The Prime Minister’s decision to make higher levels of credit available to students eases the burden on both students and families alike. Report below shows more clearly.
Imagine an outstanding student from a remote province coming to the city to study at university, but trying to borrow money for life’s daily needs. Imagine her disappointment at being refused a bank loan. Imagine her dropping out of school solely for financial reasons. Imagine the tears rolling down her check. (OOP)
Such was the situation faced by Nguyen Phuong Thuy from Thai Binh province, who last year was a third year student at the Faculty of Literature at the Hanoi National University. Having lost both her mother and father at the age of eight, Thuy did not have to pay tuition fees but finding money for her daily needs proved to be a nightmare.
“Life in the city was and still is very difficult,” said Thuy. “Every month I received VND200,000 ($12.5) from my sister and it was hard to find a job as I have no connections. I was duped by a job centre and lost money. I also used to live on a loan from the class fund and the scholarship for good students. When the situation became desperate I decided to drop out of school for a year.”
Returning to her studies this year, Thuy’s concerns have been partly eased as she now has a job and, more importantly, she can benefit from a new government policy in Decision 157/2007/QD-TTg, under which she can borrow up to VND800,000 ($50) a month for her daily needs. “The money will make life a lot easier,” said Thuy.
The Prime Ministerial Decision, according to Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education and Training, Mr Nguyen Thien Nhan, is timely and has considerable political significance, attracting interest from all citizens. The policy, he said, is evidence of Vietnam’s social justice.
“Providing loans for poor students is a very good policy,” said Ha Thanh Tung from Hanoi. “There is nothing as good as investing in education and we should not allow students to drop out of school and forego opportunities just because of money. The country still lacks talent so we should invest more in our educational system. Imagine if everybody in Vietnam could communicate in English and use a computer. Vietnam would be stronger, even more than China.”
“As a lecturer for many universities and also a sociologist I can see no plausible reason to oppose this decision from the Prime Minister,” said Dr Trinh Hoa Binh from the Institute of Sociology under the Vietnamese Academy of Social Sciences. “After all, the salaries of many lecturers are more or less paid from student fees. If the students can pay fees then the lecturer’s life can be guaranteed, and that’s good for students. In addition, the policy affirms the important role played by students in society. The ‘student’ brand name has become a trusted thing when borrowing money. It is easier for them than for others who have to have collateral.”
Each student can borrow up to VND800,000 from the Vietnam Bank for Social Policy at an interest rate of 0.5 per cent per month, up from the previous VND300,000 ($20) with an interest rate of 0.65 per cent. Students will not have to repay the loan until a year after completing their studies.
“As a father with children pursuing academic achievements I support the policy,” said Nguyen Van Thuong from Hanoi. “It will be particularly helpful for those facing difficulties or from remote areas. The debt from four years of study could be quite a sum and may lead to two cases. The first is that it will burden the student’s family, but this should encourage them to study harder and find a good job after graduation. And that’s also good the country’s economy. The other case may be that the state is unable to collect the debt from some people.”
“I think the policy will help a lot of students, as many of them come from rural areas and do not have the support of their families, as city dwellers like myself do,” said Duong Thu Trang, a student from Hanoi. “They will have money to cover their everyday needs. The time of settling the debt, though, should be lengthened to two years because who can say for sure if, after a year, they will have a job that allows them to repay it.”
According to Tran Thi Hoai, a poor student at the Academy of Technology Science, the income earned from farming is very small. “My family have not much land to cultivate and our monthly income is only VND400,000 to VND 500,000 ($25 to $31), while I need VND600,000 to VND700,000 ($37.5 to $44) per month to live,” she said. “Before the policy, my family usually had help from relatives and from extra work. Now things can change, as my parents will not be under such a strain. It will still be difficult, but after I graduate I can earn a living and repay the debt.”
As a developing country with more than 70 per cent of its population living in rural areas and reducing hunger and poverty remaining an important task, the decision really does represent good policy. Calculations by the Vietnam Bank for Social Policy indicate that 25-30 per cent of students throughout the country will have access to the loans.
