University project chalking up a future

Construction of road No 11 was kicked-off in late July 2011, marking the commencement of the first tender package under the project’s 13 components.

In light of Decision 22/1998/QD-TTg dated June 21, 1998 and Decision 702/2002/QD-TTg dated August 23, 2002 approving Vietnam National University Hanoi’s overall planning the project will cover 1,000 hectares in Hoa Lac in Hanoi suburbs with an estimated investment of VND7.320 trillion ($353.6 million). As scheduled, the project will be split into two phases and construction will be finalised in 2016.

The initial design, developed by the university itself as assigned by the government, failed to create a modern university complex. Then the project was handed over to the Ministry of Construction (MoC) in late 2008 for implementation.

On March 11, 2011, the MoC made public Decision 234/QD-BXD ratifying the project’s general planning with scale 1/2000.

Under the new scheme, the prospective university faces national highway 21 in the east and Thang Long Avenue in the south and spans over 1,000ha planned area. The training size will be 60,000 students by 2020 and 100,000 by 2050.

In respect to the project’s progress, over 711ha out of a total 1,220ha due to be cleared were actually transferred to the National University Hanoi Project Management Unit (HPMU), according to HPMU director Nguyen Thanh Dang.

The project’s investment will be later revised to fit actual development requirements. Experts, however, assumed nearly VND30 trillion ($1.45 billion) would be needed to make the project come true from the initial figure of $353.6 million.

In terms of financial sources, Vietnam National University Hanoi deputy director Dr. Phung Xuan Nha said besides the state budget, the university was actively sourcing investment capital from domestic and foreign organisations and through making effective use of its existing facilities in Hanoi inner districts.

Nha said though the overall planning scheme was green-lighted by the government, detailed planning and management schemes of project components were in the making and searching suitable consultant partners.