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The model of innovative universities being developed and applied in several countries can help reform higher education in Vietnam, says Deputy Minister of Education and Training Bui Van Ga.

Addressing a workshop on "Researching and Developing Innovation University Models" held in HCM City last Saturday, Ga said his ministry was encouraging domestic universities to look for many different models to improve the quality of training they provide.

They should look at developing the Innovative University, he suggested, adding that it (the model) would be suitable with the policy on diversifying university models mandated by the Education Law which would come into effect in next year, he said.

It would help universities train high-quality students being able to meet enterprises' demands, he added.

Professor Hoang Van Kiem of the Nguyen Tat Thanh University, which organised the workshop, explained that innovative universities adapt to changing environments easily.

"They will develop their creative capacities in teaching, research and management through IT advance," he said.

The model innovative university was one model built on smart IT infrastructure, Kiem said.

The idea of building innovative universities originated in Finland in 2005 and had since spread to several countries in the European Union, he added.

A group of Finnish academics co-operated with the best universities in the world like Stanford University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology and University of Cambridge to set up a model for innovative university, he said.

Other leading countries have joined the fray with India approving the establishment of 14 innovative universities, Kiem said.

Phan Thanh Binh, director of Vietnam National University-HCM City, noted said that this model would require universities to have considerable autonomy, which was given to very few institutions in the country. Hence it would not be easy for all universities to build and apply this model, he said.