As one of the three national defence and security training centres in the country, the Defence and Security Training Centre of Hanoi University of Physical Education and Sports is tasked with consulting with the School’s Party Committee and Director Board about the military work; conducting defence and security education for students of colleges and universities according to Joint Circular No. 123/2015/TT-BQP-BGDĐT-BLĐTBXH of the Ministry of National Defence, the Ministry of Education and Training, and the Ministry of Labour, War invalids and Social Affairs. Over 30 years of building and development, under the leadership and direction of Ministry of National Defence, the Ministry of Education and Training, Hanoi Capital Command, directly the School’s Party Committee and Director Board, generations of cadres, seconded officers, lecturers and staff of the Centre have continuously managed and overcome difficulties to well accomplish the assigned tasks, gradually affirming the position as one of the leading centres in defence and security training for students. So far, the Centre has successfully held 311 courses for over 400 thousand of students from 23 universities; 10 courses for 695 instructors of national defence and security. Being recognised with these results, the Centre has been honourably awarded with 02 Fatherland Defence Orders (2^nd and 3^rd class), the 3^rd-class Labour Order and many other noble awards.

Presently, the tasks of the Centre have had new changes, meanwhile its facilities for teaching and learning activities have been poor and non-synchronous; its contingent of cadres and lecturers have been insufficient in quantity, and their quality has yet to meet the requirements of the subject, etc. To successfully accomplish the tasks, the Centre has deployed many synchronous solutions to gain all-round development, being determined to maintain and improve the quality of defence and security education.

Receiving the Third-class Labour Order at the 25th anniversary of foundation

At first, paying attention to leading, directing, building and developing the Centre on a par with the tasks. On grasping and implementing Decision No. 1573 /QĐ-TTg by the Prime Minister, the Centre has directed departments and faculties to check and evaluate their general ability regarding the facilities, cadres, lecturers and staff, especially the difficulties when increasing the number of students in order to complete the Project of “Building and developing the Defence and Security Training Centre of Hanoi University of Physical Education and Sports in the 2021-2030 period, with a view to 2045”. In particular, the Centre has clearly made targets and detailed plans, focusing on: building and developing the contingent of cadres and lecturers; investing and consolidating the infrastructure and teaching -learning facilities; updating and completing the coursebooks and documents; and renovating the teaching methods. On this basis, the Centre has built and issued resolutions and plans of implementation; assigned the detailed tasks to the party committees and commands of subordinate units; and widely given the grasp and education to all cadres, lecturers and staff, through which, to unify the awareness and actions, bring into play the collective intelligence and power, and be determined to successfully carry out the targets towards building the Centre, which is nationally standardised, having the leading position and prestige in the system of defence and security training centres in the whole country.

Being early established, the centre has had much experience in holding hundreds of courses on defence and security training for students, cadres, officers and lectures of the Centre have been basically trained, and meeting the task requirements. However, through the present evaluation, the quantity of staff just meet 73.4% of the development scale only, a part of cadres and lectures has limited experience in managing and teaching. To accomplish the target of personnel in the Project, the Centre has paid attention to building and developing the contingent of cadres and lecturers which is sufficient in quantity, standardised in quality, and having the inheritance and balance regarding the age, knowledge and practical experience. The focus is to build the contingent of leaders and managers with “both enthusiasm and stature”, cultivate the culture of setting examples and taking responsibility in their work, train and build the contingent of on-tenure lecturers which is sufficient in quantity, balanced in structure and standardised in quality, striving to have 100% cadres and lecturers with postgraduate level by 2025. In this direction, the Centre has closely followed its organisation and staff, given focus on building and completing the system of titles combined with standards, clearly defining the quantity and personnel structure, making sure the balance and harmony among seconded officers, staff and workers; issued documents on the work of personnel, and regulations of responsibility, tasks, etc. Together with adjusting and completing the plans of education and cultivation for cadres and lecturers, the Centre has actively consulted with the University about plans on expanding the sources of recruitment, giving priority on military officers who wish to change their occupation and meet the requirements of teaching activities, on the other hand, extended the contract for guest lecturers who have good qualification and rich experience of teaching. To “standardise” the knowledge and experience for each position and title, the Centre has continuously selected and sent cadres and lecturers to be trained in schools within and beyond the army; intensely organised the on-site training courses combined with other activities including academic meetings, scientific conferences, etc., creating the favourable environment for cadres and lecturers to share, acquire and improve their knowledge, and accumulate experience. Especially, the Centre has brought into play the roles of seconded officers in training young cadres and lecturers. Together, the Centre has actively researched and advised the School to offer attractive incentives to attract cadres who have good moral quality and professional expertise.

