Nhan spoke during an online workshop on university, college and vocational school networks in Ha Noi and HCM City yesterday.
During the period between 2011 and 2015, each city will implement a pilot programme to move the five universities and colleges to the outlying areas.
The capital needed for removal is estimated to be around US$300 million each, not including the capital for paying compensation for ground clearance.
During the period of 2015-20, they will continue to remove 10-15 universities and colleges, with total estimated capital of $1.2 billion needed for the two cities.
The remaining universities and colleges will be moved by 2030.
Deputy Minister of Education and Training Bui Van Ga said that the ministry would not accept more applications to build or upgrade new universities and colleges in Ha Noi and HCM City's inlying districts.
If 80 universities and colleges are moved by 2030, the number of students in Ha Noi will fall to 150,000 in 2030 from 478,856 in 2011, and in HCM City, to 170,000 in 2030 compared to 516,544 in 2011.
However, Nhan asked the ministry to not wait until 2030 and complete the removal by 2025.
He agreed to keep large universities with beautiful architecture and specific traits of the two cities in inlying areas.
He also asked the Ministry of Education and Training to co-operate with the Ministry of Construction to continue finishing the new plan of building a network of universities and colleges as well as vocational schools.
He said the plan should be submitted to the Prime Minister by June.
At the workshop, Phi Thai Binh, deputy chairman of the Ha Noi People's Committee, said that Ha Noi was planning to build infrastructure and roads to connect with the area where the universities and colleges would be located.
Ha Noi would need at least 3,500 hectares for the relocated schools, Binh said.
Binh said the Ministry of Education and Training should announce a list of universities and colleges to be moved.
Hua Ngoc Thuan, deputy chairman of the HCM City People's Committee, also suggested setting up a standing board for moving the schools and a team with the capacity to draw up a list of universities and colleges to be moved from 2011 to 2015.
The city would need 1,750 hectares in outyling areas to move the universities and colleges, Thuan added.
VNS