Information from the conclusion of the inspection agency on Khanh Hoa University raises serious questions about university governance capacity, about the understanding and way of doing "research, innovation and entrepreneurship" of a higher education institution.
In 2019, Khanh Hoa province allocated more than 95,000m2 of land to the school - a large and rare resource for a local university.
In 2020, the project "Building a Research, Creative Experience and Startup Center" was agreed to be implemented with the expectation that this place will become an space to connect knowledge, technology, and startup ideas for students and lecturers.
But after half a decade, the "creative" product is planting short-term crops such as bananas, papayas, coconuts and raising chickens. According to the school, because the project area does not have a detailed 1/500 scale planning, the project has not yet been invested in and built.
But, this stagnation also raises serious questions about the management capacity and innovative approach of the leaders of Khanh Hoa University.
Because creativity and entrepreneurship do not mean building factories or massive works. Creativity and entrepreneurship need brainpower, not big houses.
The school can completely implement research activities, incubate ideas, connect businesses, organize research groups, and pilot startup projects.
A true creative center can start from a small office but with big ideas.
Planting bananas and raising chickens, what creativity is there!
The strength of a university cannot be measured only by the number of hectares of land allocated, but must be measured by the ability to organize knowledge, lead innovation, and inspire academics for students.
Schools may plant bananas and raise chickens to avoid wasting allocated assets, but that is also wasteful, not to mention showing confusion in management and administration thinking.
The story of creative centers, startups, growing bananas, and raising chickens also reflects the current chronic form disease. Many projects have very big names, but their implementation is poor in content and lacks substance.
When "creativity" only stops at taking advantage of vacant land for cultivation, it is the clearest answer about the strength and management thinking of universities.
A creative center must be measured by incubated ideas, many students being inspired, and new values being created.