Firing training for students

Together with building and developing the contingent of cadres and lecturers, the Centre has paid attention to consolidating and building the system of regular and modern infrastructure and teaching-learning facilities, creating the foundation for sustainable development. In the condition of limited budget, immediately, the Centre has balanced the sources and improved the training infrastructure, facilities, models, etc. for the best support of teaching, learning and activities, at the same time, thoroughly and effectively managed and exploited the facilities in the optimal way, ensuring the flexibility and suitability with the real conditions. Especially, to overcome the poor conditions of the training grounds, the Centre has invested into “mobile” facilities which could be retreated if possible for other activities. In the long run, together with bringing into play the funds from the superiors and the internal power, the Centre has actively mobilised the sponsor from businesses, former students, funds, partners, etc. to make investments to gradually modernise the infrastructure for the task development. In particular, the Centre has intensely invested and purchased the teaching-learning facilities and practice models which are modern, synchronous and standardised in the field of defence and security education; enhanced the investments in the information technology infrastructure and applications for digital transformation, management, training and scientific research; built and developed the e-portal and E-libraries of the Centre in order to improve the effectiveness of teaching and learning, research of cadres, lecturers and students; managed and maintained the operation of the dormitories and messes together with enhancing the supporting services for students through socialisation.

In order to improve the quality of the subject, the Centre has actively updated and completed the contents, and enhanced the renovation of teaching-learning methods. Grasping and implementing Circular No. 05/2020/TT-BGDĐT, dated 18 March 2020 by the Ministry of Training and Education on issuing the Programme of defence and security training in pedagogical schools, pedagogical colleges and higher education institutions, the Centre has closely coordinated with the Political Academy and the 1^st Army College to update and complete the system of documents, textbooks and lectures practically to the reality and learners; intensely applied the information technology to improve the quality of lectures. It strives that 100% of its lectures have e-lesson plans, and simulate the situations of combat, technical and tactical movements, etc., to make it visual, lively and attractive to learners. To assist students in not only acquiring and comprehending knowledge but also proactively applying it into the reality, the Centre has required the lecturers to actively reform their teaching methods, combine many teaching and instructing methods in the “learner- centred” approach, promote the prompts, problem solving, interaction, maintain the rule of training remark in order to bring into play the students’ proactiveness and creativity.

Together with the above solutions, the Centre has intensely built a healthy military pedagogical cultural environment, creating favourable conditions for students to learn and practise, and considered this as a suitable solution for improving the quality of this important subject. With the motto of “Building the decent, united, good teaching and good learning unit”, the Centre has continued to intensely change the methods of managing students suitably with their age; fully maintained the daily and weekly regulations to help students approach the military environment; closely combined between their learning and training, curricular and extracurricular activities; effectively maintained the Programme of “Students - Soldiers”, conferences of historical traditions, visits to military units; regularly coordinated with the local governments to organise activities such as: “The green Sunday”, visits to the war martyr cemeteries, voluntary activities, military games, sports and shows in order to strengthen the spirit of solidarity and sharing, creating the healthy education environment, and encouraging students to become self-aware of training and strictly following any rules and regulations to be more mature after their finishing the course. The Centre has continuously coordinated with other schools, offices and units in the locality and the local governments to exchange information, share experience, and cooperate to organise teaching-learning activities, etc., creating the synergy to build the comprehensively developed Centre, which becomes an exemplary and friendly military pedagogical environment, and a reliable address to cultivate and develop the patriotism for the young generations, making contribution to building and safeguarding the Fatherland in the new situation.

Senior Colonel NGUYEN MINH TIEN, Deputy Director of the Centre