VietNamNet Bridge – “If we do not equitise universities, which means that the universities will stay the same as nowadays, higher education will have nothing new,” Tran Thi Thu Ha, Deputy President of Hoa Binh University

Tran Thi Thu Ha, former Director of the Public Policies Department under the Ministry of Finance, former President of Ba Ria-Vung Tau University, and now Deputy President of Hoa Binh University

Deputy President Ha shares his thoughts regarding the issue of university equitisation.

The inevitable change

I think that school equitisation is an indispensable process. Previously, the government promulgated Decree No 10. Education in general, and university education in particular, is an economic branch. Therefore, education needs to have economic characteristics and professionalism like other economic branches.

That explains why we say the ‘education market’, which exists together with the scientific research market.

The Ministry of Finance’s draft document on turning schools into joint-stock companies says that the equitisation will be carried out on pilot projects at some universities, not all of them.

People always flinch from new things

It is quite normal to see some people hesitating to join the equitisation process, because people prove to be shy about new things.

Previously, Vietnam did not have private and people-founded universities. They are not equitised universities, but they have capital and material contributions from non-state sectors. Since their establishment, the universities have been controlling their receipts and expenses themselves.

I think that the state should not take on too many jobs; it should transfer the jobs to investors from other economic sectors.

The school equitisation should be understood as a process, under which the state transfers a part of its ownership to other economic sectors.

Of course, difficulties will arise during the equitisation process. However, the equitisation will help settle the existing problems of the financially self-controlled universities. Universities will have the right to set tuition levels, which means that the incomes of lecturers will improve.

Auditing will be needed to evaluate universities

It will be necessary to audit universities in order to appraise their assets. The appraisal will help make decisions about the necessary ratio of state and organisation ownership.

I think that universities need to establish teams in charge of drawing up equitisation plans. The team will set up a to-do list, which shows what things need to be done first, and what second.

As for learners, when tuition fees increases, this means that the training quality will be improved. If so, learners will have the right to choose universities which can provide high quality training.

Equitisation does mean commercialisation

I strongly believe that the equitisation will only change the financial mechanism, while it will not change the nature of universities.

For example, FPT University is a university owned by a corporation. However, the university has to operate under the state’s and Ministry of Education and Training’s regulations, i.e. it has to meet the requirements set by state management agencies.

I do not agree with the viewpoint that equitisation will lead to commercialisation. I don’t think that equitised universities will run after profit and ignore training quality.

Equitisation will only change the way universities manage their finances.

If the presidents of universities are educators and scientists, the universities will not focus on making money.

I think that presidents of universities should be associate professors and full professors.

Kieu Oanh