St Petersburg University is discussing personnel issues with the Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics

A Vietnamese delegation visited St Petersburg University to exchange experience in training highly qualified scientific personnel in terms of human resources management.

Greeting the guests, Sergei Andryushin, Deputy Rector for International Affairs of St Petersburg University, stressed that the cooperation of St Petersburg University with Vietnamese universities and research centres is dynamically developing: their representatives regularly participate in numerous conferences, seminars and expert round tables at St Petersburg University. "Last May, we signed an agreement on cooperation with the University of Ho Chi Minh City. Now students and researchers of our universities have a unique opportunity to participate in exchange programmes in different areas," said Sergey Andryushin. "We pay special attention to cooperation with the academy, because it was thanks to your support that it became possible to create the Ho Chi Minh Institute at St Petersburg State University and develop Vietnamese studies at this university." He added that the academy has a unique expert capacity ; and it plays a significant role in training leaders in Vietnam. Therefore, St Petersburg University is interested in expanding cooperation in various areas ranging from expert studies related to Russian-Vietnamese economic, political and cultural ties, to the training and professional development of Vietnamese politicians and heads of large enterprises.

The head of delegation, Deputy Head of the Institute of Culture and Development, Ms. Wu Fyong Hau thanked St Petersburg University scholars for their long-standing research interest in Vietnam.

St Petersburg University is one of the most authoritative partners of the Ho Chi Minh State Academy of Politics.

Deputy Head of the Institute of Culture and Development, Ms. Wu Fyong Hau

"The Academy is directly subordinate to the Central Committee and the Government of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, and its main task is the training of highly qualified workers for the civil service. "At present, we are implementing a policy of comprehensive renewal, so we are facing the task of improving the quality of academic training for academy staff, " said Ms. Wu Fyong Hau. She said that she would like to get acquainted with the organisational structure of St Petersburg University and find out how the recruitment of staff, who provide such a high research level, is carried out.

Sergey Andryushin explained that the systems of admission of research, teaching and administrative staff are significantly different, since the main task of the University is research and educational activities. Selection of teachers is carried out through open competitive selection. Several years ago, government documents regulating the activities of St Petersburg University were adjusted, which allowed the university to independently establish qualification requirements for candidates for research and teaching positions. They substantially exceed the requirements of other Russian research and educational organisations. In this case, the evaluation of candidates is carried out by an independent commission, which examines numerous applications to select the best candidates according to objective criteria. For each position at the university - from a junior teacher to a leading researcher - there are minimum criteria. Applications that do not meet them are not considered. The selection criteria include publications in leading international journals, grants, teaching experience, prestigious prizes and awards, and expert experience. It is of fundamental importance that every member of university research or teaching staff must regularly, every three years, confirm his or her qualification, i.e. participate in an open competition for their position with other candidates, including those coming from other Russian universities or foreign schools.