Practical teaching session in the laboratory at the University of Health Sciences in HCM City. — VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI — Deputy Prime Minister LêTiến Châu has signed a decision approving a scheme to develop several major higher education institutions in the southeastern region to a level comparable with Asia’s leading universities.

The institutions covered by the scheme are the University of Economics HCM City (UEH), University of Medicine and Pharmacy HCM City (UMP), Vietnamese-German University (VGU) and Việt Nam National University HCM City (VNUHCM).

Under the plan, by 2035, the UEH, UMP and VGU are expected to become key public higher education institutions for both the southeastern region and the nation. They will be equipped with modern infrastructure and facilities meeting regional standards while striving to maintain positions among Asia’s leading universities in their respective areas of strength.

The UEH is expected to develop into a multidisciplinary institution ranking among the top 100 higher education institutions in Asia in economics, business and management.

The UMP is expected to become one of Vietnam’s leading institutions in health sciences, meeting the criteria of Asia’s top 100 universities in the training of high-quality healthcare professionals, scientific research, and the application and transfer of advanced medical technologies in line with international standards.

The VGU is envisioned as a research-oriented university operating under the model of Germany’s leading research institutions. It aims to become a centre of excellence in engineering education, research and innovation, meeting the standards of Asia’s top 200 universities in fields such as precision and intelligent engineering, semiconductor microchips, artificial intelligence, data science and other key technological and technical disciplines, thereby supporting investment attraction and high-technology development.

Looking ahead to 2050, all three institutions are expected to maintain their teaching, research and governance quality among Asia’s top 100 universities. Together with the VNUHCM, they will serve as core centres for education, scientific research, technology development and transfer in fields with regional-level competitiveness.

The institutions are also expected to contribute to sustainable socio-economic development and help transform HCM City and the southeastern region into one of the leading hubs for finance, education and health care in Vietnam and Southeast Asia.

The scheme outlines a number of key tasks and solutions, including modernising infrastructure and facilities, expanding development space, building internationally competitive academic staff, improving training quality in line with global standards, strengthening research capacity and international publications, promoting scientific research and technology transfer partnerships, and enhancing cooperation with local authorities and businesses in the training of highly skilled human resources and the resolution of local development challenges. — VNA/VNS