Financial Activities in 2016 - Ensuring Stability Over the Years

Associate Professor, Dr. Tran Thi Minh Hoa, Vice Principal of the School, spoke at the 2016 Financial Conference

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Tran Thi Minh Hoa delivered the opening speech, presented the conference agenda and shared: “The internal spending regulations of the University of Social Sciences and Humanities are adjusted annually, after receiving opinions from all units in the University. At the financial conference, the final plans for adjustments and additions... were announced and implemented from the beginning of 2017. The University of Social Sciences and Humanities is considered one of the units that perform well in internal spending in the VNU system: early development of the internal spending regulations, regular adjustments over the years and most of the adjustments are more beneficial to employees".

MSc. Le Thi Quyen, Head of Planning and Finance Department

Ms. Le Thi Quyen, Head of Planning and Finance Department, reported on Financial Activities in 2016. The School's financial resources come from three main sources: State budget, additional revenue, and sponsorship and aid. The revenue situation in 2016 compared to 2015 and 2014 was generally unchanged, in which specific revenue sources had different levels of increase and decrease. The School's current additional revenue sources are: tuition fees, service revenue (short-term training programs, international joint classes, service units) and revenue from revenue-generating Centers of the School.

The current state budget accounts for 46% of total revenue and tends to decrease (48% in 2014). If we want to ensure all activities of the School and increase income for employees, additional revenue must be ensured or increased even more. In terms of revenue, revenue from tuition fees is still high (over 70%), while revenue from services or from Centers is still very modest. The challenges for the School's revenue are: enrollment targets will affect tuition fees, student debt, and the stability of short-term training programs and international partnerships.

Based on stable revenue, the University balances its annual expenditures: salary fund, labor costs, costs for compiling lectures and textbooks, tuition support and financial support for staff studying to improve their qualifications, and administrative costs. Currently, the University has 145 staff studying for PhD and 11 staff studying for Master's degrees with a total support of up to 3 billion VND. The University of Social Sciences and Humanities has a great incentive policy for young staff, encouraging them to study to improve their qualifications compared to other universities in Hanoi.

In 2016, the School introduced 10 smart classrooms with modern equipment systems, but also faced challenges in electricity costs. Funding for environmental sanitation activities. Renovation, repair, and upgrading of the School's facilities and equipment systems in recent years have had many changes. The number of working computers and air conditioners has increased rapidly, buildings have been upgraded, classrooms are equipped with modern teaching aids... creating a new look for the working and learning environment, but at the same time, it also shows challenges in exploiting, using reasonably, effectively, and economically. The School also recommends that units on the basis of authorized administrative expenditure sources need to use them economically and reasonably so that they can switch to professional activities.

MSc. Kim Thi Diep Ha, Deputy Head of Planning and Finance Department

MSc. Kim Thi Diep Ha, Deputy Head of the Planning and Finance Department, presented a report on the financial situation of the units. The settlement of payments by the units is still not on schedule and not proactive. There needs to be close coordination and constructive exchange of opinions between the units and the Planning and Finance Department to operate more clearly and effectively. Through the report, the Faculties in the School grasp the situation of funding sources to implement the training support, welfare, fee management, and administrative fees of their units. The Planning and Finance Department recommends that the units standardize the settlement process and use and exploit funding sources reasonably, ensuring financial principles.

MSc. Nguyen Tich Nghi, Deputy Head of Personnel Organization Department

MSc. Nguyen Tich Nghi, Deputy Head of the Department of Personnel and Organization presented a report on the additional points and adjustments to the internal spending regulations in 2017. After the regulations were sent to the units in the University to collect opinions, and at the same time consulted with the Universities in the VNU system and other Universities, the Board of Directors and functional departments met to discuss and unify and publicly announce. The newly issued internal spending regulations were applied from January 2017.

Associate Professor, Dr. Nguyen Van Chinh, Head of Department of Linguistics

Many faculties have expressed their opinions and received specific and detailed feedback from the Vice Principal of the School and functional departments such as the Department of Personnel Organization, the Department of Planning and Finance. In particular, there are revenue and expenditure contents implemented on the basis of newly issued regulations of the State, the School is applying and will continue to record proposed opinions, continue to make recommendations to superiors to resolve unreasonable issues. All units have acknowledged the innovations and professionalism of the School's financial activities in recent times, both ensuring financial principles while also being very flexible and prioritizing investment for employees.

Associate Professor, Dr. Nguyen Thien Nam, Head of the Department of Vietnamese Studies and Vietnamese Language

Associate Professor, Dr. Tran Thi Minh Hoa summarized the Conference: "Through the report on the financial situation so that the units can grasp the overall financial picture of the School. Second, the weaknesses of the units need to be overcome such as: documents need to be in accordance with regulations, the payment and settlement process needs to ensure progress. Third, consider measures to evaluate labor to calculate reasonable additional income. Fourth, the functional departments of the School and the Faculties must work together to save on direct costs such as electricity, water, administrative fees... Fifth, the heads and departments in charge of the units need to fully and promptly inform the students, trainees, and graduate students of their units about the tuition collection plan, to resolve the debt situation... Financial work in the School is a complex, sensitive field and needs to be very strict and thorough. In the context of many financial difficulties, each officer and civil servant of the School needs to have full, correct awareness and have a common voice in ensuring the stability and sustainable development of the School's financial activities".