Re: [OSS] Re: Open Source debate (from South Asia)

Stefan Probst wrote:
> > > Prof. Ngoc (Thang Long University) says, that Universities lack teachers.
> >Undoubtedly your first point is true. Your second is wrong
> OK, how do you improve the first point, if the second is wrong?

You answer it yourself in part below. My third issue, may not have been clear
enough, that by improving the capacity of academia to advise Government, the
country's management becomes stronger.

I should also clarify that I speak of academia, which in many countries includes
institutes within government. [Today's major setback in the International space
program is an example of exceptionally highly financed government research.]

> And you know as well as me, that the Universities here until now failed to
> deliver, what is expected from them.

Precisely. But where are their proponents on this list? What can we do to improve
their abilities?

> Why should the Government not work with Universities in issues which are
> important for the country as a whole?

Excellent. This they should do. But academics are not 'trainers' paid by governments
or ODA for this or that 'project'. They are, or at least should be, the visionaries
who create and deploy new technologies and educate the next generation of professionals.
But we in viet Nam do not have that luxury, not yet at least. So, let's try to
discover where this capacity is at this point.

> >How many Ministries have complied with that directive?
> What is the alternative?

I repeat. How many Ministries have complied with the directive? What lesson lessons
have we learned?

> >I see three separate questions here. The first concerns the capacity of
> >Government to deal with complex technical issues.
> What about strategists?

The same mob.

> >If the latter have low capacity as you suggest, then the former are not
> >able to
> >develop good policy.
>
> Technical
> Universities (and this is what I was talking about) are not expected to
> have experience about policy, but about how to implement. They are expected
> to contribute to micro management, which is not the Government's business.

Ah, I see. Computer trainers aren't paid to think - or they just think about
little things like how not to drool on their keyboards. [I was never a fan of
the two-teared educational system - it is too HG Wellsian.]

> The generally poor (in quality and relevance) education is well known since

But universities and (yes) government have encouraged improvement in tertiary
education. We should participate in this, not by directive but by collaboration.

> >you have got to get academia involved first or the whole show will collapse.
> We need them, without doubt. This is, why I asked several times to get
> contacts to them to join this list (or other channels of communication).
> Whether it has to be "first" or not, is questionable, but this is IMHO not
> important right now.

I think it is critical right now. More collaboration - less dissemination.

> There is a large work force out there of experienced technicians and
> engineers. To retrain them is at least as important as to prepare the
> Universities.

You are correct to raise the issue. One more group to include in this discussion.

> I plan to try to steer a focused debate with not too many issues at a time,
> and to stick to the core issues. Pls. throw it in when it comes to the matter.

Inclusiveness matters.

Cheers mate,
Vern (Vietnamese academic ;-)

--

Vern Weitzel (Mr.), Webmanager
<weitzel@undp.org.vn> or <webmanager@undp.org.vn>
United Nations Development Programme
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