To immediately help poor students, according to Mr Pham Phan Dung, Head of the Banking and Finance Department under the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry asked for permission from the Prime Minister to use VND500 billion on student loans at the beginning of October.
As a third year student with an average result of 9.0 in her first two years, Thuy hopes to work just a little and concentrate a great deal on her studies, as she hopes to become a lecturer at her university. “Borrowing from the state means I have more time to learn and pursue my goal of becoming a good teacher,” she said happily. “I hope to finish school early and start work to repay the debt. My dream, I think, is possible.”
Applicable students
Students in difficult circumstances studying at universities, colleges, intermediate and vocational training schools established according to Vietnamese law, including:
1. Orphaned students, those without either a mother or father, or those whose parents are unable to work.
2. Students that are members of households belonging to the following groups:
- Poor households, according to the law;
- Households with per capita income equal to 150 per cent of a poor household’s per capita income, according to the law.
3. Students facing financial difficulties caused by accidents, natural disasters, fires, or pandemics during school time. Difficulties must be confirmed by local authorities.
Students already borrowing money during their time at intermediate schools or colleges, who then study at colleges or universities
(Source: CPV)
Friday, 22 February 2008
Whale watching indoors in Nha Trang
The Nha Trang Oceanographic Museum located inside the Institute of Oceanography (01 Cau Da, Nha Trang City) is a prime destination for tourists.
A skeleton of a Humpack whale at the Nha Trang Oceanographic Museum.The museum houses a diverse collection of ocean creatures and conducts marine research.
Since its establishment in 1923, the Institute of Oceanography has collected and preserved more than 20,000 specimens and more than 4,000 sea and freshwater species. The institute also has a number of live specimens in their aquariums.
For Vietnamese fishermen, the whale is a legendary beast. In fact, there are numerous temples dedicated to dead whales. Also known as ca ong (lord fish), whales are tremendous mammals who give birth and feed their offspring with milk.
According to the researchers, the whale has existed for more than 70mil years, but is currently in danger of extinction as a result of hunting. Since 1931, many countries have actively protected the whale through whale protection agreements.
This year, the museum has added new specimens and dedicated a 250-square-meter area to displaying whales.
Within the exhibition area, the skeleton of a giant Humpback whale stretching 19-meters long and weighing nearly one ton has made a strong impression on tourists.
While digging a ditch in 1994, the people of Hai Hau Commune in Nam Ha Province discovered the skeleton 1.2-meters below the surface.
The site of the skeleton was four kilometers from the sea, but in the past, was a beach. The work of moving and restoring the skeleton took great care and effort from all parties involved.
The exhibition area also features a skeleton of a Dugong, a large marine mammal, which died in early 1997 at Lo Voi, Condao National Park in Vung Tau. The skeleton spans 273 centimeters and weighs 300 kilograms. The Dugong was considered a mermaid in ancient Greek tales due to its howling, which resembled a woman singing.
The exhibition also includes illustrated images of whale skeletons from throughout the country including two that died in 1995; one at Tho Chu Island from the Quang Ninh Museum and another that died in Tien Hai District from the Thai Binh Museum. The one from Thai Binh stretches 13.5 meters with 13 sets of ribs. An image of the skeleton of the largest Fin Whale is also on display. It measures two meters in length and was discovered in 1850 and is currently preserved in Van Thuy Tu (Phan Thiet).
In addition to skeletal structures and images, the exhibit features pictures and movies about the life of different types of whales such as the Humpback, North Pacific Right and Bryde.
The exhibition at the Oceanographic Museum is not only informative, but also educates the public about preserving these precious creatures.
(Source: SGT)
A skeleton of a Humpack whale at the Nha Trang Oceanographic Museum.The museum houses a diverse collection of ocean creatures and conducts marine research.
Since its establishment in 1923, the Institute of Oceanography has collected and preserved more than 20,000 specimens and more than 4,000 sea and freshwater species. The institute also has a number of live specimens in their aquariums.
