Reaching out to society: Vietnamese universities in transition

The paper discusses the cases of two universities in Vietnam and their third mission activities where they try to reach out to society at large, through the provision of research, technology transfer services, and other kinds of linkages. It is revealed that third mission activities exist in practice but are closely linked and even mixed up with the second mission. The cases show that the policy framework for financial incentives, management mechanisms, salaries and intellectual property rights, for instance, considerably influences the third mission. There is a need both for government mechanisms to support third mission activities for the community, as well as for a proactive approach by the universities themselves to develop partnerships with other actors in the provinces. These measures include regional training centers and action plans to support farmers and disadvantaged groups of people in society.