Being fully aware that “education and training together with science and technology are the top national policies and key motivations for the country’s development” as the Party’s guidelines, in recent years, the Military Technical Academy has proactively and actively implemented many plans and programmes to develop itself into a region- and world-class research university and gained positive outcome.

Since its foundation on October 28th, 1966, the Second Branch of the Ha Noi University of Science and Technology (the forerunner of the Military Technical Academy) has been oriented to become a complete military technical university and a centre for modern science and technology, capable of cultivating technical cadres to meet short- and long-term requirements of the military. Following the tradition, prestige, and vast experience in training and scientific research of a major university, within a short period of time, the Branch quickly strengthened its organisational structure and mapped out guidelines and missions with a focus on developing a corps of lecturers, creating sources of cadets, and evolving into the Military Technical University, which was also a centre for scientific research and training military technical scientific cadres, satisfying demands of the resistance war against the U.S. imperialists for national salvation.

In the reform period, the Central Military Commission (CMC) and the Ministry of National Defence (MND) entrust the University with many important scientific tasks, which include developing into the Military Technical Academy, providing postgraduate education, stepping up technical, scientific research, especially in new, specific fields, and so on. Over the past 55 years of building and development, the Academy has trained tens of thousands of engineers, masters, doctors, scientific management cadres, and military technical commanding officers. It has also successfully completed hundreds of State-, ministry-, and branch-level research projects with high scientific content, which have provided thousands of scientific, technological products for national defence and economy. A number of scientific products have significant effects on combat training and readiness, such as sound powered telephone systems, jamming bullets, infantry weapon sights, thermoelectric generators for low altitude surface-to-air missiles, flycam signal jamming systems, and over 300 technical materials for missiles, radars, artillery, and so forth. More importantly, given complex developments of the COVID-19 pandemic, within a short period of time, the Academy has designed, produced, and applied the Vibot to COVID-19 prevention and response. Presently, the Academy has certified 18 strong research groups, over 90 per cent of postgraduate cadres and lecturers, over 50 per cent of doctors and doctors of science, and 10 per cent of professors and associate professors, affirming its position as a key university of the nation, an important centre for scientific, technological research of the military and State. The State has awarded the Academy with the title of Hero of the People’s Armed Forces in the reform period and many noble prizes in recognition of its achievements.

A training unit at the laboratory of the Department of Aerospace Technology and Equipment

Given increasingly high demands of military building, strengthening of national defence and protection of the Homeland, as well as opportunities and challenges of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, the Academy makes every effort to lead implementation of the Project on Development of the Military Technical Academy to 2030, with a vision for 2045, which aims to become one of the leading universities in scientific, technical, and technological research of the country and to be included in the top 700 best universities in the world by 2030; in the top 500 best universities in the world by 2045. To successfully accomplish this project, the Academy focuses on carrying out the following solutions.

First, comprehensively improve training quality according to national, international standards. The Academy concentrates on general planning of branches and training modes, developing some branches into region-class level, broadening scope of training, balancing the needs of short-and long-term training with cultivating knowledge in technologies and exploitation of new weapons and equipment. Training contents and programmes are developed and improved according to new methods of technical support, job titles, and intensive training for postgraduates, etc., ensuring graduation standards as required by the needs of new organisation of the military technical branch. Priorities are given to intensive training in terms of Internet of Things (IoT), Blockchain, Artificial Intelligence, and branches such as advanced materials, automated command, information safety, cyber operations, exploitation and mastery of modern weapons and equipment, and so forth. It is essential to further reform contents and methods of teaching and learning in the direction of smart pedagogy, enhance self-study, facilitate lifelong learning, develop modules and enrich knowledge to meet requirements of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, diversify models of training to include face-to-face and virtual teaching and learning, and maintain good operation of online forums for learning, etc., on scales in accordance with the road map for developing infrastructure of a smart university. The Academy must also link training with units, increase the rate of group theses and theses, which go with practical products, are instructed by unit cadres, written and defended in foreign languages, and attach importance to quality of practice and probation for training majors. The inspection and certification of education and training quality are implemented in compliance with national and international standards. There is a need for improving the testbank, ensuring classification of qualification, and enhancing online exams.

