Graduate Academy of Social Sciences (GASS) is established under Decision No. 35/QĐ-TTg on 10th January 2010 of Prime Minister. GASS is a state educational organization belonged to education system of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam and a unit member of Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences.
GASS has the functions of training and issuing master and doctor degree of social sciences as regulated in laws; to manage postgraduate training activities of training agencies of Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences; to link training with scientific research on social sciences; training consultancy, and developing human resources.
Until now, GASS has been assigned by Ministry of Education and Training to train 64 master and doctoral programs among them there are 31 doctoral programs and 33 master programs. GASS has currently managed and trained 3.284 students including 2,044 post graduate students and 1,240 doctoral students.
SIGNIFICANT CONTRIBUTIONS
In recent years, with the great effort and ability of creation of leaders, officers, and officials of GASS, stick with the main duty and based on practical results, GASS has several significant achievements as follow:
1. The scope of training is developing and serving the national demand of post graduate training much better
Since the establishment, there is significant increase in number of master and doctoral students of Graduate Academy of Social Sciences (in comparison with number of students studied other subjects at Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences). For example, in 2010, the number of master and doctoral students from Ministry of Education and Training and 17 teaching institutions of Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences is 795, among them there are 496 doctoral students and 299 master students; the total number of master and doctoral students recruited by GASS in 2010 is 456 including 266 doctoral students and 190 master students, the number for 211 is 730 including 280 doctoral students and 450 master students; in 2012 the number increased to 1,123 including 272 doctoral students and 851 master students. In the first intake of 2013, GASS recruited 105 doctoral students and 526 master students. And the second intake, the number is 183 and 738 respectively. The total number for 2013 is 1,552 including 288 doctoral students and 1,264 master students. The task of student management is gradually completed towards industrial and modern orientations.
GASS has recently opened 23 brand new courses for master training. They are Human rights, Sustainable development, Educational Management, Linguistics studies, Public policies, Social work; Corporate governance; Psychological studies; Economic Studies; Literature (including 4 majors); European Studies; Asian Studies; Vietnamese Studies; Economic management; Human development; Political Studies; Archaeology; International Business; Religious Studies; Scientific and technological management. Among them, there are 8 courses for pilot training and after the third course will be summarized and applied for master training nationally.
In 2012, GASS has held master’s thesis for 141 students of the first intake in 2010, among them the number of master thesis achieved excellent results accounted for 55%. In 2013, the figure is 420 students and GASS held Graduate Ceremony for 234 new masters who successfully defended their thesis in 2011 and 2012. Thank to that, the reputation of GASS has significantly strengthened especially in terms of post graduate training.
2. The quality of master and PhD training is improved to a new level
The ability of master and doctoral students in terms of knowledge, new, multiple, and cross subjects accessibility has significantly improved as well as the ability of researching, consulting policies, and solving practical issues has notably strengthened. The activities of post graduate training changed its direction towards better satisfy the new demand of socio – economic development, science and technology, developing high quality of human resources in social sciences for regions; opening new courses for training, and contributing to the satisfaction of labor market.
3. To basically complete master and doctoral training programs and to build up new short courses training for complementing social sciences knowledge
GASS consolidated the number of credits assigned for each master training programs is 45; to build up master and doctoral programs from yearly to credit training.
The master and doctoral programs as well as detailed outlines of them are completed. Until now, GASS has completed the training programs for 26 courses for doctoral and master level, built up new short course training for hot social sciences issues such as: Sustainable development, Public policies, Social work, and Human rights; the program of updating knowledge for bachelor to master degree; general plan for creating and editing teaching materials for master and doctoral level as well as other materials for teaching at the Academy. Until April 2013, GASS has managed to publish 6 course books for post graduate training and is managing to publish another 44 in future.
4. The work of training management is to complete and move positively towards industrialization and modernization
The work of admission is implement as regulations, annual and detailed plans for each time at three locations which is appreciated as highly active. The number of registers is increasing for all courses and come from all over the country.
The work of teaching, course, and class management is considerably improved, standardized, and implemented as schedule which ensure the quality, efficiency, and regulations.
The internal structure of GASS has gradually formed between faculties and functional departments to ensure continuity and heritage of next phase and progress of training; to promote the work of administration, application of technology in organizing and running activities of GASS; to open a friendly, positive, and active study environment of the Academy.
5. The teaching and managing staffs have gradually improved in terms of quality and quantity professionally, to overcome the irrational structure
The teaching and managing staffs are increasing in quantity, for instance in functional units, faculties and departments have managers; in most of faculties and departments there are academy-time lecturers who are able to train very well.
The quality of managing and academy-time staff has significantly improved towards professional level.
The structure of managing and teaching staff of GASS is becoming more reasonable, including: the structure of manager in functional units, faculties, departments, other units of GASS, academy-time staff, part-time staff, and the structure between managing and teaching staff.
GASS is developing strongly in terms of enrollment, quality of training, quantity and quality of staff and lecturers, infrastructure and equipment are modernizing in order to satisfy the mission of training high quality human resources to serve the industrialization and modernization of the country. Especially the position and reputation of GASS has gradually strengthened among the system of social sciences universities of the country.
With the achievements in 2012, GASS is awarded " Emulative flag of the Government” which is great honor as well as challenges and opportunities for Graduate Academy of Social Sciences.
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