The Conference of Key Officials of the University of Social Sciences and Humanities took place on May 20, 2013 in Cua Lo, Nghe An.
At the Conference, delegates heard reports summarizing the 2012-2013 academic year and outlining the tasks for the 2013-2014 academic year; reports on the development plan for the ngành (field of study) and chuyên ngành (specialization) from 2015 to 2020; reports on solutions for building a research university; reports on the results of work in Trường Sa (Spratly Islands); and reports on the project to establish the Department of Urban History and Urban Studies within the Faculty of History.
In the 2012-2013 academic year, the University basically completed its planned targets, successfully converting 23 undergraduate and 54 postgraduate programs to meet output standards; developed a question bank, exam papers, and answer keys for subjects in the M2 and M3 knowledge blocks; completed the project to open one new major and three new specializations; piloted the use of course websites; organized four training courses for 82 young lecturers on course design and teaching methods; established 78 additional dual degree programs; and increased postgraduate enrollment by 4.3%.
Regarding scientific research activities, all targets were met and exceeded. In the 2012-2013 academic year, the school was assigned to lead the implementation of 9 state-level science and technology projects (an increase of nearly 200%), and organized more than 30 scientific conferences and seminars, including 14 international conferences and seminars.
With the motto of Innovation – Pioneering – Quality, the key tasks for the upcoming school year have been identified as follows:
- Continue to effectively implement programs under strategic objectives, expand high-quality training, and improve the quality of international joint training programs by promoting training activities according to standards and strengthening training management.
- Focus on successfully completing existing state-level projects, concentrate on developing and implementing several projects under the Northwest Program of VNU, and ensure the timely completion of key projects.
- Continue implementing solutions to accelerate the training and development of staff, and increase the percentage of staff meeting the required standards.
- Continue to implement and expand international cooperation with reputable universities in the region and around the world to develop high-quality international joint programs and collaborative scientific projects and research topics.
- Continue to innovate management practices, promote administrative reform throughout the university according to ISO standards, and strengthen and expand facilities and equipment to support training and scientific research.
Professor Nguyen Huu Duc (Vice Director of Vietnam National University, Hanoi) delivered a speech at the conference.
Speaking at the conference, Professor Nguyen Huu Duc (Vice Director of Vietnam National University, Hanoi) affirmed that the University of Social Sciences and Humanities maintains its position as one of the leading institutions nationwide in the field of social sciences and humanities. However, on the path of development towards becoming a research university, the University needs more groundbreaking policies to achieve its goals sooner.
Listening to and absorbing the contributions of the leaders of Vietnam National University, Hanoi and the delegates at the conference, Professor Nguyen Van Khanh emphasized that to soon become a research university requires the efforts of the faculty, administrative staff, and especially the current key personnel. In addition, the University hopes to continue receiving the support and effective guidance of Vietnam National University, Hanoi for its research activities in the future.
Developing new academic disciplines requires proactiveness and creativity.
Regarding the requirement to have full-time staff with doctoral degrees in the relevant field when opening a new specialization, there have been quite a few dissenting opinions:
Associate Professor Pham Xuan Hang (Faculty of Management Science): Vietnam National University, Hanoi in general, and the University of Social Sciences and Humanities in particular, should creatively adapt to specific conditions when opening new majors. Currently, many new majors in Vietnam lack experts in those fields. If we wait until we have enough experts before granting permission to open them, those majors will be impossible to launch.
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Pham Xuan Hang.
Associate Professor Vu Thi Phung (Head of the Department of Archival and Office Management): The issue of planning for majors and specializations at a large university like ours requires specific planning so that the university and its departments always maintain a proactive stance in their development. Some majors have a long tradition, and when they are opened, they require a team of experts in that field – this can be considered a mandatory requirement. However, for new majors, we cannot apply the same standards for staff as those with established traditions. To become a pioneering unit in the process of building and developing the major, the university, as well as Vietnam National University, Hanoi, needs flexibility in opening new specializations.
Solutions for building research universities
The solution for building a research university was a topic that attracted much discussion and input from delegates at the conference:
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Dang Xuan Khang (Head of the Personnel Department): To standardize the university's staff and strive to transform the university into a research university, the university will introduce regulations for staff members who are required not to register for doctoral entrance exams.
Associate Professor Nguyen Van Ham (Faculty of Archival Studies and Office Management): The university should establish its own scientific journal, reflecting the unique characteristics of social sciences and humanities research. Currently, Vietnam National University, Hanoi (VNU) has a journal, but the space dedicated to social sciences is very limited, while the university publishes hundreds of high-quality scientific research papers annually. To move towards becoming a research university, the university needs to have a scientific journal soon. The operation and maintenance of this journal will contribute to affirming the university's reputation and position.
Associate Professor Nguyen Van Ham.
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Vu Thi Phung (Head of the Department of Archival Studies and Office Management): Establishing a scientific journal will provide young faculty members with early opportunities to participate in scientific research, creating a rich scientific playground for the future staff of the University.
Associate Professor Pham Gia Lam (Director of Sejong Korean Language Center): The university should continue to expand its cooperation with foreign partners in depth, making commitments with foreign universities regarding the publication of scientific research works. Expanding cooperation further, such as signing research cooperation agreements with other prestigious universities around the world regarding the publication of research papers in their scientific journals, will help to solidify the university's reputation.