VietNamNet Bridge - The proposed reduction in training time at universities cannot be easily applied at all schools and in all majors. Medical students, for example, may have to spend more time at school.

The rector of a Hanoi-based university said it was reasonable for economics and social sciences schools to cut the training time to allow students to get a job sooner and to save costs and society’s resources.

Many schools have applauded the Ministry of Education and Training (MOET) decision to cut the training time for university education from 4-6 years to 3-5 years. 

In fact, the credit-based study policy applied by the majority of schools in Vietnam also allows students to finish their study after 3 or 3.5 years instead of 4 years. Therefore, these schools won’t find it difficult to shorten training as requested by MOET.

Bui Duc Trieu, head of the training division of the Hanoi Economics University, confirmed that with 120-130 credits, about 10-15 percent of the school’s students can finish one semester earlier.

The proposed reduction in training time at universities cannot be easily applied at all schools and in all majors. Medical students, for example, may have to spend more time at school.

However, some education experts warned that not all schools would be able to cut the training time. While it is easy to do this with social sciences and economics training majors, it will be nearly impossible for specific majors, including health sciences.

“To shorten training time, schools will have to redesign the curricula and cut lessons of theoretical subjects. It will be impossible to shorten the training time while maintaining the current curricula,” an expert said.

Tran Khac Thac, vice rector of the Hanoi Water Resources University, said re-designing curricula doesn’t simply mean eliminating subjects. It is necessary to check and rearrange the lesson plans for every subject. It is also necessary to add practice hours to improve students’ skills which will be useful for their future jobs.

Tran Van Top, vice rector of the Hanoi University of Technology, said there are two curricula applied at the school for 4-year and 5-year training programs. The students finishing 4-year programs will get a bachelor’s degree, while those who finish 5-year program will become engineers.

Top said if the training time is shortened, students won’t be able to receive necessary knowledge.

Nguyen Huu Tu, vice rector of Hanoi Medical University, also said that shortening the training time would be fine for the majority of schools, but would place difficulties on some special majors.

He said all medical schools in Vietnam have a 6-year training program and no school has considered cutting the training time.