It aims to reduce an existing overload at the 59 universities and academies, 28 colleges and 39 vocational training centres at present crowded into inner Ha Noi - some on as little as 1ha of space.
The new set up will not only combine many smaller institutions, but also provide much more open green space and many trees. They will be designed to equal the best of modern universities around the world.
The cluster plan was designed by Perkins Eastman, Posco E&C&Jina (PPJ), a joint venture between American and Korean construction consultants.
The company was also chosen by the Ministry of Construction to map out the plan for Ha Noi’s expansion.
The tertiary school plan is expected to be finished by October and submitted to the National Assembly in May next year.
The areas under consideration for the development include Son Tay, Hoa Lac, Xuan Mai, Chuc Son, Phu Xuyen, Gia Lam and Soc Son.
If set up, the 500ha Soc Son Campus, in the east of Ha Noi, would house universities specialising in technologies and vocational training.
The 1,000ha Xuan Mai Campus in the south-west would be home to schools of economics and forestry; Chuc Son would focus on engineering, irrigation and transport; Hoa Lac, primary subjects and technology; Phu Xuyen on agriculture; and Son Tay on culture, art, tourism, society and military education.
The Gia Lam Campus in the west of Ha Noi would focus on agriculture and construction.
Research institutes and leading universities, including the Ha Noi National University and the National Economic University, would remain in the inner city and be moved to one giant campus covering 500ha and catering to 300,000 students.
The new education zones are expected to be located 30km away from the capital’s centre, further for new universities in need of large space to operate.
Nguyen Ba Nguyen from the Ha Noi’s Department of Planning and Architecture said the new plan was meant to tackle a shortage of space for training institutions.
"The boom in students and institutions of higher learning has led to not only a land shortage, but also infrastructure degradation," he said.
Ha Noi has the highest density of universities and colleges in the nation. Forty six out of the nation’s 69 universities, 17 out of 63 colleges and 39 out of 81 professional high-schools are located in the capital.
According to PPJ, the 800,000 tertiary students presently in Ha Noi make up 43 per cent of the national total and by 2030 will increase to more than one million students.
According to the Ministry of Construction, the average of total building and open space for each student in most universities in HaNoi is low.
The density at the Foreign Trade University, for instance, is 2.04sq.m. At the Contraction University it is 2.32sq.m and at the Commercial University 3.7sq.m.
The satellite campuses will multiply this space many times, providing 50-60 sq.m of building and recreational space for each student.
Tran Trong Hieu, head of the Environment Chamber at the Ha Noi’s Department of Construction, said the satellite areas would not only provide bigger, greener sites and better infrastructure, but an atmosphere that was not polluted by exhaust fumes.
"The bigger areas will be able to synchronise water supplies and drainage systems, lighting and tree coverage surrounding study places," he said.
At present, dormitories and physical training areas in Ha Noi met only 10 to 15 per cent of demand, Hieu said.
Tran Thanh Binh, head of the Viet Nam Institute of School Research and Design said that the new clusters must be located close to public transport.
Duong Thanh Phuc, 20, a second-year student at the National Economic University, said his only concern about the new plan was how to reach the new universities each day, because Ha Noi’s transport systems were still under-developed.
"The transport systems must parallel the development of the new campuses, otherwise it will create many difficulties for students," he said.
Duong Van Nga, 21, a third-year student at the Foreign Trade University, was also concerned about the travel time.
"The time taken to travel 28km by bus from my house and back will be about two hours. This will leave me less time for study and other things," she said.
However, Dao Thi Ai Thi, head of Department of Postgraduates under the Institute of National Politics, said the plan would improve conditions for both students and teachers.
"At modern international-standard universities, students and teachers have to get used to travelling. Many world universities are now located well outside the major city hub," she said.
P.Hoa - Thu Ha