism and Communication Training, formerly the Faculty of Journalism at Hanoi University, the "cradle" of fundamental science in Vietnam, inherits a comprehensive tradition with a strong foundation in social sciences and humanities. Furthermore, as a unit specializing in applied scientific research and training, our Institute is equipped with modern and comprehensive facilities, providing students with opportunities for hands-on practice and real-world experience in the digital media environment. Therefore, the two defining characteristics of journalism and communication students at the Institute of Journalism and Communication Training are their foundational knowledge and modern expertise.
Training a journalist with basic operational skills might only take two years; in fact, many generations of successful journalists in Vietnam have never spent a single day in a journalism or media training school. However, to train a journalist in the true sense of the word, fundamental knowledge is crucial.
To become a journalist quickly, one only needs to learn the skills, but to become a successful journalist and go the distance, fundamental knowledge of social sciences is the decisive factor. Therefore, in our Institute's training program, modules related to foundational knowledge play a very important role. We also have the advantage that this knowledge is often provided to our students by leading experts and units in social sciences and humanities at our university.
With that kind of background, when news organizations need to cover in-depth topics requiring knowledge, vision, critical thinking, analysis, and evaluation skills, journalists trained in comprehensive programs prove to be at an advantage.
How would you assess the current staffing needs in the field of journalism and media?
Dr. Phan Van Kien:For a long time, Vietnam primarily focused on training personnel in journalism. However, in recent years, the media market has developed very rapidly, resulting in consistently high demand for personnel in this field.
The development of new media platforms has broadened the scope of work in this field. Nowadays, journalism and media professionals are no longer directly employed by companies, organizations, or human resource agencies. A journalism and media student can now design their own business and start their own company on the internet, earning a salary comparable to that of an international corporation.
Thus, it can be seen that journalism and communication students today can be extremely flexible and proactive in their work after graduation. Besides traditional jobs such as reporters, editors, PR staff, or advertising and marketing staff, jobs related to idea design and content creation have now expanded to almost all areas, from organizations to individuals.
It's safe to say that job opportunities in the field of journalism and media have never been as abundant as they are today.
What advice would you like to share with high school students who aspire to become students at the Institute of Journalism and Communication Training?
Dr. Phan Van Kien:As mentioned above, students studying at the Institute of Journalism and Communication Training under the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Vietnam National University, Hanoi, have two basic characteristics: they are equipped with a solid foundation of knowledge and are quickly updated with modern media technology trends. Therefore, high school students with a broad and solid knowledge base have an advantage. In addition, they should also gradually familiarize themselves with new technology trends in journalism and communication such as artificial intelligence, virtual reality, augmented reality, and other technology platforms of the digital transformation process…
And obviously, in order to have the opportunity to leverage the aforementioned advantages, the first thing you must face is relatively fierce competition to secure a spot as a student at our Institute.
According to him, which majors at the Institute of Journalism and Communication Training will have high entrance scores in 2024?
Dr. Phan Van Kien:The Institute of Journalism and Communication Training is typically one of the units with the highest entrance scores at the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, and among social science universities nationwide. Therefore, it can be said that both undergraduate programs at the Institute, Journalism and Public Relations, have high entrance requirements.
In 2024, the Institute will develop its curriculum and tuition fee schedule based on economic and technical standards, so there may be some fluctuations in tuition fees and entrance exam scores. Students can follow the admissions counseling sessions, both in person and online, on official newspapers, radio, and magazines, as well as on the official channels of the university and the Institute of Journalism and Communication Training, to receive the most accurate advice at any given time.
