In the context of deep international integration and the multidimensional impact of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, the cause of building the Army and protecting the Motherland has not only created opportunities but also posed challenges to the task of training high quality human resources in the Army.
Deeply grasping the viewpoint of “prioritizing human over weapons” in building the armed forces and the policy on promoting human factor in the cause of national industrialization and modernization, international integration by the Party; implementing Resolution 769-NQ/QUTW, dated December 21st 2012 of the Central Military Commission “On building a contingent of military cadres in the period of 2013-2020 and beyond”; the Strategy to “Develop education and training in the Army in the period of 2011-2020”; the work of building a contingent of cadres in general, training human resources in the Army in particular has been closely directed and conducted with many drastic and synchronous solutions, achieving positive results, meeting the task requirement of building the Army, of consolidating defense and protecting the Motherland in the new situation. Moreover, cadres’ planning has been strictly carried out; the training of technical personnel has been renewed, “standardized and modernized”; forms of cadres’ training have been diversified, cadres’ training has also been combined with employment, etc. As a result, most of technical staff members have been formally trained, basically ensuring sufficient quantity, reasonable structure and high quality. According to the survey, cadres of all levels in the Army have well performed their tasks, contributing to building a strong Army and firmly protecting the Motherland in all situations.
However, an in-depth study of each field reveals that cadres’ training in the Army is not balanced; the innovation on training content and program is still slow; the update on military science and technology in training is insufficient; methods of scientific research, management, teaching and learning have been renewed but not yet positive. Therefore, the quality of cadres’ training is still limited; practical skills, independent and creative thinking of officials, especially young ones have not met the development of the situation, etc.
Based on the reality and high demand for military modernization in the context of complicated, unpredictable international and regional situation, extensive international integration, especially the multidimensional impact of the Fourth Industrial Revolution on military and national defense, special attention must be paid to training high quality human resources on a par with the requirements of building the Army in the new period. To put it into practice, the following measures need to be successfully taken.
First, develop a balanced and comprehensive cadres’ training plan, associate cadres’ training with employment. During the past time, the work of planning and training military cadres has not been given proper care. It still lacks science, strategic forecast and practicality, and training has not been combined with employment, which leads to the imbalance in supply, demand, age, and generation as well as the unreasonable cadres’ employment, etc. This causes not only the failure in reaching training targets but also a waste of effort, money and time, while affecting cadres’ ideology. In order to handle all above-mentioned problems, functional agencies of the General Staff, the General Department of Politics need to advise the Central Military Commission, the Ministry of Defense to carry out their leadership to improve the efficiency of cadres’ planning and training suitable to the “Strategy for education and training development in the Army in the 2011-2020 period”. The emphasis is placed upon building and well implementing the mechanism for coordination among agencies of cadres, military personnel, schools and units in the entire army and military school system in researching and assessing the contingent of cadres, ensuring accurate, complete and comprehensive quantity, specialization, age and quality according to their professional competence, academic qualifications, training titles, degrees, etc.; particularly the contingent of highly qualified professionals and staff. On that basis, cadres’ training plan needs to be developed, ensuring science, practicality, high predictability, balance between specializations and close connection with the Project of adjusting the Army organization by 2021, in order to build a contingent of cadres at all levels sufficient in quantity, reasonable in structure, meeting immediate and long-term task requirements.
In the process, to meet the requirements of military modernization, priority should be given to training cadres of specialized branches, new specific fields such as: science technology, military information, military foreign affairs, defense industry, etc. On the other hand, party committees and commands of agencies and units, particularly of officials’ ones, need to attach great importance to cadres’ employment and arrangement, closely associate cadres’ planning with training, employment and rotation. Simultaneously, it is necessary to supplement and perfect mechanisms and policies of attracting and recruiting high quality human resources to the Army, with a focus on human resources in specific fields that the Army has not trained yet.
