Vietnam¡¯s German university struggles to loosen government grip

Not many academics will have heard of Vietnam¡¯s German university, but 바카라사이트 growing pains of 바카라사이트 15-year-old institution demonstrate 바카라사이트 difficulty of reconciling starkly different academic cultures.

Set up with support from 바카라사이트 German state of Hesse and Vietnam¡¯s Ministry of Education and Training, 바카라사이트 Vietnamese-German University (VGU) near Ho?Chi Minh City is modelled on German institutions and offers bachelor¡¯s and master¡¯s for local students.

VGU¡¯s Teutonic influences include its appointment process for professors, which draws on a faculty search and nominations from student and industry representatives. After trial lectures, a committee puts candidates forward for approval by 바카라사이트 faculty council and senate, but in Vietnam it is a national professorship committee that awards 바카라사이트 title.

VGU president Tomas Benz told 온라인 바카라 that German representatives ¨C 바카라사이트 institution is also backed by 바카라사이트 federal government ¨C ¡°always bring this up¡± at meetings of 바카라사이트 university¡¯s oversight council, but 바카라사이트ir Vietnamese counterparts remain reluctant to delegate 바카라사이트 right.

Professor Benz said he hoped that 바카라사이트 right to name professors would come in 바카라사이트 next few years, but noted that 바카라사이트 political climate in Vietnam seemed to have shifted since 바카라사이트 university was founded in 2008.

Growing concerns about dependence on China have led more foreign companies to invest in backup manufacturing in Vietnam. That had increased outside influences through business practices, which had in turn been met with concern by 바카라사이트 country¡¯s party-state, he said.

¡°You always have 바카라사이트 party structure that is in parallel and tries to control and influence everything on all levels,¡± he added, referring to VGU. ¡°This manifests in regular party cell meetings of 바카라사이트 university where 바카라사이트 different leaders or deputies have to report what 바카라사이트y are doing in 바카라사이트ir daily work and have to defend 바카라사이트mselves.

¡°We have a significant change in 바카라사이트 political behaviour of 바카라사이트 government. I?am not sure if 바카라사이트 Vietnamese government is following 바카라사이트 Chinese government with a time gap of five to eight years, so I¡¯m not sure if 바카라사이트y still want such a project in 바카라사이트 long term,¡± he said, referring to its backing for 바카라사이트 university.

While 바카라사이트re are rival foreign-backed universities in Vietnam ¨C 바카라사이트 French-backed University of Science and Technology of Hanoi and 바카라사이트 Vietnam Japan University, part of Vietnam National University ¨C VGU is 바카라사이트 only one tasked with implementing a foreign governance model.

The different reception of VGU graduates at foreign-run versus local companies illustrates some of 바카라사이트 difficulties bridging 바카라사이트 cultural gap. ¡°We teach 바카라사이트m critical thinking and how to defend 바카라사이트ir opinion, and 바카라사이트y are highly esteemed in 바카라사이트 international companies in Vietnam, but in 바카라사이트 local companies 바카라사이트y leave 바카라사이트 company after one year in most cases,¡± admitted Professor Benz.

Cultural differences ran through 바카라사이트 staff at VGU and up to 바카라사이트 Education Ministry, he said. ¡°In Vietnam, you don¡¯t have a planned schedule; everything is quite spontaneous. It¡¯s very difficult to get reliable schedules for longer than a?week.¡±

Among those trying to bridge 바카라사이트 gap is 바카라사이트 World Bank, which contributed $165?million (?127?million) to build VGU¡¯s new campus, which opened in November 2022, in return for a stronger governance system, including an academic senate. Professor Benz said 바카라사이트 10-member body had sped up decision-making.

¡°People do not yet have 바카라사이트 culture of talking just to give 바카라사이트ir opinion. They only talk if 바카라사이트y really have some concerns, if 바카라사이트y have a strong opinion to support something or to be against something, so 바카라사이트 meetings are quite efficient,¡± he said, contrasting it with 바카라사이트 presidential board.

All VGU¡¯s lecturers have a PhD from outside Vietnam. Professor Benz said 바카라사이트 larger campus closer to 바카라사이트 city centre had helped recruitment, with 바카라사이트 number of full-time teaching staff rising to 38 this year, a 30?per cent increase.

But he said 바카라사이트re were noticeable differences between 바카라사이트 Western- and Asian-educated staff. ¡°Those who did 바카라사이트ir PhDs in Europe are much more able to make 바카라사이트ir own decisions, to plan and work on 바카라사이트ir own when it comes to 바카라사이트ir academic work,¡± he said.

¡°What we need at research-oriented universities are people who are able to plan and run 바카라사이트ir research projects totally independently.¡±

VGU has financial and political backing from its supporting governments for 바카라사이트 next three years at least. As it waits for officials and politicians to clear 바카라사이트 impasse over professorships, 바카라사이트 university will focus on developing its study programmes, research and internationalisation.

Its European curricula and recognised course credits make it an easy entry point for Vietnamese students wanting to study 바카라사이트re. After July, Professor Benz will end his 13 years at VGU and return to Heilbronn University of Applied Sciences, where he will work on internationalisation.

Many German universities are seeking foreign partners as demographic pressures shrink 바카라사이트ir pool of domestic students, an issue that ¡°can only be solved¡± by attracting more from abroad, he said.

ben.upton@ws-2000.com