Tuesday, April 8, 2008

- Students face dorm shortages


Universities in the capital are struggling with a shortage of student dormitories, with some such as the National Academy of Public Administration only able to meet four per cent of demand for accommodation.
At times, there are between 12 and 14 students sharing one room in the dormitories. Universities are facing a serious shortage of dormitory space.The shortage of dormitories and the need to upgrade existing student accommodation was highlighted in a recent survey conducted by Hanoi’s Communist Youth Union.
The survey found that many universities across the capital can only provide dormitory accommodation for a small percentage of their students.
Ha Noi University of Technology, once well known for its large living space, now only meets about 17% of demand for accommodation from 25,000 students. The University of Construction meets 12% of demand while Ha Noi National University can provide accommodation for 22% of student who want to live on campus.
At some universities with smaller grounds, the lack of dormitories is even more serious. The survey found that the University of Law can only cover 6.12% of demand and the University of Architecture meets 8.27%, the University of Trade is slightly better with 10%.
Non-state and joint-venture universities also have great difficulties with supplying places for students to live as many of these education centres do not have enough capital to buy land to use for accommodation.
The survey found that out of all the capital’s non-state universities, only Phuong Dong University has a dormitory, which meets the accommodation demands of only six per cent of its students. Other non-state education centres such as Thang Long and Dong Do technology and business universities have no dormitories at all.
But the shortage of student accommodation is worst at colleges and vocational training centres.
Thang Long University’s Communist Youth Union secretary, Nguyen Duc Dan, said the university had been lobbying authorities to build more dormitories for decades.
"Despite many proposals submitted to authorities, we don’t have a dormitory," said Dan.
Many students lucky enough to secure a place to live on campus still have to cope with deteriorating living conditions.
"Most of the dormitories are too old and too crowded because they were built a long time ago," said Tran Van Dung, deputy dead of the schools department under Ha Noi’s Communist Youth Union.
At Me Tri dormitory at the University of Ha Noi 14 students share 15-16 sq.m rooms which are furnished only with beds. The survey also found that gardens and recreational facilities are shrinking on campuses across the capital.
"In the summer, I just don’t want to come back to my room because it is too hot and stuffy," said Nguyen Thanh Thuy of Me Tri dormitory.
Many dormitories are now austere buildings that provide a place to sleep overnight and little else. The survey found that most campus accommodation did not provide a good living environments for students.
Students can’t study in their rooms because dormitories are always noisy and crowded with residents and visitors.
At some dormitories far away from their parent universities, such as those at the University of Transportation, University of Social Sciences and Humanities and University of Natural Sciences, students’ demands for study facilities are high.
Ha Noi Youth Union’s Tran Van Dung said students need better facilities to study these days.
"They need a self-contained room, internet services and entertainment areas," said Dung.
"The old dormitories are out of date."
Finding the answer
The Union is working on a plan to find a solution to the shortage, and will submit the proposal to city authorities in December.
The plan includes three phases. The first is to focus on improving dormitory infrastructure with funds from the State budget.
The second phase includes investment in student villages. There are now more than 10 student villages in the city, including Phu Quang, Dong Xa and Co Nhue, which are owned by private companies. The State will help by improving infrastructure such as electricity supplies and entertainment areas.
The final phase includes popularising student villages and ensuring more private sector involvement.
"Not many enterprises pay attention to building student villages because they can’t make a lot of profit from it," said Dung.
"Clearly, in order to attract investors to this field, the State has to give out favourable policies for them such as tax breaks and land fund priority," said Dung.
(Source: Viet Nam News)

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