- So, many challenges and risks have arisen and are continuing to arise, requiring not only students but also lecturers and training institutions to innovate their training activities?

Innovation is a mandatory attribute of any organization or society. Without innovation, there will be no development. Higher education is no exception; it needs to keep pace with the rapid development of technology and the labor market. I have previously mentioned some of the challenges facing universities today.

Firstly, the increasing demands of employers for qualities and skills in addition to the professional qualifications of students create pressure for innovation on universities in balancing the teaching of knowledge with the training of skills and the development of positive thinking in students. The volatility of future occupations means that university training activities face the risk of becoming outdated compared to the new workforce needs.

The Danko Scholarship Fund was launched for students of the University of Social Sciences and Humanities - a prime example of the close and flexible connection between educational institutions, businesses, and the university and alumni (October 3, 2018).

Secondly, students have legitimate demands for a learning environment that extends beyond knowledge to include accompanying services: facilities, learning equipment, self-study spaces, cafeterias, internships/practical training (especially abroad), professional development clubs, cultural, sports, and arts activities, school-business connections, and startup support. There's a very existential example: the philosophy of "suffering to live happily" of 20th-century students is now considered "deviant" by the 10x generation, who see learning at school "not just as preparation for life, but as life itself"! Therefore, universities worldwide today are investing in improving facilities to attract students, encourage them to study and live on campus, thereby fostering their commitment to the school and preventing them from dropping out.

Thirdly, there is the risk of losing market share in student recruitment and training in traditional fields, especially basic sciences, which are becoming increasingly less attractive to students. In recent years, the total number of young Vietnamese people studying at universities in Vietnam has steadily decreased, while the number of students studying abroad has increased sharply, not to mention the trend of "studying abroad locally" through distance learning or online programs offered by foreign universities and international joint programs with domestic universities... According to the annual Open Doors report of the Institute of International Education (IIE), the number of Vietnamese students studying in the United States has continuously increased over the past 17 years, reaching 24,325 students in 2018, meaning that more than $800 million flowed from Vietnam to the United States last year.[1]Not to mention the large number of Vietnamese students studying abroad in other international educational institutions.

The University of Social Sciences and Humanities hosted a training course on designing EMI (Employment in English) courses for university lecturers in Hanoi, with support from experts from the University of South Australia. Photo: Thanh Ha

Fourth, the significant shift in employment patterns for graduates towards the non-public sector (private, international, non-governmental, startups, etc.) necessitates adjustments to training programs, classroom teaching time, investment in developing comprehensive skills, and fostering proactive attitudes and positive learning mindsets so that students can adapt to different work environments in the future. The World Education Summit (WISE) held in New York in September 2018 emphasized the importance of education in awareness and a "lifelong learning" mindset because knowledge acquired at university will quickly become outdated. Therefore, only with a perspective of continuous learning and a lifelong learning mindset can workers adapt to the changing landscape of future professions.

Fifthly, the slow pace of innovation in university management thinking has been warned about by education experts, especially in public universities. This risk leads to a failure to keep up with global university education trends, a backwardness in understanding, an inability to predict labor market trends, and even a failure to understand the changing needs of students themselves, resulting in university management failing to keep pace with student needs.

Students of the University of Social Sciences and Humanities at the opening ceremony of the 2018-2019 academic year. The training programs of the University of Social Sciences and Humanities aim for the following goals: strong professional knowledge, excellent skills, and an integrated mindset. Photo: Trung Hieu

The Ministry's "sector" - the teacher's "profession" - the student's "vocation"...

- So, one of the existing risks is the "old" and "static" nature of the current training structure in relation to the "new" and "dynamic" nature of future professions, Professor?

The structure of training programs tends to change more slowly than the rapid changes in occupations and the labor market, especially in the context of the current Fourth Industrial Revolution. However, objectively speaking, the state's training program structure is not entirely "static" or "closed," but is constantly being supplemented by proposals from training institutions. Therefore, universities must both see their own interests and recognize their responsibility to develop new training programs based on future workforce needs, organize pilot training programs, and then propose to the Ministry of Education and Training to add them to the training program code. For example, more than two decades ago, the University of Social Sciences and Humanities pioneered the opening and pilot training of the Tourism Studies program, which has now been included in the state's official training program code.

Students majoring in Vietnamese Studies, University of Social Sciences and Humanities. This is an interdisciplinary field of study that is increasingly attracting the attention of Vietnamese and foreign students. Photo: Ngoc Tung

- But besides the discussion about training programs, we also need to consider the system of professional titles in society. How should these two aspects be taken into account in the context of training new human resources, Professor?