For Vietnamese fishermen, the whale is a legendary beast. In fact, there are numerous temples dedicated to dead whales. Also known as ca ong (lord fish), whales are tremendous mammals who give birth and feed their offspring with milk.
According to the researchers, the whale has existed for more than 70mil years, but is currently in danger of extinction as a result of hunting. Since 1931, many countries have actively protected the whale through whale protection agreements.
This year, the museum has added new specimens and dedicated a 250-square-meter area to displaying whales.
Within the exhibition area, the skeleton of a giant Humpback whale stretching 19-meters long and weighing nearly one ton has made a strong impression on tourists.
While digging a ditch in 1994, the people of Hai Hau Commune in Nam Ha Province discovered the skeleton 1.2-meters below the surface.
The site of the skeleton was four kilometers from the sea, but in the past, was a beach. The work of moving and restoring the skeleton took great care and effort from all parties involved.
The exhibition area also features a skeleton of a Dugong, a large marine mammal, which died in early 1997 at Lo Voi, Condao National Park in Vung Tau. The skeleton spans 273 centimeters and weighs 300 kilograms. The Dugong was considered a mermaid in ancient Greek tales due to its howling, which resembled a woman singing.
The exhibition also includes illustrated images of whale skeletons from throughout the country including two that died in 1995; one at Tho Chu Island from the Quang Ninh Museum and another that died in Tien Hai District from the Thai Binh Museum. The one from Thai Binh stretches 13.5 meters with 13 sets of ribs. An image of the skeleton of the largest Fin Whale is also on display. It measures two meters in length and was discovered in 1850 and is currently preserved in Van Thuy Tu (Phan Thiet).
In addition to skeletal structures and images, the exhibit features pictures and movies about the life of different types of whales such as the Humpback, North Pacific Right and Bryde.
The exhibition at the Oceanographic Museum is not only informative, but also educates the public about preserving these precious creatures.
(Source: SGT)
Hope for five siblings with facial tumours
The Central Hospital for Odontology-Stomatology has received the five siblings who have huge tumours on their faces.
A family with five children with humps on their faces
Doctors have said that it will be difficult to perform operations on those patients but hope still exists.
Doctor Tran Van Phu, Head of the General Plan Department of the hospital, said that it was highly possible that this was a hereditary disease.
The hospital has carried out some tests on those patients but doctors have not determined the reasons yet. The hospital has sent case-records of those siblings to German experts for consideration.
Dr. Tran Thiet Son, Head of the Plastic Surgery Department at Hanoi-based Saint Paul’s Hospital, said that the huge tumours were most likely fibromas.
In this case, the best treatment method is to cut them off. However, the operations are difficult because the tumours are connected to the childrens’ noses, mouths and eyes.
However, if the patients are not operated on, the tumours will grow and cover their mouths, eyes, noses.
There is no member of the family of those patients that participated in the war, nor have any of their relatives ever had such a condition.
A family with five children with humps on their faces
Doctors have said that it will be difficult to perform operations on those patients but hope still exists.
Doctor Tran Van Phu, Head of the General Plan Department of the hospital, said that it was highly possible that this was a hereditary disease.
The hospital has carried out some tests on those patients but doctors have not determined the reasons yet. The hospital has sent case-records of those siblings to German experts for consideration.
Dr. Tran Thiet Son, Head of the Plastic Surgery Department at Hanoi-based Saint Paul’s Hospital, said that the huge tumours were most likely fibromas.
In this case, the best treatment method is to cut them off. However, the operations are difficult because the tumours are connected to the childrens’ noses, mouths and eyes.
However, if the patients are not operated on, the tumours will grow and cover their mouths, eyes, noses.
There is no member of the family of those patients that participated in the war, nor have any of their relatives ever had such a condition.
Ha Long Bay tops Wonder list
Ha Long Bay was ranked first on the New 7 Wonders of Nature Nominees Ranking while the second and third position belonged to Bangladesh’s Cox’s Baza Beach and Sundarbans Forest.
