At the working session, VNU’s leaders reported to the Prime Minister on VNU’s organization and operation in general, talent and high-quality human resources training as well as its training and scientific research in Integrated Circuits in particular.

VNU - a model of higher education with a pioneering and leading mission

According to VNU President Le Quan, VNU has now basically completed the model of a multidisciplinary university under the direction of the Government with 9 universities, 5 research institutes, 22 training and research centres and service units. VNU’s total number of officials and employees is 4,667, including 2,634 scientists. Among VNU’s 2,251 permanent lecturers, there are 62 professors and 414 associate professors, accounting for 20%; the ratio of doctors and doctors of science to the total number of permanent lecturers is 66%. International publication has become VNU’s academic culture, with the number of international articles in the ISI/SCOPUS system constantly increasing year by year, from 400 articles in 2012 to about 1,600 articles in 2022.

Recently, VNU has focused on implementing the Prime Minister's directive conclusions with a focus on activities in Hoa Lac-based VNU town. In May 2022, VNU’s headquarters was relocated to its Hoa Lac campus, marking a big change in VNU’s organization and operation. The landscape infrastructure of VNU town is being constantly improved. The core space of 163.8 hectares has been formed and is gradually expanding to 595 hectares. The facilities and equipment meet the current training scale of 6,000 students and are being upgraded to serve 25,000 students by 2025. In the 2022-2023 academic year, VNU held the opening ceremony of its first academic year in Hoa Lac. Up to now, 24/36 VNU’s units have moved their headquarters to Hoa Lac.

VNU President Le Quan added that, implementing the directive of the Prime Minister on building VNU town following a “5-in-1” model, VNU has built an Action Framework with the following components: University town landscape; University town activities - knowledge economy - higher education; and information technology and telecommunications (ICT) infrastructure. VNU’s Action Framework aims at reorganizing the overall space to attract investment to meet the market economy requirements; connecting the overall development space with urban activities to control the formation and operation of university town activities - knowledge economy space - university - public areas and student and lecturer housing; and to connect with adjacent urban, industrial subdivisions and Hoa Lac urban area of Hanoi city, etc.).

Training and scientific research in semiconductor integrated circuit design

Semiconductor integrated circuit design is an interdisciplinary field of many different basic science, technology and engineering disciplines. Integrated circuit design human resources require design and problem-solving thinking instead of just understanding and grasping the operating principles of the system. Due to its interdisciplinary and high quality requirements, VNU is one of the pioneers in Vietnam that has the capacity to participate in and lead related training, research and application development activities, including integrated circuit design and manufacturing technology.

Every year, VNU provides about 1,200 graduates in integrated circuit design and related disciplines. The total number of VNU’s graduates from these disciplines is over 12,000; many of these are currently working in IC design in domestic and foreign research organizations and enterprises.

VNU currently has 9 IC strong research groups and 6 IC laboratories. The development orientation of IC design technology at VNU focuses on developing and exploiting IoT chip-based system models combining artificial intelligence applied in smart cities and digital society, digital transformation, and digital agriculture. In addition, the research groups are interested in designing security chips for application in the national security through research cooperation with the Government Cipher Department, the Military Technical Academy, Military Institute of Science and Technology.

VNU President Le Quan proposed the Government to support VNU in establishing the National IC Design House located in Hoa Lac-based VNU town as a common resource for Vietnamese semiconductor industry.

VNU – a convergence of Vietnam’s and the world’s leading scientists

Speaking at the meeting, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh acknowledged and praised VNU’s great efforts and determination as well as congratulated VNU on its achievements over the past years, actively contributing to the development achievements and the education and training of the whole country, especially in training high-quality human resources.

The Prime Minister said that VNU should promote training human resources for basic research as well as human resources related to management, practice, and application to ensure comprehensive, inclusive and overall development, in accordance with the country’s development conditions; and the training of chip and microchip applied research engineers. According to the Prime Minister, VNU’s training needs to focus on the world’s trending industries to ensure sustainable and suitable to Vietnam’s circumstances development.

Developing VNU into a regionally and internationally significant, modern, and prestigious university

Regarding development in the coming time, the Prime Minister emphasized that the world was changing rapidly with high content knowledge; therefore, the response to non-traditional security challenges must be fast, timely and effective. It is forecasted that the coming situation will be more challenging than favorable. Thus, to effectively adapt to this situation requires knowledge, training and research, with a focus on knowledge and green economy, circular economy, digital transformation, and solutions for climate change.

The Prime Minister asked VNU to well implement the following:

Firstly, promoting its rich tradition as  an invaluable asset; continuing to build and strengthen a united, strong and  constantly innovative collective to suit new situations and circumstances to build VNU into a regionally and internationally significant, modern and prestigious human resource training and scientific research institution with a desire to thrive and make breakthroughs; developing comprehensively, focusing on basic sciences, specialized and high quality training in line with Vietnam's strengths and the world’s trends.

Secondly, closely linking training with promoting scientific research both in natural sciences and social sciences - humanities, basic and applied sciences, high quality human resources, etc.

Thirdly, sticking to reality, basing on reality to solve big problems, difficulties and obstacles in both theory and practice at local, national and international levels. It is necessary to promote entrepreneurship, innovation, commercialization of scientific research results and products on the basis of strengthening public-private cooperation; promote digital transformation and application of science and technology to emerging and spearhead industries.

Fourthly, showing an aspiration to thrive, focusing on the development of regionally and internationally high quality lecturers and researchers.

Fifthly, mobilizing and effectively using all resources to soon complete the task of building VNU Hoa Lac Campus into a regional level green, modern and smart university town following a “5-in-1” model; strengthening public-private partnership testing and research training.

The Prime Minister assigned the Ministry of Education and Training to consider and assign VNU to be the focal point for building and conducting training and research programs on integrated circuits under the Project "Developing a system of 4.0 technology excellence and talent training centres”.

The Prime Minister suggested that VNU collaborate with the National Innovation Centre to build innovation centres, technology incubators and improve traffic infrastructure so that Hoa Lac would soon become the largest satellite town of Hanoi according to the general plan approved by the Prime Minister.