When can VNU students return to school?

For more information about the return of students and postgraduates, we had an interview with Associate Professor, Dr. Dinh Van Huong - Head of the Department of Politics and Student Affairs, Standing member of the Steering Committee for Covid-19 Prevention and Control of VNU.
 

- Dear Associate Professor, Dr. Dinh Van Huong, currently some major universities such as Ho Chi Minh City National University, Danang University, Hue University and some other universities have information about the schedule for returning to school. How does VNU plan to deal with this content?
The Covid-19 epidemic has broken out again this time with the epicenter originating from Hai Duong, Quang Ninh and appearing in many localities, including Hanoi. As of today, Hanoi has 35 positive cases.
VNU is located in Hanoi and very close to localities with complicated epidemic developments. Many students of VNU come from provinces, cities, localities with epidemics and neighboring areas, places with high potential for spreading the disease.
In this context, VNU carefully considered and carefully decided to let students return to school. Recently, VNU has strictly implemented the instructions of the Government, the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Education and Training and Hanoi City.
With the current good basic epidemic control situation, VNU will closely follow the general situation of Hanoi and may allow undergraduate and postgraduate students to return to in-person learning from March 15, 2021.

- Recently, the Department of Education and Training of Hanoi City issued Document No. 571/SGDDT-CTTT dated February 27, 2021 for students to return to school from March 2, 2021 and duringsession cunderstand 01/03/2021, Comrade Chu Xuan Dung, Vice Chairman of the People's Committee, Head of the Steering Committee for Covid-19 Prevention and Control of Hanoi Citystudent conclusionBack to school from 8/3/2021. NHow do you understand this content, sir?
It is true that on February 27, 2021, the Hanoi Department of Education and Training issued Document No. 571/SGDDT-CTTT for students to return to school from March 2, 2021.

The document states: "for students and trainees of all levels, preschool, primary, middle school, high school, continuing education; foreign language, information technology, cultural training, skills training centers; short-term training and fostering facilities with foreign investment; preschool education facilities in the area to return to school as planned from March 2, 2021 (Tuesday)".

Therefore, students of junior high schools and high schools of member universities of VNU must comply with this decision and the epidemic prevention and control guidelines issued by the Hanoi Department of Education and Training as well as relevant competent authorities.

In fact, VNU high schools have students coming from epidemic areas, so these schools have been very aware of epidemic prevention and control, making specific plans to coordinate with families and students to strictly implement the instructions of all levels and sectors, ensuring learning conditions according to regulations of the health sector.

In the afternoon meeting on March 1, 2021, Mr. Chu Xuan Dung, Vice Chairman of the City People's Committee, Head of the Steering Committee for Covid-19 Prevention and Control in Hanoi, chaired an online meeting with departments, branches, sectors and districts, towns, communes, wards and townships on epidemic prevention and control work in the area and concluded that "students and trainees of vocational schools will return to school from March 8, 2021". These are students and trainees of colleges and vocational schools managed by Hanoi city.

VNU students are among the group of students proposed by Hanoi city to return to school from March 15.
Thus, with a sense of responsibility, caution and experience in disease prevention and control, Hanoi proposed a roadmap with 3 time frames including March 2, 2021, March 8, 2021 and March 15, 2021, in order to avoid going to school at the same time.

In general, universities in Hanoi are also implementing online learning without announcing specific study times.
 

Antiseptic solution prepared by the scientific staff of the University of Medicine and Pharmacy, VNU

- Recently, some training units of VNU have announced their own specific academic schedules for each school. What do you say about this?
VNU is consistent in directing units to implement Covid-19 prevention and control activities. VNU issued Official Dispatch No. 180/VNU-CT&CTHSSV dated January 28, 2021, Official Dispatch No. 447/VNU-DT dated February 19, 2021 and Official Dispatch 506/VNU-CT&CTHSSV dated February 26, 2021.

The general spirit of these documents is that VNU students and postgraduates will study online from February 17, 2021 until further notice.
Recently, the University of Foreign Languages ​​has issued an official dispatch informing students of all systems, graduate students, and doctoral students to continue studying online from March 1, 2021 to March 7, 2021. This can be understood as after March 7, 2021, students of this University can study directly or understand that they will wait for a new announcement. We recommend that students of the University of Foreign Languages ​​should understand the option of "waiting for a new announcement" from VNU and the University of Foreign Languages.

On March 2, the University of Medicine and Pharmacy, VNU, announced that students will study theory and practice from March 8, 2021, while other students will study according to the plans of the member universities under its management. The school has divided students into very specific streams and times, in accordance with the characteristics of a medical and health care training unit, with professional and social responsibilities, assisting and supporting other units in the fight against the Covid-19 epidemic.

- What is your general assessment of VNU's Covid-19 prevention and control activities in recent times?
I think that VNU and its units have seriously, resolutely and responsibly implemented the instructions of the Government, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Education and Training and Hanoi city.

The Steering Committee for Covid-19 Prevention and Control of VNU has given unified, synchronous, timely and reasonable instructions in this activity. VNU units have implemented specific and practical solutions and measures, initially achieving good results, ensuring normal and basically stable activities in VNU.

During this Covid-19 outbreak, VNU had 3 students who were F1 cases, due to the spread from friends and family, hundreds of people became F2 and F3 cases, however, with the synchronous participation of the health sector and units in VNU, up to now, no cases have become F0 cases and F2 and F3 cases have returned to normal health. This is a lucky and happy thing for staff, lecturers and students of VNU.

Up to this point, nearly 50,000 students and more than 4,000 staff of VNU have continued to strictly implement the directions of the Government and the guidance of the health sector and Hanoi city, ensuring normal activities of VNU in the new conditions, contributing significantly to the overall success of Hanoi and the country in the fight against Covid-19.

On this occasion, on behalf of the Standing Committee of the Steering Committee for Covid-19 Prevention and Control of VNU, I would like to sincerely thank the leaders of VNU for their timely direction, the leaders of the units and all staff, students and pupils of VNU for their serious implementation, efforts and enthusiasm in epidemic prevention. I believe that this work will continue to be effective and successful in the coming time.