The agriculture sector is increasingly promoting the supporting role of the economy, especially during the Covid-19 epidemic. In order to meet practical requirements in tune with the 4.0 technology revolution, how has the Vietnam National University of Agriculture (VNUA) built a human resource training strategy?

Having identified the importance of high-quality human resources, we consider quality training to be vital. In parallel with improving infrastructure and equipment for modern laboratories, the school continuously fosters the teaching staff and updates the curriculum to keep up with world trends, aiming to help students gain the best knowledge during their time in the university.

In addition to knowledge, the school also focuses on improving students' professional skills, helping them understand policies and society, be fluent in foreign languages and information technology, attain soft skills such as presentation and working in groups, or develop working styles. The university has proposed many plans to increase the ratio of practical learning time to 20-30% instead of 10-15% as before to construct graduation standards for students.

Cooperation relationship is also enhanced by VNUA. In Vietnam the university actively cooperates with more than 200 enterprises, creating conditions for students to have more options for internships after graduation. Through this form, many businesses have accompanied the university in organizing job fairs, building training program frameworks, and even offering to take in graduate students with competitive salaries and incentives.

In terms of international cooperation, VNUA has close relationships with partners from Japan, Israel, and South Korea. Every year approximately 500 students are sent abroad for short-term training and vocational training. We advocate flexible study programs and promote equivalence recognition among the parties so that students can take the initiative in learning and preserve results.

Another thing to add is that we have built many short-term vocational training programs and issued vocational certifications, offering distance training and international training. Thanks to such synchronous measures, over 90% of students have jobs within six months of graduating. Many of them now hold senior positions at regulatory agencies or become large business owners pioneering agricultural fields.

Apart from the management of the VNUA, you also represent the will and aspirations of our people as a Member of the National Assembly. How have these facts inspired you in the direction, administration, and development of human resources specifically high-quality human resources?

What makes me feel most clearly is that human resource training must be associated with scientific research. Every student entering the Vietnam National University of Agriculture knows the motto " Scientific research is the university’s lifeblood". We focus on creating source technologies and technical advances which are highly applicable in practice. The training works therefore needs to take cues from practice and let reality verify the results.

The change also comes from the teaching staff. Each person must adjust their work schedule to spend at least 50% of their time on research and practical service, otherwise it will be difficult for teachers to inspire students. At the end of this May VNUA will invite more high school students to attend the job fair, helping them to soon form an entrepreneurial spirit.

With more than 100 professors, associate professors, more than 200 doctors, and more than 100 people's teachers and meritorious teachers, we promote policy research and accelerate the transfer of technology and products. We will also develop a support plan for scientific research in the direction of having a wide impact effect or high commercialization value.

Start-up orientation is an issue that students are interested in right from the time they sit on the university chair. To help them have an in-depth, comprehensive and realistic view, what advice do you have for students?

Agriculture is a good profession with many practical applications, especially when the GDP proportion of agriculture in our country is in fact quite high. There are still some conflicting opinions, but I can confirm that many faculties of the university are in a state of "supply not meeting demand" in terms of fields such as fisheries, environment, and agronomy. These are industries with great potential as Vietnam has enthusiastically implemented projects on raw material areas, building new rural areas or developing sustainable food systems.

Large corporations working with VNUA all admit the need for high-quality human resources. Every profession has its own problems, but I believe, opportunities are always open to those who are truly determined, ambitious, and know how to develop their full potential.

With the desire to “produce” the best human resources that are useful to society, the university has trained students in both professional ethics and honesty in research. Students with great potential will receive offers to stay at the university and attain more conditions for further development. Graduates are also free to grasp their opportunities on the "Job Day". This event attracts nearly 100 companies each year to sign and recruit new talents with a total of nearly 6,000 job positions.

Thank you, madam!

Translated by Samuel Pham