Proposal to transfer 2 national universities to the Ministry of Education and Training

The plan to reorganize and streamline the Government apparatus, which was just signed and issued by Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Hoa Binh, includes content related to the reorganization of two national universities and two academies of science.

Accordingly, the Government proposed transferring Hanoi National University and Ho Chi Minh City National University to the Ministry of Education and Training for management. Assigning the two national universities to propose plans for rearrangement, restructuring and drastically reducing internal organization.

In 1993, the Government reorganized the three existing universities in Hanoi, namely the University of General Sciences (now the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, the University of Natural Sciences), the University of Foreign Languages ​​(now the University of Foreign Languages) and the Hanoi Pedagogical University I (formerly) into an educational institution named Hanoi National University.

Currently, this university has 9 colleges, 3 schools and 1 faculty. Along with that are 6 research institutes, centers, 15 service units, 8 other units.

Ho Chi Minh City National University was initially established on January 27, 1995 on the basis of rearranging 9 universities in the city but officially launched on February 6, 1996.

To date, this university is one of the largest educational institutions in Vietnam with 36 units, including 8 member universities, 1 member scientific research institute, 1 branch in Ben Tre province and 25 affiliated units which are scientific and technological organizations, libraries, training and service organizations.

The two national universities are operating under a special mechanism, with the Government assigning targets and plans every year; they have legal status and a seal bearing the national emblem. The director, deputy directors and chairman of the university council are appointed and dismissed by the Prime Minister.

National universities are operating under a highly autonomous and self-responsible mechanism; they work directly with ministries, ministerial-level agencies, government agencies, and People's Committees of provinces and centrally run cities on issues related to university operations and development.

For the two academies, the Government has proposed two options. Option 1 is to merge the Academy of Social Sciences with the Academy of Science and Technology into the Vietnam Academy of Science.

Option 2 is to maintain the two academies but to reorganize and streamline the organization and staff, ensuring improved quality and efficiency of operations, meeting the requirements of the Vietnam Science and Technology Development Strategy.