The seminar “Training and Utilizing Talent in the New Context,” organized by Tien Phong in coordination with the Ministry of Education and Training (MOET) and the University of Engineering and Technology under the Vietnam National University, Hanoi, on April 8, exchanged and proposed solutions for discovering, fostering and effectively using high-quality human resources to meet development requirements.

Thao said that to develop rapidly and sustainably, the country must have policies to discover and retain talented people. Current policies have not been implemented well, and certain limitations in social thinking have affected the utilization of talent.

The link between training, research, and utilization remains loose, and remuneration policies, working environments, and development opportunities are not competitive enough in the context of globalization. 

A "brain drain" and a waste of talent still exist. Meanwhile, the country needs leading scientists to lead core technology sectors, emerging technologies, and renewable energy.

Prof Dr Chu Duc Trinh, rector of the University of Engineering and Technology, said the country's economy is striving for high-tech fields such as information technology, electronics and telecommunications, semiconductors, and microchips. The demand for training high-quality human resources is inevitable.

“Talented students are not just those who graduate with a 'red degree' (excellent honors). Because there are many red degree graduates. Or many high school students who are very good at exams and win international medals, but are not yet good at applying those things back to life. In the coming time, we need to create an environment for them to prove that talent; to bring talent into life,” Trinh said. 

He said this is the spirit of the talent training standards that the school has developed.

Training high-quality human resources and measuring output standards in knowledge and skills to serve the country's sustainable development is the orientation of all education institutions.

He argued that the rate of graduates having jobs after six months is important, but more important is whether, after five to 10 years, the students have made breakthroughs and become leading experts.

Detecting unique qualities in every student

Tran Thuy Duong, principal of Hanoi - Amsterdam High School for the Gifted (Hanoi), said that the concept of “talent” has changed in the perception of teachers over time. 

“In the past, teachers evaluated that students specializing in math would be good at math, and similarly those specializing in literature must be good at literature. But recently, teachers have changed their thinking about talent toward multiple intelligences. Thus, a math major student can be very good at robotics, art, and debate, or a foreign language major student can also be very good at STEM,” Duong said.

With such a view about talent, according to Duong, the school approaches students from different angles. Teachers need to detect each student’s unique qualities. Not all Math major students have to attend Olympic competitions. It is normal that only 1–2 students in a grade attend the international Math Olympic. 

“When students feel the concern of teachers as young talents in many different fields, they enjoy it very much,” Duong said.

The club model in schools is also an effective way to discover and develop talent. This is an environment for students to express their passions; even literature major students can join the robotics club. Here, they are guided by teachers and alumni and are free to pursue their interests without the pressure of grades.

Thao said that it is necessary to build a system for early discovery and nurturing of talent that is seamless from high school to university and post-graduate levels.

It is necessary to have an innovative talent training model. “There must be a strong shift toward personalized learning, training associated with research, and linked with key laboratories and strong research groups. Talented students must be placed in a truly creative environment,” he said.

Thanh Hung