LookAtVietnam – Many academic departments, which were once the advantages and pride of many universities, have lost their top positions.

Many academic departments, which were once the advantages and pride of many universities, have lost their top positions. In fact, some fields of study are now a “burden” to their institutions.

The new favourite study branches

Students indifferent to foreign language study branches

Why are some study branches not attractive?

Hanoi University of Technology once took pride in departments like refrigeration engineering, metallurgy or technical physics. These fields of study made the university’s name famous, but now students all but ignore them. The university has even been forced to set low required grades on entrance exams for these departments.

Beleaguered fields of study

Pham Thu Thuy, Deputy President of Hanoi University of Technology, observed that some study branches have only 5-6 students. To keep these courses viable, the university must money from other departments to offset expenses for the less popular training fields.

The same situation has occurred at many other universities, such as the University of Civil Engineering, which is propping up its construction mechanization department.

The University of Natural Sciences under Hanoi National University has been well known as the leading institution in studies of basic sciences. For several years now, however, the school has enrolled students under “second choice” (students, who lacked the score to enroll at their first choice university, then apply to other universities that require lower marks).

Thus, this former leading university now enrolls students who would rather be studying at another university and have already failed entrance exams at other institutions.

Doan Van Ve, Head of the Training Division at Hanoi University for Natural Sciences, revealed that they have decided to reduce the number of students it will enroll in some departments.

Labor safety was once the strength of the University of Trade Union, but now only 600 students have applied for the 2010-2011 academic year.

The age of economic study

Finance and banking, information technology, business administration and accounting have replaced basic sciences and industries to become the hot study branches nowadays.

As a result, universities have opened departments in these fields. Hanoi University of Agriculture, known for providing agricultural studies, has opened the branches related to economics, including accounting and business administration, to attract more students.

Ministry of Education and Training leaders confirmed that many universities have applied to open new departments like information technology and finance and banking.

Educators are puzzled. They fail to comprehend why some branches have fallen in popularity, despite retaining importance for society.

Nguyen Xuan Trach, Deputy President of Hanoi University of Agriculture, observed that veterinary medicine graduates can easily find jobs, but students are not attracted to the field. Some point out that most students come from rural areas, and if they study to become a vet, they must go back to rural areas for work, which many want to avoid.

Ta Minh Khang, Deputy President of University of Trade Unions, cannot understand why students do not choose to study labor safety.

Khang pointed out that all the department’s students have been recruited by National Oil and Gas Group, which pays high salaries. Last year, students only needed to score a 13 on the entrance exam to be enrolled. Still, the department’s classrooms remain empty.

Source: Sinh vien Vietnam