Director of VNU: Difficulties are opportunities for the University of Social Sciences and Humanities to reach new heights

Attending the conference were VNU President Nguyen Kim Son, VNU Vice President Nguyen Hong Son and VNU Science and Training Council Chairman Vu Minh Giang along with professors, associate professors and key managers of the University of Social Sciences and Humanities.

The conference approved the evaluation report on the achievements of the School in the 2016-2017 school year presented by Prof. Dr. Nguyen Van Kim (Party Secretary, Vice Principal of the School). Accordingly, the School has basically completed the set targets and plans, ensuring the quality of activities and following the general development orientation of the School and VNU.

Regarding training, the School successfully completed the undergraduate and graduate enrollment in 2016. The training management process was innovated in the direction of focusing on learners, creating maximum conditions for students to complete their courses, without leaving any “dead” time. The quality of training was improved, reflected in the number of good and excellent students higher than the previous year. The School also completed the opening of a number of new training programs such as the Southeast Asian Studies Bachelor's Program, Master of Public Policy, Doctor of Tourism, etc. The School awarded Master's degrees to 820 students and Doctoral degrees to 81 graduate students who completed the program.

Director of Hanoi National University gave a speech at the Conference.

Regarding scientific research, the University is implementing 17 national-level projects, 03 Nafosted Fund projects, 25 VNU-level projects and dozens of grassroots projects. The University has 05 projects winning the VNU-Hanoi Outstanding Scientific Project Award and 01 project winning the Ho Chi Minh Prize for Science and Technology. Other indicators in scientific activities are also very impressive, such as: organizing 33 conferences, including 20 international conferences; publishing 15 textbooks and monographs, including 02 works in English; publishing 603 scientific articles, including 42 international publications. There are 06 international publications in journals listed in ISI and Scopus.

To further promote research and training capacity, the School established the Department of Religious Studies under the School, the Department of Public Policy under the Faculty of Management Sciences, the Center for Sea and Island Studies under the School, and the Center for Applied Research and Development of Social Work under the Faculty of Sociology.

Prof. Dr. Pham Quang Minh - Rector of University of Social Sciences and Humanities delivered the opening speech at the Conference

The staff work also had good results with the appointment of the title of Professor to 3 teachers and the title of Associate Professor to 7 teachers. Currently, the School has 102 Professors and Associate Professors, accounting for 27.49% of the teaching staff, approaching the target of 28% that VNU assigned to the University of Social Sciences and Humanities by 2020. With 24 more staff successfully defending their doctoral theses, the School currently has 232 PhDs, including 224 lecturers, accounting for 60.3% of the teaching staff.

International cooperation activities continue to expand with 273 foreign partners, receiving 850 international students and scientists to research and teach at the School.

In the upcoming 2017-2018 school year, one of the main tasks of the School is to arrange and restructure the training sectors and majors, adjust the training programs towards increasing connectivity and linkage; build a number of high-quality training programs and international training cooperation programs towards socialization; continue to innovate and perfect the training management system.

Prof. Dr. Nguyen Van Kim - Party Committee Secretary, Vice Rector of the University of Social Sciences and Humanities presented a preliminary report on the implementation of tasks in the 2016-2017 school year.

In addition, the University will focus on developing high-quality human resources in science and technology, leading experts; participating extensively in key scientific programs of the State and localities; diversifying international cooperation in science and technology activities; increasing international publications in the international journal system with high impact factors.

Sharing about the challenges and difficulties that the University is facing in the current context, VNU President Nguyen Kim Son said: Over the past 20 years, never before has higher education in general, VNU and universities of basic sciences in particular, faced such turning-point challenges as they do today. These challenges and requirements for innovation originate from the depth of a series of policies as well as trends in innovation of higher education in Vietnam. In that context, social sciences and humanities need to be recognized in their proper position and role in terms of both investment and exploitation.

Assoc.Prof.Dr. Tran Thi Minh Hoa - Vice Principal of University of Social Sciences and Humanities presented the 2016 financial report

The President of VNU shared that he was impressed with the efforts made by the University in the field of international publications, but was even more impressed with the number of more than 600 domestic publications each year. The issue of concern is the depth of those publications and how the University connects those products to create its own unique academic voice.

VNU leaders also mentioned the issue of university autonomy as an inevitable trend that the University needs to prepare carefully for in the next few years. This is not only a challenge but also an opportunity for the University of Social Sciences and Humanities and VNU to change, even "transform" to have a new look. This will be supported by the context that the VNU brand is increasingly attracting attention and good reviews from public opinion. In addition, the spirit of sharing and cooperation as an inherent need among members of VNU is increasingly high.

The Presidium worked at the Conference

To achieve university autonomy, the University of Social Sciences and Humanities needs to restructure its organization to be streamlined and effective. Training majors need to be reviewed and restructured to create new strength in a common strategy and will of the whole group. The University can also design more joint training programs with other units in VNU to take advantage of multidisciplinary and multi-field advantages and meet the diverse needs of learners. Regarding postgraduate training, the University also needs to be proactive in creating input sources and promoting communication activities in the new situation.

Another important factor in realizing university autonomy is the application of advanced university governance. If university governance is effective, it will strengthen the organization, from being able to open new training programs quickly to building a free, open academic environment that accepts differences. Governance is the foundation for strong adjustments in many other areas.

VNU President Nguyen Kim Son awarded the Quality Accreditation Certificate of the Southeast Asian University Network to the Bachelor of Philosophy training program.

Regarding scientific research, the Director of VNU requested that the University must always affirm its academic position at the national level with scientific works of quality and national stature such as participating in the development of the National History program, the national geography set... bearing the mark of the times. Not only aiming to create "big games" in science, scientific activities also need to go into depth with regular and effective activities right from the department and faculty levels.

Finally, the leader of VNU affirmed that he believes in the tradition and potential of the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, which in challenging and difficult circumstances can further promote its internal strength. The current difficulties are also an opportunity for the University to reach new heights.

Representatives of VNU leaders took souvenir photos with the Board of Directors of the University of Social Sciences and Humanities