Previously, the concepts of "industry" and "profession" were discussed in a very close, organic relationship. According to traditional employment logic, graduates from a particular field of study tended to work in that field, related to the job codes and standards issued by the state. However, in recent years, the boundary between "industry" and "profession" has become increasingly blurred; the trend of studying one field and working in another is becoming more common. Ultimately, this is perfectly normal in any society if we look at labor and human resource trends in developed countries and the evolution of domestic policies, especially the policy of streamlining the workforce and restructuring the staff of officials, civil servants, and public employees in accordance with Resolutions 18 and 19 of the 6th Plenum of the 12th Central Committee.

International students pursuing bachelor's and master's degrees in Vietnamese Studies at the University of Social Sciences and Humanities have created a multicultural academic environment there. Photo: Thanh Long

It is crucial that training institutions quickly and fully recognize this reality in order to adjust their training program structures accordingly. Besides opening new training programs to meet the workforce needs of Society 4.0, older programs that are no longer in high demand can be scaled down or considered for integration with related fields to form new ones. When there is no longer a societal need for human resources, a program will struggle to survive, except for fundamental sciences that are essential to any society, which the government will invest in maintaining. Globally, eliminating a training program that is no longer in demand is quite common, although it inevitably brings nostalgia and regret.

At the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, students are equipped with foundational knowledge in basic sciences to support their studies and research in their specialized fields; alongside critical thinking and the ability to adapt to the labor market. Every year, thousands of students participate in internships and practical training abroad as an important part of the university's curriculum. Photo: Ngoc Tung

Looking at the dynamics of the labor market in recent years and predicting labor trends over the next decade, the key concern now is how to harmonize three main elements: the "fields" set by the Ministry, the "professions" of the teachers, and the "careers" of the students. The State has been quite open regarding training program codes, and the labor market has been quite transparent about the trends guiding graduates to establish careers and start businesses. Therefore, lecturers and universities need to be proactive and decisive in bridging the gap between the two ends: students and the labor market. In other words, teachers must constantly innovate and create to both maintain their passion and chosen profession, while ensuring the formation of new training programs that meet the career needs of students in the digital workforce era.

Advantages of Vietnam National University, Hanoi: Multidisciplinary/Basic Science foundation - interdisciplinary/transdisciplinary trends - Innovative/Creative thinking.

- So, according to the Associate Professor, what is the main trend for the future of the education system?

Many different viewpoints have been presented. Personally, I believe that interdisciplinary and cross-disciplinary approaches will be the fundamental trend in the context of a university ecosystem operating on the principles of connectivity and innovation.

For quite some time, Vietnamese universities have followed a narrow and specialized academic orientation. Specialized training has certain advantages, but in the era of digital workforce with artificial intelligence and the Internet of Things, interdisciplinary/cross-disciplinary approaches offer more significant advantages. Education experts have recently been discussing a new "T-shaped People" model for workforce training, based on a combination of philosophies.knowing something about everythingfrom this perspectiveknowing everything about something(Regarding the previous I-shaped People model). New work practices require future workers to possess broad knowledge and a wide range of problem-solving skills, rather than just specialized and narrow knowledge, which can be solved by artificial intelligence (AI). For example, in many countries today, single jobs such as hotel receptionists, tour guides, and salespeople have been completely replaced by robots; in the near future, more complex professions such as translators, legal consultants, and teachers may also be performed by machines with artificial intelligence. Therefore, the workforce for the 4.0 labor market needs more than just single-specialized knowledge; learners need to be equipped with multidisciplinary, cross-disciplinary knowledge, positive thinking, and synthesis skills.

The Rumbo cheerleading team of humanities students showcases their healthy and energetic beauty.

In particular, alongside science and technology (STEM) knowledge, people are beginning to talk about the crucial role of philosophy, ethics, humanities, and arts. At the recent International Education Summit, the President of the Institute of International Education (IIE), Allan Goodman, argued that technologies capable of transforming society on a large scale will require the strongest ethical foundations, and that judgments based on morality and ethics can be revolutionary in the 4.0 era.[1]

- What advantages would the University of Social Sciences and Humanities have if it implemented interdisciplinary/cross-disciplinary training and a spirit of innovation and creativity as a university, Professor?

The University of Social Sciences and Humanities in particular, and Vietnam National University, Hanoi in general, has a significant advantage in adapting to human resource training in the digital age because it is a leading multidisciplinary university in the country, harmonizing basic and applied sciences. In the social sciences and humanities, besides maintaining basic sciences – which are essential for any nation – the University is developing "hybrid" majors based on linking existing disciplines. For example, alongside International Studies and Anthropology, the University is developing a "International Development Studies" (IDS) major; and alongside the three existing majors – Sociology, Social Work, and Psychology – the University is researching the development of a hybrid major to serve the practical needs of Aging and Social Development…

Psychotherapy, in particular, requires interdisciplinary knowledge.