A professor receives a monthly salary equal to the pay of an electricity bill collector. A scientist with a doctorate receives an average of VND3 million a month from the state, which is just enough for 100 bowls of pho.
According to Phan Thi Ha Duong from the Vietnam Mathematics Institute, the income is not high enough to cover basic needs, let alone to spend on activities that scientists need to attend such as conferences and international workshops.
“With such low salaries, young scientists have to take many types of extra jobs to earn a living. So they have less time to conduct research,” Duong said.
A high school teacher in Hanoi said several researchers from the math institute have to spend most of their time giving private tutoring lessons to high school students.
The teacher was once a basic science university student at Hanoi National University. However, he decided not to work for state-run research institutes, and instead began work as a teacher after getting a pedagogical certificate.
Ngo Viet Trung, head of the Vietnam Mathematics Institute, complained that it was very difficult to attract talented scientists under such an unreasonable pay scheme.
“Under the current scheme, the pay to a professor is just equal to pay to an electricity bill collector,” Trung said.
A newly recruited lecturer at a state-owned university in Hanoi said she receives about VND2 million a month, including allowances. The problem is that she cannot take extra jobs to earn money because she is a new employee and needs to work hard to keep her job.
As for the plan initiated by the Ministry of Science and Technology, Vietnam would have 25 institutes and research centers meeting international standards by 2020. The lecturer said the plan is not within reach.
“If scientists cannot earn enough money from works, they will not be able to wholeheartedly devote themselves to scientific research,” she warned.
HCM City authorities stirred up the public when stating they had offered a monthly salary of up to VND150 million to specialists working for some scientific research centers and high-tech parks.
Under a decision signed by Le Manh Ha, deputy chairman of the HCM City People's Committee in 2014, the city will seek more scientists to work at the Hi-Tech Park, the Agricultural Hi-Tech Park, the Institute for Computational Science and Technology and the HCM City Biotechnology Centre.
Vietnamese scientists, including those living abroad, will receive a salary of around VND150 million (US$ 7,015) per month from the State budget. Any increases or bonuses will depend on the agreement between the company and scientists, Ha said. Vietnamese scientists who live abroad and their families will be given incentives to return to Vietnam.
Source: vietnamnet.vn