Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính yesterday attended the opening ceremony of the school year 2021-2022 of the National Defence Academy. — VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI — Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính yesterday attended the opening ceremony of the 2021-2022 school year of the National Defence Academy (Ministry of Defence).

Speaking at the opening of the school year, Senior Lieutenant General, Associate Professor, Dr Trần Việt Khoa, Director of the National Defence Academy, said the 2021 - 2022 school year is the first school year to implement Resolution of the 13th Congress of the Party. The academy is determined to take the lead in implementing the motto "the quality of the school's training is the unit's combat readiness", Khoa said.

The academy will focus on improving the comprehensive quality of training and scientific research, focusing on renovating teaching methods in line with the modern education and training trends, strictly complying with regulations in studying, testing and evaluating results; drastically fighting “achievement diseases” in teaching, learning and working.

Speaking at the ceremony, Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính affirmed that training and fostering senior cadres of the Party, State and army is an important and decisive step in the development of the country, bringing the Party's revolutionary cause to a final victory.

Chính said the National Defence Academy has made important contributions in training cadres for the country and in recent years, the academy has implemented many policies and drastic measures in innovation, improving the quality of training.

In particular, in the last academic year, the academy has undertaken many efforts in renewing training programmes and contents; applying active teaching methods with the motto "student-centered"; actively applying management and teaching technology in the context of complicated developments of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Along with that, the Academy has actively compiled textbooks and documents for training; actively researched many scientific topics of profound theoretical and practical value. Military diplomacy has seen new developments, expanding dialogues and defence exchanges with other countries, the PM said.

The Prime Minister asked the academy to synchronously and drastically implement the Resolution of the 13th Party Congress, "creating breakthroughs in fundamental and comprehensive renovation of education and training, developing high-quality human resources and attracting more talents".

At the same time, in the face of the strong development of science and technology, the academy needs to continue to innovate teaching and learning methods in a positive direction, suitable for learners. The innovation direction is to place the teachers as the motivation, students as the centre, promote the students' ability to self-study and self-research through guidance and direction of the lecturers; attach importance to the "interaction" between teachers and learners, in order to create a positive impact in the teaching and learning process.

Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính asked the academy to strengthen international cooperation in training, continue to expand and improve the effectiveness of cooperation with academies, universities, and defence research institutes of other countries.

The Academy needs to focus on building a contingent of cadres and lecturers who are competent in terms of professional skills, strategic thinking, intellectual and practical capacity, striving to have leading experts in the industry.

The Academy needs to speed up the modernisation process, implement the project of building itself into one that can actively conduct research and apply science and technology in training and education.

The Prime Minister affirmed that the Party, State and Government will continue to pay attention to leading, directing and creating conditions for the Academy to improve the quality and operational efficiency, continue to pay attention to invest in building the academy in to an institution with the leading role in training, scientific research for the national defence and military sector. — VNS