Mr. Hoang Minh Son

Hoang Minh Son: We also want to mention the second group of talents – young PhD degree holders. This force is large and later will create a platform, so they need to have initial support.

Currently, the average spending for doctoral training abroad is $100,000. We should give each young PhD degree holder about $20,000 in the first two years working in Vietnam so they will have favourable conditions early when working in the country.

Minister Phung Xuan Nha: I support Son’s opinion. We have to form a new generation of domestic scientists.

I am joining other agencies to propose to the Prime Minister to set up a fund or a certain format to support scientists through research projects. And I will discuss it further with the minister of science and technology and minister of finance to direct this fund towards young people.

We must create a new generation of scientists in the country and should not put too much emphasis on foreign sources.

Therefore, attracting foreign talent is very important, but if we can activate the inner factor, it would be much better.

Professor Ngo Bao Chau: On the issue of attracting overseas Vietnamese researchers and postgraduates, particularly who studied under the 911 scholarship program, it is quite problematic.

The commitments signed between students and the state agencies that provided funds for overseas training did not clearly stipulate about the duration that the students have to work for state agencies after the overseas training course. On the other hand it was right when the Hanoi University of Science and Technology had to commit to employ students after the training course.

Of course, those who study abroad under state funding must commit to work for the state, but there is no reason that universities have to to commit to employ them after the training because the recruitment must be based on the ability of postgraduates. I think it is necessary to review this point.

Hoang Minh Son: I would like to propose that the policy on sending Vietnamese students abroad should be adjusted towards dividing the expenditure into two parts. One paid by the state and the other by the students. If the students return home to work for state agencies after the training course, the state funding will be deducted; otherwise the students will have to pay compensation. This will be in the form of training support contracts, not in the way that the state or universities send them abroad for studies and then ask them to come back to work.

Under the current mechanism, students commit to return home to work but if they don’t, it is very difficult for the state to claim back the investment. Moreover, universities send them overseas and have to manage them during their training time even though universities don’t know whether these students will return home to work.

Minister Phung Xuan Nha: Besides its advantages, the 911 Scholarship Program reveals many weaknesses that you have pointed out. Our Ministry has proposed the government to amend this program in order to effectively use this fund.

Minister Phung Xuan Nha

We will gradually shift from sending trainees abroad with the efficiency of the agencies where the trainees work. Son’s suggestion is also a solution, but it is not the nature of the current problems.

Without the mechanism that is based on the efficiency of the state agencies and the trainees who are sent abroad by the agencies for training, it easily leads to a failure of the contracts signed between them.

I think that if we perform the autonomy mechanism well at universities, this problem will be solved.

The better universities are, the more scholarships and orders from the state they will have. The rectors don’t need to send students abroad for training for several years but they can still employ a foreign-trained doctor.

In the near future, the state will not intervene in the project on overseas training. This will be the job and the responsibility of university rectors. Even private schools can provide state scholarships. It is equal between public and private schools.

Now I see a number of private schools are very active. Our policies encourage the establishment of private universities but the state did not manage them well, resulted in difficulties for private schools. We will have to check the private schools and have policies to help them.

Hoang Minh Son: The Hanoi University of Science and Technology has drawn a lot of experience.

Universities only want to recruit doctors, not master’s degree holders because universities are not sure whether master’s degree holders will return home after training.

Actually, most of our trainees went abroad for studies by looking for scholarships themselves, not through the 911 Scholarship Program. When they return home, we give priority to recruit them.

If the state has a mechanism to assist these people, they can re-integrate very well in the first two years.

It is the most effective mechanism. Instead of paying for their overseas training, we will support them when they return home.

Minister Phung Xuan Nha: I think we should follow that direction.

VietNamNet