The other two contenders from Vietnam were listed in the top five, namely Fansipan Mountain and Phong Nha – Ke Bang National Park. Fansipan rose to fifth while Phong Nha – Ke Bang maintained its position at fourth. Voting online for nominees will continue through December 31. Then, a panel of experts will create a list of 21 candidates from which voters worldwide will elect the New 7 Wonders of Nature. The New 7 Wonders Panel of Experts, under the leadership of Prof. Federico Mayor, former Director-General of UNESCO, will select the 21 Finalists from the top-ranked Official Supported Nominees. The 21 finalists will then be put to popular vote.
The top seven sites today:
1. Vietnam’s Ha Long Bay
2. Bangladesh’s Cox’s Bazar Beach
3. Bangladesh and India’s Sundarbans Forest
4. Vietnam’s Phong Nha – Ke Bang National Park
5. Vietnam’s Fansipan Mountain
6. Costa Rica’s Cocos Island
7. Bangladesh, India’s Ganges River
(Source: Tuoi Tre)
The other two contenders from Vietnam were listed in the top five, namely Fansipan Mountain and Phong Nha – Ke Bang National Park. Fansipan rose to fifth while Phong Nha – Ke Bang maintained its position at fourth. Voting online for nominees will continue through December 31. Then, a panel of experts will create a list of 21 candidates from which voters worldwide will elect the New 7 Wonders of Nature. The New 7 Wonders Panel of Experts, under the leadership of Prof. Federico Mayor, former Director-General of UNESCO, will select the 21 Finalists from the top-ranked Official Supported Nominees. The 21 finalists will then be put to popular vote.
The top seven sites today:
1. Vietnam’s Ha Long Bay
2. Bangladesh’s Cox’s Bazar Beach
3. Bangladesh and India’s Sundarbans Forest
4. Vietnam’s Phong Nha – Ke Bang National Park
5. Vietnam’s Fansipan Mountain
6. Costa Rica’s Cocos Island
7. Bangladesh, India’s Ganges River
(Source: Tuoi Tre)
Flood barriers new hope for coastal regions
Vietnam is pinning its hopes on a new kind of dam to prevent flooding instead of using thousands of sandbags.
The flood protection barrier can be used immediately, especially in case of sudden flood, Dang Quang Tinh, Director of the Department for Dyke Management and Flood Control, postulated.
The barrier consists two PE/PP tubes including an impermeable inner liner, and a durable outer layer. The barriers are suitable for Vietnam's coastal regions, notably Hue city in central Thua Thien-Hue province and Hoi An in central Da Nang city, where dykes cannot be built, Tinh stressed.
The barrier was first demonstrated by Flooding Agency A/S from Denmark on the coast outside Da Nang city, on Monday, with support from the Danish Development Agency DANIDA.
Director Niels-Erik Jensen of Flooding Agency A/S, said his group is currently transferring this technology to two companies in Vietnam and added that his group is seeking Vietnamese partners to produce more barriers in Vietnam.
(Source: Econet)
The flood protection barrier can be used immediately, especially in case of sudden flood, Dang Quang Tinh, Director of the Department for Dyke Management and Flood Control, postulated.
The barrier consists two PE/PP tubes including an impermeable inner liner, and a durable outer layer. The barriers are suitable for Vietnam's coastal regions, notably Hue city in central Thua Thien-Hue province and Hoi An in central Da Nang city, where dykes cannot be built, Tinh stressed.
The barrier was first demonstrated by Flooding Agency A/S from Denmark on the coast outside Da Nang city, on Monday, with support from the Danish Development Agency DANIDA.
Director Niels-Erik Jensen of Flooding Agency A/S, said his group is currently transferring this technology to two companies in Vietnam and added that his group is seeking Vietnamese partners to produce more barriers in Vietnam.
(Source: Econet)
Hope falls on the shoulders of swimmer Huu Viet
After a successful SEA Games, where Huu Viet took home the gold medal for the men’s 100 m breaststroke, Vietnam’s swimmers are heading to the 2008 Olympics in Beijing.
