Universities

Vietnam National University-Ho Chi Minh City and its Hanoi sister entered the 801-1000 band of the 2021 rankings, compiled by Quacquarelli Symonds (QS), a British firm specializing in overseas education, and released Thursday.

Last year, both schools had entered the top 1000 in the global ranking.

This year, the Hanoi University of Science and Technology made it into the list for the first time, placed in the 1001+ bracket along with HCMC-based Ton Duc Thang University.

The list analyzes six factors including academic reputation, employer reputation, faculty/student ratio, citations per faculty, international faculty ratio and international student ratio to compile the rankings that rate 1,011 universities from 80 countries and territories.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology topped the 2021 QS University World Ranking, followed by Stanford and Harvard in the U.S.

According to QS, Vietnam National University-HCMC hosts up to 61,905 students and 3,985 faculty staff. Its research output is assessed at ‘high level.’

The Hanoi school is home to around 35,000 students and 2,600 academic staff, with its research output also appraised at ‘high level’.

The Hanoi University of Science and Technology has a total 128 international students and 1,480 faculty staff while Ton Duc Thang has 417 international students and 1,460 faculty staff.

Vietnamese universities have been performing well in other global education rankings too.

Vietnam National University-Hanoi and Vietnam National University-HCMC last year entered the Best Global Universities rankings put out by the U.S. News & World Report while Ton Duc Thang University, with two campuses in HCMC, was named among the top 400 global universities in the Times Higher Education’s University Impact Rankings last April.

A survey conducted by Prof. Dr. Nguyen Dinh Duc from Vietnam National University – Hanoi reveals that in 10 years from 2009, the number of Vietnamese articles published in international scientific journals increased fivefold (between 1,764 articles in 2009 to 8,234 in 2018).

After the introduction of Resolution No.29 in 2013, which promotes scientific research in different fields, only in 2 years from 2017-2018, leading universities in Vietnam possess around 10,000 research result reports announced internationally.

Statistics of Web of Science (WoS) and SCOPUS also display that in 2018, the quantity of annual international announcements related to research result reached nearly 10,000, 70 percent of which belongs to tertiary educational institutes. Vietnam National University – Hanoi and Vietnam National University – Ho Chi Minh City are the two with the most articles.

Minister of Education and Training Phung Xuan Nha commented that since 2014, 23 universities in Vietnam have piloted comprehensive autonomy in operation, in accordance with Resolution No.77 by the Government. This means more organizational-scaled prizes and awards for successful research and published articles.

Following that was the implementation of the Law on Higher Education on July 1, 2019. They have become the driving force for bustling scientific research activities among tertiary educational institutes in the country, leading to an impressive breakthrough in both training and researching tasks.

As a consequence, in 2019, Vietnamese tertiary education was ranked 68/196 nations worldwide, an increase of 12 positions compared to 2018. 2019 was also the first year that 4 Vietnamese universities appeared in the list of Top-1000 Global Best Universities and 11 in the list of Top-500 Asian Best Universities.

Prof. Dr. Nguyen Dinh Duc voiced his opinion that there should be different policies for research groups of different fields. These policies should be sensibly adjusted to ensure the highest performance possible. He then shared that basically, research groups are divided into 3 groups of organizational, national, and international levels, with different financial needs.

Prof. Nguyen Van Tuan from New South Wales University (Australia) suggested that Vietnamese higher educational institutes need to clearly identify their research goals to fulfill the ultimate one of socio-economic growth.

Director of Vietnamese National University – Ho Chi Minh City Vu Hai Quan said that national universities must be bolder to apply breakthrough investment mechanisms to boost scientific research, with a clearer vision.

“A true scientist doesn’t conduct research for the sake of awards or prizes. Rather, he or she must treat research as a lifetime mission, a passion. No matter what the motto of a university is, its teaching staff must carry out scientific research to have a sustainable development”, stated Associate Prof. Dr. Bach Long Giang from Nguyen Tat Thanh University.

By Thanh Hung – Translated by Thanh Tam

Yesterday, the Military Service Council of Thu Duc City and 21 other districts in Ho Chi Minh City held ceremonies to see off local young men to the army and public security force.

The new recruits from Thu Duc City are ready to fulfil their duty to the nation.