Second, improve the quality of human resources for training, teachers, education managers and researchers. For selecting sources of detach-level officers, the military university entrance exam agency of the Ministry of Defense needs to closely collaborate with the Ministry of Education and Training, as well as localities to strictly preselect those who satisfy political, cultural and health standards as prescribed; resolutely eliminate cases of fraud in high school graduation exams in combination with officers’ school admission procedure, guaranteeing that the set objectives be met after training. For selecting sources of advanced and intensive training, it is of great importance to focus on young cadres in the planning age, who possess political steadfastness, dignity, health, comprehensive qualifications, as well as proficiency in foreign languages and information technology, etc. Cadres’ training should be organized in a basic, intensive, synchronous manner in line with military weapons and equipment; prioritizing officials who specialize in research, design, manufacture, management, exploitation and use of new modern weapons and equipment. The contingent of teachers, education managers and researchers plays a decisive role in training quality. Therefore, it is required to develop this contingent in a comprehensive way in terms of professional level, practical knowledge, foreign language, information technology, pedagogical skills, scientific research, work ethics, etc., according to the State’s standard and the Ministry of Defense’s regulation. In particular, the emphasis is placed upon improving the level of foreign language and information technology, meeting the requirement of research, management and teaching during the Fourth Industrial Revolution; building a standard framework for titles of teaching and management cadres at research agencies and training institutions, as a target for training and improving the quality of cadres.
Third, strongly renew the training content and program for cadres at all levels. In order to handle the situation in which the school has not kept up with the practical activities of the unit, it is of requirement to study and strongly renew the training content and program for cadres at all levels in standardization, modernization and depth; to diversify training forms and levels, with the starting point of training university-level officers. The training process should center on supplementing and updating new content and programs, especially the development of science and technology, military art, new-generation weapons and equipment, training situation and combat readiness of each unit; implementing Directive 89/CT-BQP, April 4th 2016 of the Ministry of Defense on “Strengthening the summation of training practice, combat readiness and combat associated with education and training of military schools, in order to meet the task requirements in the new situation”. Focuses should be placed on effectively implementing the Project of “Teaching foreign languages in the Army in the period of 2015-2020 and the following years”; pushing up the application of information technology, simulation techniques in teaching, strengthening practice, internship, forming skills in military activities, especially exploiting and mastering new modern weapons, equipment and getting access to advanced technology in the military field. At the same time, training needs to be closely combined with retraining, titles with knowledge, domestic with overseas; focusing on training leaders, management officials and commanders of strategic operations, technical ones at all levels to adapt to modern warfare, in which high-tech weapons and cyberwar are utilized.
Fourth, increase investment in modernizing training facilities for schools and expanding training cooperation. First and foremost, it is important to keep upgrading and modernizing infrastructure, equipment for training in a synchronous manner; to apply the latest achievements of information technology, simulation, etc., into teaching - learning process and school management; to prioritize budget investment in training high quality technical staff. Due to limited budget, the first step is to well conduct the survey and invest in training facilities and equipment in officers’ schools following the model of “smart schools approaching the Fourth Industrial Revolution”; with the emphasis on building a high-tech research and training center up to the standards of “smart modern schools” at the Military Technical Academy to draw on experience and replicate. Another focus is to promote mobilization of resources and take advantage of scientific and technological achievements to upgrade and build new learning centers, materials, models, tools, etc., to serve the work of teaching and research; find out measures to limit negative impact of high-tech science, ensuring the security of military information and secret documents.
In order for human resources in the Army to quickly acquire modern knowledge and approach advanced training models all over the world, it is necessary to enhance international training cooperation with other countries. Accordingly, army schools continue to effectively implement the scheme of “Promoting international training cooperation in military in the period of 2007-2015 and the following years”, emphasize expanding training cooperation with nations with which we have traditional relations and those which possess advanced military science, greatly improving the overall training quality of Army schools, striving to internationally standardize graduation degrees at different training levels.
The aforementioned things are some initial studies aimed at training and building a contingent of “both red and expert” Army cadres to meet the requirements of building the Army and protecting the Motherland in the 4.0 science and technology era that the author would like to introduce to all readers.
Senior Colonel Pham Anh Tuan, PhD
The Department of School, General Staff