Two weeks after the 24th SEA Games, members of the national swimming team gathered at the National Sports Training Center 2 in HCM City to continue drilling; after the lunar New Year festival (mid-February) they will have to hastily prepare for the 2008 Olympics qualifier round.
Five Vietnamese swimmers, including Huu Viet, will participate in the World Swimming Cup in Beijing in early March, which is the standard tournament to choose finalists for this year’s Olympics.
Huu Viet is the hope of Vietnam in this event and the expectation is grounded because he won two consecutive gold medals at the last two SEA Games in the men’s 100m breaststroke.
This event is also a valuable chance for Vietnamese swimmers to meet their rivals and gain experience to prepare for future tournaments.
(Source: Tien Phong)
Two weeks after the 24th SEA Games, members of the national swimming team gathered at the National Sports Training Center 2 in HCM City to continue drilling; after the lunar New Year festival (mid-February) they will have to hastily prepare for the 2008 Olympics qualifier round.
Five Vietnamese swimmers, including Huu Viet, will participate in the World Swimming Cup in Beijing in early March, which is the standard tournament to choose finalists for this year’s Olympics.
Huu Viet is the hope of Vietnam in this event and the expectation is grounded because he won two consecutive gold medals at the last two SEA Games in the men’s 100m breaststroke.
This event is also a valuable chance for Vietnamese swimmers to meet their rivals and gain experience to prepare for future tournaments.
(Source: Tien Phong)
hope college
Hope College is a distinguished and distinctive four-year, liberal arts, undergraduate college, affiliated with the Reformed Church in America. Its great religious heritage is expressed through a dynamic Christian community of students and teachers vitally concerned with a relevant faith that changes lives and transforms society. The curriculum offers a variety of courses in 89 majors leading to a Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Music, Bachelor of Science, or Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree. The college has long been known for outstanding pre-professional training. Each year many graduates go on to further study in the leading graduate and professional schools in this country and abroad; others directly enter professions. During the 2006-07 school year, Hope had 3,203 students from 44 states and territories and 29 foreign countries.
Hope College is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission* and a member of the North Central Association. Hope is also accredited by the American Chemical Society, the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs, the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education, the Council on Social Work Education, the National Association of Schools of Art and Design, the National Association of Schools of Dance, the National Association of Schools of Music, the National Association of Schools of Theatre, the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education, the Engineering Commission of the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology for the Bachelor of Science Degree with a major in engineering, and other agencies.
Hope Occupies a special place in the vast array of educational opportunities offered in the United States. It makes its contribution to the vitality and diversity of American higher education through the distinctiveness of its educational philosophy and program. As a liberal arts college offering education within the context of the historic Christian faith, Hope is a place of open inquiry, acceptance of intellectual challenge, rigorous engagement with hard questions, and vigorous but civil discussion of different beliefs and understandings; in the words of the Covenant of Mutual Responsibilities between the Reformed Church in America and its colleges, it is a place characterized by "an atmosphere of search and confrontation that will liberate the minds, enhance the discernment, enlarge the sympathies, and encourage the commitments of all students entrusted to (it)." For more than a century, Hope has cherished the conviction that life is God's trust, a trust which each of us is called to personally activate by an insistent concern for intelligent involvement in the human community and its problems.
Hope's Reason for being is each individual student. It seeks to develop the growth of each student as a competent, creative, and compassionate person. Its design is to provide a complete opportunity for the fulfillment of each individual student, not only for his or her self-gratification, but also for what can be given to others in service to God and humanity.
Hope Believes that a vital faith, which provides both the incentive and dynamic for learning and living, is central to education and life.
Hope Welcomes capable men and women of all social and economic levels. Hope is interested in students who sincerely seek to enlarge their minds, to deepen their commitments, and to develop their capacities for service.
Hope Provides an adventure in learning and living, not only for knowledge and wisdom, but also for understanding, meaning, and purpose. As partners in this seeking fellowship, Hope students find a faculty of professionally distinguished scholars who have a genuine concern for the total development of each student. Hope's finest professors teach introductory as well as advanced courses. Independent work on a self-directed basis is encouraged.
