Associate Prof Dr Vu Hai Quan, Director of HCM City National University (VNU-HCM City), revealed that the school has completed its organizational restructuring plan.
In 2018 and 2024, VNU-HCM City took the initiative in restructuring its operations, increasing the number of financially autonomous units.
The most remarkable organizational changes included the merger of French University Center with the Institute of International Education; integrating the English Testing Center with the Testing and Quality Assurance Center; combining the Water and Climate Change Management Center with the Institute for Environment and Resources.
Also, it has included the International Training Institute, Pre-doctoral Training Center, and University Management Institute with the Leadership Development Institute, later renamed as the Institute for Leadership Development, VNU-HCM City; and integrated the John Von Neumann Institute with the University of Science.
The Undergraduate and Postgraduate Departments have been unified to form the Training Department, while the Emulation and Reward Department has merged with the Department of Personnel and Organisation.
As of December 2024, VNU-HCM City reported that 66 percent of its units, comprising seven member universities and 17 affiliates, had become financially autonomous. Among 6,400 staff members, 1,154 had received pay from the state, accounting for 18 percent.
Quan affirmed that in 2025-2030, the national university will continue to streamline its apparatus.
This aims to satisfy three requirements. First, reducing internal focal agencies to ensure a streamlined, effective and efficient operation. Second, increasing the number of financially dependent units to ease reliance on the state budget. Third, ensuring stable, uninterrupted and effective activities of scientific research and community service.
Quan said VNU-HCM City will cut 36 percent of internal focal management points, increase the number of financially autonomous units from 66 percent to 92 percent, and reduce state-paid workers to 8 percent, or 500 civil servants.
Under the apparatus streamlining plan, heads of financially autonomous units have to draw up a plan to cut the number of focal management points. Financially autonomous member schools have cut 15-35 percent, while dependent financially autonomous units have cut 10-20 percent of focal points.
Associate Prof Dr Nguyen Anh Tuan, Vice Rector of the HCM City University of Transport, said similar efforts in streamlining and restructuring to boost operational efficiency have been done.
The school’s actions include eliminating intermediary structures and dissolving 45 departments to comply with the current Higher Education Law; and merging specialized faculties with consolidated training management institutes, reducing from 14 faculties to seven institutes. It has removed the administrative model with 14 nodes and transferred to the training advisory division under the training department.
Many faculties of the school have merged with each other. Key mergers included Faculty of Information Technology and Faculty of Electronics and Telecommunications have merged to form up the Institute of Information Technology and Electronics; Integrating the Faculty of Political Theory with the Institute of Social Sciences and Linguistics; Consolidating the Faculty of Maritime Studies, Ship Machinery and Electricity, and Ship Engineering with the Institute of Maritime Studies. and Incorporating the International Relations Office with the Institute of International Training and Cooperation.
Overall, the HCM City University of Transport can cut 11 internal focal points (from 39 to 28) which means a 30 percent streamlining rate.
"This significant step improves the university's management and operational efficiency, aiming at sustainable future development, enhanced work performance, and increased income for staff. Streamlining also helps promote scientific research, international cooperation, and steps towards university autonomy," explained Tuan, adding that further aggressive restructuring is planned.
The Hanoi University of Social Sciences and Humanities plans to cut 35 percent of focal points by merging many departments and divisions.
The school now has 46 focal points (16 administration units, 18 training units, 10 centers for research and education cooperation and 2 other units) and the figure will fall to 30, which means a 34.7 percent reduction.
Prior to that, local newspapers reported that Vietnam National University, Hanoi (VNU-Hanoi) planned to cut 35-40 percent of divisions and 15 percent of personnel. Also, the school will be 100 percent self-autonomous in regular expenses. VNU-HCM City will cut 2,300 public employees receiving salary from the state.
Le Huyen