Universities in Vietnam must transform into dynamic hubs for research and innovation, moving beyond traditional knowledge dissemination to actively solve real-world problems. This shift is crucial for enhancing the nation’s higher education capacity and fostering technological advancement over the next two decades.
Deputy Prime Minister Le Tien Chau highlighted this imperative at the International Conference on Educational Cooperation in the Digital Age. He stressed that higher education institutions should proactively identify and address practical challenges, rather than passively awaiting assigned tasks. The ultimate measure of higher education’s success, he stated, lies in its quality and tangible contributions: competent and adaptable graduates, impactful faculty, and research that generates knowledge, technology, and practical solutions.
Professor Nguyen Dinh Duc, former Chairman of the University Council at the University of Technology (Vietnam National University, Hanoi), underscored the growing global competition based on intelligence, technology, and innovation. Fields such as artificial intelligence, semiconductors, biotechnology, and robotics demand highly skilled individuals capable of converting knowledge into valuable technologies, products, and services. Therefore, universities must evolve into creators of new knowledge, incubators of technology, and founders of businesses derived from research outcomes. Research universities, in particular, need to develop into R&D centers that integrate education, research, and industry needs.
Implementing national resolutions requires significant reforms in higher education to build strong universities that can develop science and technology and create core technologies mastered by Vietnam. Professor Nguyen Dinh Duc advocated for a shift from a purely research university model to one intertwined with innovation, where research, innovation, and digital transformation become central to university strategies. He also called for genuine and consistent university autonomy.
The State should implement strategic investment programs for research universities and key institutions in core technology fields, focusing resources on entities with proven capacity and potential. Reforms in financing mechanisms are also necessary, with state budgets acting as seed capital to encourage investment from businesses, localities, and social organizations. This collaborative funding model can support research, training, and innovation.
Connecting Research and Practice
A groundbreaking talent policy is essential, empowering universities to recruit, compensate, and reward personnel based on competence and practical contributions. Attracting and utilizing talent should be directly linked to research effectiveness and societal value. Professor Nguyen Dinh Duc emphasized a transition from administrative-focused management to a development-oriented approach. The State would provide the legal framework and strategic investments, while universities exercise autonomy and businesses actively engage in research commissioning and collaboration.
Effective linkages within the innovation ecosystem are vital for improving university operational efficiency. Mr. Nguyen Trung Dung, Chairman of the Vietnam Network for Innovation and Entrepreneurship in Universities and Colleges (VNEI), noted increased national commitment to science and technology. However, realizing this goal requires concrete connection mechanisms between the State, universities, businesses, investors, and society, demonstrated through collaborative programs from research needs identification to commercialization of results.
Professor Dr. Nguyen Thi Lan, Director of the Vietnam Academy of Agriculture, believes a university’s value lies in its ability to transform knowledge into human resources, technology, and social value. Businesses play a critical bridging role, ensuring training meets practical needs, identifying research problems, and accelerating scientific application. When businesses participate in the entire process, from needs assessment to product reception, university activities align better with the labor market and socio-economic development.
Linking training with research and innovation is crucial. Undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral students should have opportunities to engage in laboratories, research projects, and national technology programs. These comprehensive changes, encompassing governance, investment, human resources, and cooperation, will enable universities to create knowledge, master technology, and bolster national competitiveness.
