Joining the conference on human resources development planning in the southern central coastal provinces held in Quy Nhon on December 25, the Ministry of Education and Training proposed setting up more colleges and universities in the region during the 2011-2020 period, aiming to meet the demand for manpower.
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Highly-qualified manpower is now a challenge for the southern central coastal provinces. Photo N.P
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Inadequate
The southern central coastal region, including Da Nang city and provinces Quang Nam, Quang Ngai, Binh Dinh, Phu Yen, Khanh Hoa, Ninh Thuan, and Binh Thuan, is the home of 14 universities, 31 colleges, and 23 professional secondary schools. The density of universities and colleges is quite higher than other regions, ranking third after Red River Delta and North East South regions.
The universities and colleges have offered the regular training to more than 172,000 students in the academic year of 2009-2010. According to the report released by the Ministry of Education and Training, the universities and colleges are mostly located in Da Nang, Binh Dinh, and Khanh Hoa, which require high demand for qualified manpower.
However, the quantity and training scale haven’t met the demand while the training quality is not given special attention. There are not any vocational training centers following the actual demand for socio-economic development in the region.
The students’ potential for scientific research is inefficient due to the lack of money, motive, and preferential policies. The goal of scientific research hasn’t also caught up with the socio-economic development in these provinces. In addition, most of the highly qualified teaching and management staff are gathering in big universities whilst the facilities haven’t been upgraded.
What’s more, the technology transfer and international cooperation in the field of education and training still see many shortcomings.
Building 10 more universities, colleges
At the conference, some participants asked to set up more universities and colleges as well as new majors, aiming to meet the demand for highly qualified manpower in the future.
Vice Chairman of Binh Dinh Provincial People’s Committee Nguyen Thi Thanh Binh said a school of public health should be established as there are now only two in the north and south while the region is facing the severe shortage of doctors specializing in the field of preventive health.
She also noted that new majors need to be open at existing universities and colleges instead of setting up new schools if not necessary.
A medicine university and an art school are also asked to be established. The manpower for the sea economy development is also a focus at the conference.
The Ministry of Education and Training proposed a plan for the 2011-2020 period. Accordingly, 10 more universities and colleges will be set up in disadvantaged provinces. The region will see a total of 272,000 students each year, an increase of 100,000 students compared to the existing training scale.
The network of existing universities and colleges will also be consolidated in the 2016-2020.
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