Many universities have found it difficult to recruit competent professors, as the best and brightest can make better money elsewhere.

Lectures needed

Many lecturers unqualified

Hanoi University of Mining and Geology attempts to recruit around 100 lecturers every year, but certain departments usually fail to find enough applicants.

Head of the university’s Training Bureau, Doctor Le Trong Thang, said that there are only a few departments which find enough qualified applicants, such as Geology.

“Most other departments are facing a serious lack in qualified candidates. In these cases we have no choice but to hire faculty who are not necessarily qualified," he said.

Thai Nguyen University in the northern province of Thai Nguyen has also recruited between 70 and 80 lectures for this school-year. Vice director of the university, Ngo Viet Hai, said that they receive a lot of applications that do not meet their requirements. Yet, even with this lowering of the bar, they still are in need of lecturers.

"Both Universities and research institutes are in great need of qualified graduates, however they are unable to attract enough because of the low salaries they offer. Right now we have about 600 lecturers, and one third of them only have bachelor degrees," Hai explained.

Even the Banking Academy, which offers higher wages than other schools, is facing this problem. Head of the school’s Training Bureau, Tran Manh Dung, said that, although his school has a larger pool of candidates to choose from, some of their departments continue to lack lecturers. He said that the department of Information and Technology is one of these.

Schools in the south are in the same situation. Ho Chi Minh City University of Law only received 72 application forms. Deputy Head of the school’s Personnel & Administrative Department, Le Hoang Toan, said that only 7 of them have qualified bachelor degrees.

Low pay coupled with high demand

According to Dr. Le Trong Thang, “The starting salary for new lecturers is only VND 2 million (USD100) a month. Meanwhile, the qualified candidates can earn tens of millions in the private sector.”

Ngo Viet Hai, of Thai Nguyen University, said that the Government currently has no viable plan to attract qualified professors.

Hoang Trong Dung from the Banking Academy added that because of the high requirements and low pay,“Many of them have to leave schools and take another job.”

In a time where it is already difficult for universities to find qualified professors, a draft law on University Education, which would require all professors to have a masters degree, "Would make our situation much more difficult. The only solution in that case would be to cut the number of schools," Thang said.