I was recently invited by Madame Ton Nu Thi Ninh, President of the Tri Viet Institute for International Studies and Exchange within Ton Duc Thang University and Senior Advisor to the President of TDT University, to speak to interested students, faculty and staff about US higher education in comparative perspective with an implicit focus on Vietnam.
As with people, every country has characteristics and features that are worthy of emulation and those that are not, especially in other countries that have very different histories, political systems, etc. The US, including its higher education system, is no exception. This was the theme of my presentation to over 150 members of the TDT University community. In addition to the presentation, I participated in a brief dialogue with Mme Ninh and engaged in a lively discussion with the audience.
To me, it seems a dreadful indignity to have a soul controlled by geography. (George Santayana)
Making a point.
So that the audience would know where I’m coming from, figuratively speaking, I began my remarks with this description of perspective: I carry a US passport but it doesn’t define me. Below is an outline of my presentation, which was given in English and Vietnamese. The “distinguishing features” included size=choice, diversity, mass education, quality, cost, transferability of credits and portability of credentials and internationalization. I concluded with some comments about US Higher Ed as a Cautionary Tale (i.e., negative role model), US Higher Ed as a Source of Inspiration (i.e., positive role model) and the implications of overseas study for Vietnam.
- Distinguishing Features of US Higher Education
- US Higher Ed as a Cautionary Tale (i.e., negative role model): e.g., high cost, student loan debt ($966 billion as of 12/12 with average debt of $34,703); the challenge of creating global citizens in a nation in which the majority of its citizens are nationalists, too many colleges and universities = duplication, overlap and inefficiency, unaccredited schools/rogue providers (“The US exports some of the world’s best and worst higher education.”), etc.
- US Higher Ed as a Source of Inspiration (i.e., positive role model): system of accreditation, many schools and programs that meet the needs of a variety of learners, flexibility (seamless transfer and transition), gen ed requirements and the philosophy behind them, philanthropy, private=non-profit
- Vietnamese Students & Overseas Study: What Does It All Mean? (i.e., implications)
Q & A
There were some excellent questions from the audience. One student asked how to select US graduate programs and another, who happens to follow this blog, asked me why I had removed one unaccredited US school from my list of such schools. Answer: because the president informed me that her “university” is no longer recruiting in Vietnam. (The list consists of US-based rogue providers operating here.) Yet another student asked me about my impressions of Vietnamese students: are hard working, dedicated, have initiative, are involved in meaningful extracurricular activities, etc.
The last question was from a young Vietnamese woman who had studied at one of America’s finest (and most expensive) universities. It was about how US higher education offers so many opportunities for students to broaden their personal and academic horizons and how this system could be replicated in Vietnam. Where to begin? An entire workshop could be devoted to these issues. The answer would involve history, starting points, extenuating circumstances, funding, policy, etc. I’m reminded of something an expat friend who runs a high-tech company here has said on more than one occasion, and I’m paraphrasing here: Vietnamese universities have done rather well with the resources that they have.
Article & Backgrounder
Here is an article in Vietnamese that was posted on the TDT University website: Viện liên kết và trao đổi quốc tế Trí Việt tổ chức buổi Tọa đàm chuyên đề “Tổng quan về Hệ thống giáo dục đại học Hoa Kỳ” (Tri Viet Institute for International Studies and Exchange Holds a Seminar on “An Overview of the Higher Education System of the United States”).
If I were to select a backgrounder for this talk, this post from April 2012 would be it: Counterpoint: A US American’s Critique of a Harvard Position Paper (and More) – Countries as Role Models: A Double-Edged Sword (aka Yes, No, It Depends)
MAA
Slow Down To Catch Up
14/04/2013Vietnam’s Ministry of Education and Training (MoET) recently announced plans to reduce enrollment at 23 universities and colleges. According to Bui Van Ga, a vice minister, the intent of the policy is to “focus on quality instead of quantity.” Enrollment quotas will be reduced between 10% and 100% at the 23 institutions “because of failures to meet required conditions on lecturers and facilities.” MoET also announced that it would oppose any plans to establish new universities between now and 2020. (Read this article to learn more.)
Overexpansion
There are currently 419 universities and colleges in Vietnam, including 82 private institutions producing 14% of all graduates, according to MoET. Among these are 204 universities and 215 colleges. This is extraordinary when you consider that Vietnam still has an elite higher education system. Universities offer four-year bachelor’s degrees while colleges offer three-year vocational programs. The latter are higher status and more prestigious. In fact, the goal of some colleges is to be “upgraded” to a university.
Like many other aspects of Vietnamese society, there has been a mad rush to make up for lost time, take advantage of a plethora of new opportunities and respond to a skyrocketing demand for education and training- without the requisite infrastructure or quality control systems. Not surprisingly, one end result has been “deficiencies in infrastructure and teaching staff,” one of the stated reasons for the enrollment freeze.
In Vietnam “private” in higher education generally means for-profit. Investors are looking for healthy and quick returns on their investment, which means that quality often suffers. (Does this scenario sound familiar in other countries?) As the article points out, few private institutions reached their quotas with most falling in the 30% to 60% range. (For more information and various stakeholder opinions about private institutions, check out this article, Private universities seek better treatment, which appeared on 4 April 2013.)
A Catch-22 Situation
Put simply, Vietnamese higher education is between a rock and a hard place. It needs to improve quality, which can be addressed with increased funding and specific policy changes, but it will not happen overnight. On the other hand, the number of students who want to pursue higher education continues to rise. The government’s plan to reduce enrollments is probably a step in the right direction, given the system’s inability to provide quality education to currently enrolled students. It is an admission that much of the recent growth has been uncontrolled. The “gravy train” has also been derailed for some private schools. Finally, another related issue is the number of students studying “academic” subjects vs. the need for more to study vocational subjects.
Implications for Overseas Study
It remains to be seen how this contraction will influence the number of Vietnamese students studying overseas. For those who choose (or are obliged) to study at a college (vs. a university), the impact should be non-existent. (For a quick overview of the difference between a university and a college, check out this Wikipedia entry about Education in Vietnam.) Limits on access to private schools may be an impetus for more students of means to select an overseas study option. Stay tuned.
MAA
Categories: Articles, Commentary
Tags: education reform, emerging economies, private higher education, vietnamese higher education
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