The area for students’ dormitories (Photo: Tuoi tre)

The Ministry of Education and Training (MOET) has shocked critics by saying under fire Phan Thiet University meets all the requirements to open. It follows newspaper allegations of faked and duplicated lecturers, poor facilities and of the University being set in a tourist village rather than a traditional centre for education.

Media findings prompted a further inspection and a team headed by chief education inspector Nguyen Van Chien visited on the instructions of deputy prime minister and minister of MOET Nguyen Thien Nhan.

However, the shock for Phan Tiet University’s critics is that despite many publically unanswered questions, MOET says the University is eligible to provide training.

A press conference will be held later this afternoon which promises to announce the inspection results in full.

“The Phan Thiet University has all the required conditions to provide training to the 750 students it has enrolled,” said Ngo Kim Khoi, deputy director of the University Education Department under MOET.

When reporters questioned the quality of permanent lecturers and the list of hundreds of visiting lecturers which appear not to exist, Khoi answered: “Visiting lecturers are not the most important factor for now”.

One way out for Phan Tiet University is that first semesters are usually quite light on learning. This may allow PTU more time to attract and prepare genuine staff.

In the meantime, Khoi says it is necessary to create “favourable conditions” for Phan Thiet University to begin providing training.

However, to date, Khoi has refused to give answers to questions on the counterfeited signatures of lecturers and poor facility conditions saying that everything will be clear at the press conference on October 21 afternoon.

Meanwhile, the Binh Thuan People’s Committee affirmed it has released the decision on allocating further land to the university. However, delays have meant using the facilities at tourist site “Mui Ne Ancient Village”.

The inspection report claims Phan Thiet University now has an area of 32,069 square metres. It also has 10 classrooms, function rooms, a meeting hall, three dormitories, a reading room and book store. The university is now building two 200-seat lecture halls, five new classrooms and three further dormitories.

The report also shows the university now has 63 permanent lecturers and all have signed labour contracts with the university. One of the lecturers has the title of associate professor, seven have doctorates, 35 have master’s degree, 20 have university degrees.

The university also says it has signed contracts with 102 visiting lecturers from established universities.

Requests by reporters of Tuoi tre newspaper, which firstdiscovered the problems of Phan Thiet University, to attend the inspection tour were refused.

Ngoc Buu (Copy VietNamNet Bridge)