Second, step up product-oriented scientific and technological activities and adhere to the goal of modernisation and criteria for a research university. Having grasped and implemented resolutions and directives of higher echelons on developing defence industry, exploitation of weapons and technical equipment, and innovation of training enables the Academy to promote research on renewing modes of technical support, directions for development of defence industry, application of technology 4.0 in the design, development, and exploitation of modern, high-tech weapons and equipment, modernisation of training, war games, command and control, information security and safety, and so on. It also balances basic research with applied research, scientific research with training, enhances product-oriented scientific and technological activities in connection with training and combat. It is necessary to develop strong areas of research and interdisciplinary studies, establish a nation- and region-level research group of excellence, and invest in founding an Academy-level research centre of excellence. As for basic studies, the Academy actively holds international scientific workshops, assists research groups in national, international competitions, and increases the number of scientists, scientific announcements, participation in science and technology awards at home and abroad, and registration of intellectual property and invention. As far as applied research is concerned, the Academy takes the initiative in resource generation, actively proposes and participates in the implementation, consultation, and supervision of science & technology projects and programmes of the State and military which need huge investment and high scientific and technological content, and takes the lead in planning and designing defence, security projects in support of combat operations and economic development. To achieve its goals, the Academy has applied information technology and advanced procedures for scientific management as provided by TCVN ISO 9001:2015 and assisted in scientific announcement and registry of intellectual property. It also seeks to promote self-reliance, carry out an order placement mechanism, commercialise research results, transfer technologies, and offer scientific services. Additionally, the Academy is a pioneer in applying technology 4.0, brings into play its internal strength on the basis of developing strong research groups, research centre of excellence, takes advantage of opportunities through cooperation at home and abroad, and leverages resources of the State, military, national, international funds for scientific studies.

Third, promote intensive investment in material facilities in support of training and scientific research. It is necessary to mobilise all sources of investment needed for upgrading and building new laboratories for practice-oriented training in the fields of missile, radar, electronic warfare, cyber operation, IoT, Blockchain, Big Data as well as virtual, semi-natural laboratories to reach regional and ISO/IEC 17025 standards. There is a need to effectively exploit infrastructure invested in the Project on building a smart university in connection with achievements of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, complete the testing site, technical site, training range, and specific-purpose classrooms on schedule, establish information technology infrastructure and information, upgrade the integrated information system used for a smart university to ensure that all elements of a smart university operate effectively and function properly. Further efforts must be put into applying information technology in connection with information safety and security, operationalising e-government building, and speeding up digital transformation.

Fourth, promote and improve the effectiveness of international cooperation. To improve operational effectiveness requires the Academy to continue to review and concretise supportive conditions, mechanisms, and policies in compliance with principles, regulations of the State and military, broaden professional skills and foreign languages for the corps of cadres in charge of this task, step up popularisation on websites, and foster a good operational environment. Cooperation in training, scientific research, and technological transfer must be strengthened with English-speaking partners and regions, which have advantages of core technology, technology 4.0, source technology of weapons and equipment, and military technology. It is necessary to promote cooperation with leading scientists from prestigious universities and research institutes of science and technology in the world, generate sources and send cadets and experts to training facilities and workshops abroad, promote training quality for cadets from Laos, Cambodia, and so forth.

Apart from the aforementioned solutions, the Academy continues to cultivate a corps of cadres and lecturers according to the Resolution No. 277-NQ/DU, dated 26 April 2021, by the Academy Party Committee on leading the building of strong research groups, a research centre of excellence, and leading scientists, with a focus on successfully realising training plans, propose specific mechanisms for attracting, selecting, and treating talented people. On bringing into play the tradition of 55 years’ building and development, the Military Technical Academy strives to establish enough graduate and postgraduate programme codes, train high-quality military engineers, and cultivate a corps of management cadres and lecturers capable of satisfying training demands and the criteria of a region- and world-class research university.

Lieutenant General, Professor, Doctor of Science, People’s Teacher Nguyen Cong Dinh, Academy Rector