Attending the conference, there were leaders from nearly 300 universities and technology corporations nationwide. The conference aimed at creating forum for connecting universities and technology corporations to promote digital transformation and applying communication technology into higher education for the coming future not limited during the outbreak of Covid 19.

70% of minority and disadvantaged students have limited access to online training

According to reports from the conference, 45% of higher education institutions have conducted online training, including 63 public universities and 42 private ones; 42% of higher education institutions have not conducted online training (including 82 public and 15 non-public schools). The other 13% are universities in the field of national security and police, which hold regular training (33 schools).

The schools which have not provided online training are mainly universities in the provinces and have a large number of students in remote areas with difficult technological conditions. Statistics show that up to 70% of minority and mountainous students are restricted from studying online.

Assoc.Prof.PhD. Hoang Minh Son - Rector of University of Science and Technology said, Ministry of Education and Training should develop regulations and standards based on quality assurance and learners’ demands. The MOET should cooperate with the Ministry of Information and Communications to take the lead in digital transformation.

According to Mr. Son, this is an opportunity for universities to share materials to ensure the best quality for training.

Leaders of Thai Nguyen University proposed that the MOET should have consistent guidelines for schools to conduct online training in combination with traditional training.

VNU University of Economics and Business has conducted online training since March 16th and obtained many good results. Specifically, to prepare for the training, the UEB had held online training courses for teachers, students and granted Microsoft Team accounts for all students and learners. At the same time, the UEB acquired the technical platform adequate to handle a large number of students accessing simultaneously.

Assoc.Prof.PhD. Nguyen Truc Le - Rector of the UEB said: “Online training is not a temporary solution to overcome difficulties in teaching and learning amidst the outbreak of Covid-19 but a key activity in the strategy of teaching innovation of the UEB”. 

In the long-term development strategy, the university aims to use online training as a part of the training process, in combination with inviting foreign experts and speakers, developing e-learning lecture system.