In 2021, 4,628 citizens from Ho Chi Minh City perform their service in military and public security forces, including two female citizens. Among them, 2.05% are official Party members, while 41.95% possess college and university qualifications.

On the same day, localities in Military Region 2, including Ha Giang, Lao Cai, Son La, Lai Chau and Dien Bien, also hosted ceremonies to see young people off for military service. The enlisted were sent to 10 units belonging to the Military Region 2, the High Command of the Border Guard and units under the Ministry of Public Security. Among them, over 82% are between the ages of 18 and 21, nearly 50% are from H’Mong ethnic groups, and more than 15% belong to the Dao and Tay ethnic groups. Over 1,000 sent written requests to volunteer to perform their military service.

Young men from Lao Cai City join the army.

Young army conscripts in Son La City say goodbye to family members before leaving for service.

In the northern province of Thai Binh, thousands of young men also started to perform services in military or public security forces. Previously, the Provincial People’s Committee, Thai Binh Provincial Military Council and other relevant units visited and presented gifts to newcomers in difficult circumstances. Each newly-recruit is given gifts worth at least from VND3-4.5 million.

Young Thai Binh men during a ceremony to set off for military service on March 3.

Among young people in Dong Nai Province enlisting this year, 2,803 have joined military units and 305 citizens will perform their duty in the People’s Public Security units. The handover and reception ceremonies across 11 districts and cities in the southern province yesterday took place in about 20 minutes, ensuring the prevention and control of COVID-19. Previously, local authorities visited and presented gifts worth VND1.2-3.5 million to each of the new recruits.

Young females in Bien Hoa City, Dong Nai, present a bandana and attach flowers to a young man before he leaves for military service.

Vehicles carrying newly-conscripted soldiers are sprayed with chemicals according to anti-COVID-19 treatment. All of them have been tested for COVID-19.

On the occasion of her working visit to the Mekong Delta province of Soc Trang on March 3, Politburo member cum Head of the Party Central Committee’s for Mass Mobilisation Truong Thi Mai encouraged and presented gifts to local young men joining military service this year.

Youngsters from Phan Thiet City excited to enlist in the army.

Young An Giang men enlist in the army.

Lam Dong Provincial Party Secretary Tran Duc District encourages the recruits before leaving to serve the army.

Young men join the navy in Le Chan District, Hai Phong City.

Colonel Le Van Long, Commander of the Military Command of Quang Ninh Province, presents flowers to congratulate young men from Ha Long City on their enlistment.

Deputy Secretary of the Binh Duong Provincial Party Committee cum Chairman of Provincial People’s Committee Nguyen Hoang Thao presents flowers to young army conscripts before they leave for service.

Colonel Dam Thuc Thuc, Commander of the Military Command of Kien Giang Province presents a gift to a young army conscript in Chau Thanh District.

TOKYO — JCR Pharmaceuticals Co said on Thursday it would build a new plant in Japan to expand production of ingredients for COVID-19 vaccines over the longer term.

JCR Pharma along with Daiichi Sankyo Co and other Japanese partners are cooperating to produce and distribute the COVID-19 vaccine developed by AstraZeneca Plc and Oxford University. The Japanese government has arranged to buy 120 million doses of the vaccine, which was submitted to domestic regulators for approval on Feb. 5.

JCR Pharma said in a statement that it has been making bulk substances for the vaccine at an existing plant but will build another one to comply with government requirements.

The Japanese drugmaker signed a contract in December to make substances for the AstraZeneca vaccine. But as a condition for a government grant to reinforce the country’s vaccine production capability through 2030, it needed to build another facility.

JCR said it will spend about 11.6 billion yen ($108.28 million) to build the facility in Kobe City, western Japan, with construction due to start in July and finish by October 2022.

The AstraZeneca vaccine is a critical component in Japan’s inoculation plan, as the doses will be made mostly in the country, and don’t need to be stored at the ultra-cold temperatures required for Pfizer Inc’s COVID-19 vaccine.

Japan kicked off its COVID-19 inoculation campaign in the middle of February using Pfizer’s vaccine, the first to be approved by Japanese regulators. But the Pfizer doses have been imported from European factories and are in short supply.

Local media has reported that Moderna Inc will file for approval of its vaccine as early as Friday via its Japanese partner Takeda Pharmaceutical Co.