Only 1,131 candidates achieved the title of professor and associate professor in 2017

On March 5, the State Council for Professor Titles officially informed about the review of recognition of meeting the standards for the titles of professor and associate professor (GS, PGS) in 2017.

Implementing the Prime Minister's direction, the State Council for Professors has seriously and objectively reviewed 1,226 candidate profiles. As of March 5, 2018, there were 1,131 candidate profiles meeting the standards for the title of Professor and Associate Professor in 2017 that the State Council for Professors approved at the 7th Session on February 1, 2018, ensuring full compliance with the prescribed standards, with no complaints.

Thus, compared to 1,226 candidates meeting the standards for the title of Professor and Associate Professor announced on February 1, 2018, by March 5, 95 candidates still had to be reviewed because of complaints and records that needed further verification.

Among the dossiers that do not fully meet the prescribed standards, need further verification or have complaints or denunciations, the State Council for Professor Titles has sent an official dispatch requesting higher education institutions and relevant agencies to provide specific documents and evidence. The State Council for Professor Titles has also assigned the Working Group to work directly with relevant agencies for further verification. Candidates with complaints or denunciations will be considered according to regulations on handling complaints and denunciations.

According to the State Council for Professors, the deadline for submitting applications for recognition of meeting the standards for the titles of Professor and Associate Professor in 2017 was extended by nearly 6 months (in 2017 the deadline for submitting applications was November 5, in 2016 it was May 25), so the number of candidates registering for recognition of meeting the standards for the titles of Professor and Associate Professor increased more than the previous year.

The reason is that the revision of the current regulations on standards and procedures for appointment and dismissal of professors and associate professors is still slow due to many different opinions and needs more time to complete (some opinions want to keep the old regulations, others want to follow high international standards).

In addition, the number of candidates who are able to meet the current standards has increased because in recent years, many lecturers who were trained abroad under Government projects have graduated and returned to the country and accumulated the necessary qualifications to apply for recognition of meeting the standards for the title of Professor and Associate Professor.

On the other hand, many universities, both public and non-public, have policies to encourage and facilitate teaching staff to improve their capacity (to reach the standards of Professor and Associate Professor) to meet the school's quality assurance conditions./.