Developing the academy in Vietnam

230 Pages·2017·1.76 MB·English

Southern Cross University
ePublications@SCU
Theses
2016
Developing the academy in Vietnam: an
investigation of the formation of academic identity
by university lecturers in Vietnam
Thi Kim Anh Le
Southern Cross University
Publication details
Le, TKA 2016 'Developing the academy in Vietnam: an investigation of the formation of academic identity by university lecturers in
Vietnam', PhD thesis, Southern Cross University, Lismore, NSW.
Copyright TKA Le 2016
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Declaration
I certify that the work presented in this thesis is, to the best of my knowledge and belief,
original, except as acknowledged in the text, and that the material has not been
submitted, either in whole or in part, for a degree at this or any other university.
I acknowledge that I have read and understood the University's rules, requirements,
procedures and policy relating to my higher degree research award and to my thesis. I
certify that I have complied with the rules, requirements, procedures and policy of the
University (as they may be from time to time).
Signed:
Date: November 15, 2016
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Abstract
Vietnam‟s higher education system is developing rapidly in a context in which there are
high expectations for its contribution to the social and economic advancement of the
nation. A select group of leading, research-oriented universities are expected to play an
important role in this process by connecting Vietnam with international knowledge
networks and associated international academic standards. This investigation was
prompted by a need identified to document the state of academic culture at these
institutions, together with the nature of the influences contributing to the development
of this culture and to the formation of a strong sense of academic identity among
academic staff members.
An ethnographic investigation of academic culture and academic identity at four of
these research-oriented universities was conducted. The methodology of Naturalistic
Inquiry was employed to generate robust and reliable ethnographic data concerning the
workplace culture and the experiences of 30 academic staff members from across a
range of organisational and disciplinary settings at these universities. Of interest were
the issues, claims and concerns of the participants about the culture of their workplaces,
and about the impact of this culture on the attainment of their academic aspirations.
The investigation demonstrates the existence of a keenly developing sense of academic
identity at Vietnam‟s leading, research-oriented universities. It is in the natural and
applied sciences especially that a sense of allegiance to global disciplinary communities
was found to be most prevalent. In these disciplines, there was a depth of engagement
with and a strong aspiration towards acceptance within global knowledge networks
through publishing in international peer-reviewed journals.
In the more individualistic research specialisms of the humanities, the desire for an
affinity with global disciplinary communities was widely reported, but research
outcomes in terms of international publications were comparatively far less in evidence.
Publishing in the humanities remains for the most part locally focused and intermittent.
Academics working in the applied social sciences, particularly teacher education, were
the least globally engaged, reporting meagre links with international scholarly networks.
Typically, in the field of teacher education, an understanding of the need to mark out
intellectual territory through publishing research findings in peer-refereed journals was
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acknowledged, but it was an attainment that was also considered to be wholly out of
reach in practical terms.
This investigation provides empirical evidence to inform institutional and system-level
policy settings for the development of Vietnam‟s designated research-oriented
universities. Importantly, the investigation shows that these settings must take account
of epistemologically grounded cultural differences, and of the implications of these for
the formation of academic identity.
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Acknowledgements
In undertaking this research, many people offered me valuable support and assistance.
First, I would like to express my deepest gratitude to both of my supervisors: Associate
Professor Sharon Parry and Professor Martin Hayden. These two supervisors had a
determining influence on my decision to undertake a PhD investigation on the topic of
academic culture and identity in Vietnam. Associate Professor Sharon Parry, my
principal supervisor, introduced me to the ideas of a wide range of distinguished
scholars, including Burton Clark, Tony Becher, William Tierney and Mary Henkel,
whose contributions to an understanding of the nature of academic culture and identity
in a Western context have been immense. Professor Martin Hayden, who has developed
a deep and empathetic understanding of the higher education system in Vietnam
through his various projects, including once focused on developing a master plan for
Vietnam‟s higher education system, has assisted me to see the relevance of concepts
relating to academic culture and identity to the higher education system in Vietnam. It is
my extraordinary good luck to have been guided by these two scholars, who have
introduced me widely to a community of scholars whose focus is the study of higher
education. I am indebted to them.
Doing cultural studies is always a hard work, and even more so when undertaken in a
language that is not one‟s mother tongue. I have appreciated the enormous assistance
provided to me by my supervisors, from start to finish. Associate Professor Parry
enforced strictly the requirements of Naturalistic Inquiry, instilling in me an
