Vietnam in dire need of marine environmental experts

A seminar held in Hanoi on September 13 by the Ministry of Education and Training and the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Environment showed that university graduates now meet only 20-30 percent of the human resource demand in the marine environment sector.

Meanwhile, Vietnam boasts a long coastline of more than 3,260km with the marine economy accounting for 12 percent of the country’s GDP and 50 percent of its export value. The Communist Party of Vietnam has fully recognized the vital importance of the sea to Vietnam’s environment and economy.

Participants in the seminar said some 300 university students graduate with marine majors annually but only 20-30 percent of them pursue jobs in the field because of risks and low salaries.

Some experts spoke of the need to raise incomes and incentives for those working in the sector and upgrade facilities at universities and agencies to ensure safety during the process of exploration and research. Others held that the universities should expand their international cooperation to help improve both lecturers and students’ abilities to explore the marine environment.

VOV

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