VietNamNet would like to introduce the last part of the roundtable talk about measures to attract overseas talents.

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Prof. Ngo Bao Chau and Minister Phung Xuan Nha

Hoang Minh Son: Minister Nha emphasized competition, which I think very important. It is a challenge but also a driving force for the development of universities.

A weak point in the Law on Officeholders is that universities have to sign employment contracts with lecturers after one year working as apprentices. The lecturers will have another year of trial before they officially become an officeholder. This regulation restricts the dynamics of universities. Because with this mechanism, universities cannot discharge lecturers after they become officeholders even though the lecturer is no longer qualified. That’s why many professors want to choose their former students. It’s because they understand their students.

Minister Phung Xuan Nha: When the university autonomy mechanism is implemented, it must be synchronized. Universities will have the full right to recruit staff. This job is not easy at all.

In some sectors that have implemented the autonomy policy such as the science, technology or healthcare fields, the responsibility of the head of recruitment has been gradually defined.

I also support the signing of employment contracts, not an officeholder contract.

Education is a science, there must always be change. Teachers should improve their knowledge and skills regularly to meet new standards. They must be always in a state of fluctuation to fit the needs of the learner.

Under current policy, officeholders do their job for a lifetime and receive salary increases along with seniority, while many young and talented people do not have an opportunity to enter state agencies, and they become jobless.

Hoang Minh Son: To attract talented people and to keep them with us, the most important thing is motivation and a policy to pay salary based on capacity.

Professor Ngo Bao Chau: I agree with Mr. Son and Minister Nha.

But I think this requires a certain caution. Because internationally, most university lecturers who are professors are officeholders. The subject Mr. Son mentioned are post-graduates, who become officeholders after they are recruited by universities.

For these people, this is a tradeoff. Normally, lecturers have lower income than those who do business so becoming an officeholders is secure and safe for them. Moreover, as officeholders, university professors see themselves as the masters of universities.

At the top universities in the US, rectors cannot "teach" professors. They cannot ask professors to “do something for me tomorrow” because professors are officeholders. Only when they make big mistakes cab the rector fire a professor. 

Therefore, perhaps the change in the recruitment mechanism for lecturers at universities and general schools should be carried out very carefully.

Of course, we want a more dynamic environment. But is it acceptable that a school teacher of 40-45 years can be fired easily because they failed to meet the job requirement?

Logically, we can entirely do so. But it is not simple, especially in the field of education.

Prof. Ngo Bao Chau

Minister Phung Xuan Nha: Regarding this, we need a very long route to implement this, not after two to three months.

However, we have to work towards making vacancies for talented people to step into the education sector.

For universities, they actually respect talented people. Clearly, if there is no flexibility in recruitment policies, lecturers will not have a motivating force in doing their job.

In the long run, I think the lifelong officeholder mechanism depends on each organization.

If the State interferes too deeply into the recruitment mechanism of universities, the quality of the staff will decline.

In the context of competition, universities must be creative.

Moreover, they have to compete for skilled people.

That's one of the reasons that I wanted to have a roadmap for this.

Hoang Minh Son: The main objective is to improve the operational efficiency of the whole system. In other countries, associate professors and professors are usually officeholders. However, the number in this force is not much. Many PhD degree holders who work as university lecturers only sign employment contracts with universities.

In my opinion, we need more research about this because each system has its own advantages. For example, in Western Europe, a professor will be a professor for his lifetime but in some other countries, there is still competition for the professor title. One can be still a professor but not always at the top position.

Vietnam should use an effective and appropriate mechanism.

On the social side, we have to ensure the rights of employees, but we have to separate between the professional needs and interests of employees.

On the technical aspect, we have to ensure universities and faculties achieve effective teaching, training and research, while employees, particularly professors and associate professors, stick to their universities.

In the context of healthy competition between universities, professors will know where they are the most respected.

VietNamNet: Would you like to say anything more before our talks finish?

Minister Phung Xuan Nha: This is a difficult issue so we must be very careful from thinking to action.

During the implementation process, it will be amended gradually.

Minister Phung Xuan Nha

To come up with a policy, we must accept some imperfections to achieve efficiency.

Hoang Minh Son: We consider the development of human resources, especially high-quality human resources and attracting qualified staff to our university, to be the the decisive factor for our development and success besides the autonomy mechanism. 

I hope that young scientists trained abroad learn more about our universities in the near future and cooperate with us.

Professor Ngo Bao Chau: I am very happy that the top official of the Ministry of Education and Training joined the discussion today to listen to the opinions of people from the grassroots level.

Personally, I am very interested in how to attract overseas Vietnamese and foreign scientists to Vietnam to work to solve specific matters of Vietnam, and for academic exchange to improve Vietnam’s research ability.

I find this discussion very interesting. Though we don’t agree about everything, we have made clear a number of issues.

Mr. Nguyen Anh Tuan: I see a shift in the perception and behavior of leaders of the Ministry of Education and Training and I see the aspiration of Mr. Nha. I hope Mr. Nha and the training and education sector make a breakthrough and meet the expectations of the people.

VietNamNet