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Digital transformation, artificial intelligence and rapid changes in the labor market are placing higher education in need of profound innovation. In a conversation with the Government Electronic Newspaper on the occasion of the New Year, Prof. Dr. Huynh Van Son, Principal of Ho Chi Minh City University of Education, said that innovation does not mean changing everything. It is important to retain the core values that make up the nature of university. Download The heart of higher education must still be truth, humanity and responsibility. Digital transformation, artificial intelligence and rapid changes in the labor market are placing higher education in need of profound innovation. According to Professor, what are the core values that higher education needs to maintain in this process? Prof. Dr. Huynh Van Son: Higher education can change its programs, methods, and administrative structures; But if there are values lost, a university will no longer be a true university. First of all, it is the value of scientific truth and the spirit of pursuing knowledge. University is not just a place to impart knowledge, but a space of critical thinking, academic questioning and scientific honesty. In the age of artificial intelligence that can synthesize information in seconds, what universities need to protect is not the data warehouse, but the ability to analyze, evaluate and create knowledge. According to the World Economic Forum (WEF, 2023), 44% of workers core skills will change in the next five years, but critical thinking and problem solving are still among the most sustainable skills. That shows that technology changes, but the intellectual foundation does not change. Second, human values and the mission of comprehensive human development cannot be eroded. University not only trains people to work, but trains people to live responsibly, with professional ethics and civic awareness. If higher education is reduced to just a degree-producing machine, we may have engineers who are technically good but lack professional ethics, people who are proficient in tools but lack a foundation of values. Third, academic freedom must go hand in hand with social responsibility. Universities need autonomy to be creative, but autonomy is not unconditional freedom, but freedom within the framework of serving community interests. A good university is not only judged by rankings, but by its substantive impact on society. It can be affirmed that, no matter how much changes happen, the heart of higher education must still be truth, humanity and responsibility. Download Prof. Dr. Huynh Van Son: Innovation must start from the philosophy of teacher training - Photo: NVCC From management and training practices at a teacher training facility, according to the Professor, where should pedagogical education innovation start to create substantive changes, instead of just stopping at changing the form? Prof. Dr. Huynh Van Son: In my opinion, with teacher training institutions, innovation, if not careful, can easily fall into two extremes: either being conservative, or pursuing formal reform. In my opinion, innovation must start from the philosophy of teacher training. Teachers are not simply imparters of knowledge; They are the creators of the learning environment and accompany the personality development of learners. If the training philosophy is not clear, any program or method reform is just a surface change. According to UNESCO (2022), the world needs to add about 69 million teachers before 2030 to meet the goal of universal education. But the issue is not just quantity, but quality. Teacher quality does not lie in knowing how many new methods are known, but in core pedagogical competencies: understanding learners, knowing how to motivate and having the ability to self-study throughout life. Innovation therefore needs to focus on three points: selecting the right people and nurturing professional motivation; Strengthen professional practice, linking training with practice; and focus on forming professional qualities. Pedagogical education innovation should not start with technology, but with people. Technology can support, but the teachers personality is the foundation. It is impossible to train teachers with the desire to contribute if the professional environment forces them to choose survival before choosing mission. Currently, there are many new models and concepts constantly appearing in education. According to the Professor, how to prevent innovation from becoming a trend follower? And what is the most basic bottleneck of pedagogical education today? Prof. Dr. Huynh Van Son: We are living in an era where every year a new keyword appears such as digital transformation, AI, STEM or education 4.0. If we are not alert, innovation will become a chase after slogans. Real innovation must start from fundamental questions: What do learners really need? What is society lacking? And does the school have enough enforcement capacity? According to a survey by McKinsey (2023), 87% of global businesses believe that new graduates lack soft skills and adaptability. This shows that the gap between training and social needs still exists. The most basic bottleneck, in my opinion, is how we define the value of education. If the value of education is measured primarily by revenue or enrollment, we areapplying market logic to a field of a different nature. The value of education, especially pedagogical education, lies in its long-term impact. A teacher can influence thousands of students over the course of their career, but that value cannot be measured in short-term profits. Education cannot operate completely according to market logic, because the market is measured by profit, while education is measured by long-term impact. Resolving this bottleneck needs to start from policy and social awareness, from enhancing the position of the teaching profession to ensuring professional conditions and building an evaluation mechanism based