Hope Offers a well-equipped and friendly environment. Campus life pivots around residence halls, which serve as social centers and provide congenial surroundings for students to learn with one another. The diversity of student backgrounds, geographic and ethnic origins, and personal interests adds variety and richness to the group living experience. The campus is 90 percent accessible to students who are mobility impaired. Examples of all housing options (residence hall, apartment and cottage), as well as most major academic buildings, are accessible to mobility-impaired persons. Many co-curricular activities and cultural events provide a variety of rich opportunities for learning and personal development.
Hope Prepares men and women who are persons in their own rights — uncommon men and women who have a personal dignity based on intelligence, a sense of responsibility, and a deeply rooted faith. For more than a century, Hope has prepared alumni to go to the four corners of the world — alumni who have enriched their professions and humanity far out of proportion to their numbers. Hope graduates aim to go beyond specialization toward a synthesis of all learning in life.
Hope College is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission* and a member of the North Central Association. Hope is also accredited by the American Chemical Society, the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs, the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education, the Council on Social Work Education, the National Association of Schools of Art and Design, the National Association of Schools of Dance, the National Association of Schools of Music, the National Association of Schools of Theatre, the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education, the Engineering Commission of the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology for the Bachelor of Science Degree with a major in engineering, and other agencies.
Hope Occupies a special place in the vast array of educational opportunities offered in the United States. It makes its contribution to the vitality and diversity of American higher education through the distinctiveness of its educational philosophy and program. As a liberal arts college offering education within the context of the historic Christian faith, Hope is a place of open inquiry, acceptance of intellectual challenge, rigorous engagement with hard questions, and vigorous but civil discussion of different beliefs and understandings; in the words of the Covenant of Mutual Responsibilities between the Reformed Church in America and its colleges, it is a place characterized by "an atmosphere of search and confrontation that will liberate the minds, enhance the discernment, enlarge the sympathies, and encourage the commitments of all students entrusted to (it)." For more than a century, Hope has cherished the conviction that life is God's trust, a trust which each of us is called to personally activate by an insistent concern for intelligent involvement in the human community and its problems.
Hope's Reason for being is each individual student. It seeks to develop the growth of each student as a competent, creative, and compassionate person. Its design is to provide a complete opportunity for the fulfillment of each individual student, not only for his or her self-gratification, but also for what can be given to others in service to God and humanity.
Hope Believes that a vital faith, which provides both the incentive and dynamic for learning and living, is central to education and life.
Hope Welcomes capable men and women of all social and economic levels. Hope is interested in students who sincerely seek to enlarge their minds, to deepen their commitments, and to develop their capacities for service.
Hope Provides an adventure in learning and living, not only for knowledge and wisdom, but also for understanding, meaning, and purpose. As partners in this seeking fellowship, Hope students find a faculty of professionally distinguished scholars who have a genuine concern for the total development of each student. Hope's finest professors teach introductory as well as advanced courses. Independent work on a self-directed basis is encouraged.
Hope Offers a well-equipped and friendly environment. Campus life pivots around residence halls, which serve as social centers and provide congenial surroundings for students to learn with one another. The diversity of student backgrounds, geographic and ethnic origins, and personal interests adds variety and richness to the group living experience. The campus is 90 percent accessible to students who are mobility impaired. Examples of all housing options (residence hall, apartment and cottage), as well as most major academic buildings, are accessible to mobility-impaired persons. Many co-curricular activities and cultural events provide a variety of rich opportunities for learning and personal development.
Hope Prepares men and women who are persons in their own rights — uncommon men and women who have a personal dignity based on intelligence, a sense of responsibility, and a deeply rooted faith. For more than a century, Hope has prepared alumni to go to the four corners of the world — alumni who have enriched their professions and humanity far out of proportion to their numbers. Hope graduates aim to go beyond specialization toward a synthesis of all learning in life.
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