appreciation of its scope and potential. It is a methodological approach that is largely
unknown in Vietnam, and I feel privileged to have acquired a depth of insight regarding
its implementation. Professor Martin Hayden, through his depth of knowledge of higher
education systems in Asia, has broadened significantly my understanding of the
progress made and the path ahead for higher education in Vietnam.
In completing my PhD investigation, I have felt a strong sense of belonging to a big
family at Southern Cross University. Individuals whose support I have appreciated
include Professor Amy Cutter-Mackenzie, Mr Alan Foster, Dr Marianne Logan, Dr Dao
Van Khanh and Ms Jubilee Smith, all of whom have provided me with valuable insights
about my topic. I am also most appreciative of the administrative support provided by
Mr Stephen Brown and Mr Tim Mulholland, and of the training in NVivo*10 provided
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by Dr Robert Lingard. Dr Tran Le Thi helped me enormously with the auditing of my
translations and with their interpretation. I am especially appreciative of her support.
I also wish to acknowledge the importance of the friendships I have developed over four
years with other PhD candidates, including Dr Huynh Hieu, Dr Le Nguyen Duc Chinh,
Dr Le Thi Hong Gam, Dr Tran Le Thi, and Ms Rumiati (from Indonesia), as well as Dr
Do Thi Ngoc Quyen and Dr Nguyen Thi Lan Huong (from the University of
Melbourne).
My family, including my husband, Mr Vo Chi, my two sons and my daughter, have
been generous without reservation in their love and care. I owe them a huge debt for
their support. During candidature, my life has been further enriched by the birth of my
granddaughter, who now regularly “talks” with me via Skype since her birth in 2015.
My four parents have now passed away, but I continue to feel them very close to me
and they have inspired me enormously with my endeavour.
Finally, I express my deep gratitude to the Australian Government, which generously
supported my candidature with an Endeavour Postgraduate Scholarship. Without this
support, I could not have considered undertaking a PhD. I acknowledge also the support
I received in earlier times from the Russian Government to undertake a BA at Orel State
University and from the Australian Government to undertake a MEd at the University of
Melbourne. Three governments have been played very significant roles in the
development of my academic abilities.
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Preface
As a university lecturer in Vietnam, my role for much of my career was confined to
teaching. My responsibilities were to improve my teaching, to update my course content
and, as required, to restructure my courses in response to new developments such as the
introduction of a credit-based curriculum model. Since 2005, however, research has
become a new and an increasingly important requirement for me as a university lecturer
in Vietnam. Like many of my colleagues in the social sciences, I felt unprepared for this
development. Initially, my idea of research was to summarise whatever I could find in
the library or from the internet and then consider its implications for my teaching.
Meanwhile, my colleagues in the physical sciences were rapidly engaging in the
production of journal articles and in the presentation of research papers at national and
international scientific meetings. The contrast became unsettling. It prompted questions
about the nature of academic work. I wondered about which kinds of academic
achievements contributed most to the development of an academic reputation.
Subsequently, I became involved in the management of various national programs
focused on the professional development of university lecturers, particularly in terms of
their ability to apply different teaching methodologies and to evaluate the impact of
these methodologies on student learning. I realized, however, that what was needed in
the social sciences was for university lecturers to begin to generate new knowledge,
though that was difficult because of the lack of library resources, financial support and
research expertise. These restrictions also applied to me. When given the opportunity to
complete a PhD in Australia, therefore, I was delighted. As anticipated, the experience
allowed me to investigate in depth what is at the core of academic work, how
knowledge is produced in different disciplinary communities, and how achievements in
knowledge production are important to the career development of university lecturers
and to the formation of an academic identity. These insights are fundamentally
important to the future development of the academic profession in Vietnam.
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Acronyms
ILSSA Institute of Labour Sciences and Social Affairs
GDP Gross Domestic Product
GSO General Statistics Office
HERA Higher Education Reform Agenda 2006-2020
MOET Ministry of Education and Training
MOST Ministry of Science and Technology
NAFOSTED National Fund for Science and Technology Development
PCEC Party Central Executive Committee
VASS Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences
VAST Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology
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Table of Contents
Declaration i
Abstract ii
Acknowledgements iv
Preface vi
Acronyms vii
Table of Contents viii
List of Tables xii

Chapter 1: INTRODUCTION
1.1 The Research Problem 1
1.2 Conceptual Perspective 4
1.3 The Research Questions 8
1.4 The Research Methodology 9
1.5 Scope and Limitations of the Investigation 12
1.6 Organisation of this Report 13
Chapter 2: THE ACADEMY IN VIETNAM
2.1 Development of the System 15
2.2 Contemporary Issues 19
2.2.1 Governance 19
2.2.2 Funding 21
2.2.3 Research and Research Training 22
2.2.4 Academic Standards 25
2.2.5 Graduate Unemployment 26
2.2.6 Internationalisation 28