VietNamNet Bridge – Universities in Ha Noi and HCM City are required to submit their plans for moving to the cities' suburbs by February, but many universities have yet to draft them.

The university collective zone of Ha Noi will have trees and ventilated spaces suitable for training and scientific research. Because land costs in the city centre are high, moving to the outskirts will reduce costs and, in turn, provide sufficient funds for schools to pay for the relocation.

However, in a conference held recently in Ha Noi, for various reasons many universities did not agree with the plan.

For instance, Nguyen Trai Private University had 30ha of land on which to build a school in co-ordination with foreign universities, so it did not feel the need to move. Representatives of the National Academy of Public Administration said their school barely had enough funds for training let alone enough to build a new school.

Ha Noi Medical University Principal Nguyen Duc Hinh confirmed that his school would stay put on Ton That Tung Street.

Hoang Van Chau, head of the Ha Noi Foreign Trade University, raised another concern--the time frame for the plan is inaccurate; it would take at least 10 years for schools to relocate.

While state universities are still hesitant to move, the private FPT University, which trains information technology engineers, has made plans to move.

The deputy principal, Nguyen Xuan Phong, said in October this year that 2,000 students will study in Hoa Lac, about 35 kilometres west of the city centre. Construction is expected to be paid for within 20 to 30 years.

"We've run into many difficulties with student housing conditions and other services for both students and lecturers," he said.

Although Deputy Minister of Education and Training Bui Van Ga admitted that moving universities and colleges to the suburbs was a good policy, he said the State could not subsidise the whole process.

"We should call on investors and enterprises to invest in university construction," he said.

According to the general scheme, Ha Noi will have eight university collective zones.

VietNamNet/Viet Nam News