Brian Jeffrey
The General Secretary, To Lam, has called for unique incentive programs that go beyond traditional salary structures to draw back at least 100 top experts to Vietnam, accompanied by specific assistance related to housing, pay, and working conditions.
Le Hoai Trung, the Chief of the Party Central Office and Deputy Head of the Central Steering Committee for the Advancement of Science, Technology, Innovation, and Digital Transformation, has recently formalized the directives from General Secretary To Lam at a mid-year conference related to Resolution No. 57.
In this context, the Ministry of Home Affairs is assigned the responsibility to prepare criteria, regulatory frameworks, and recruitment procedures for chief engineers and chief architects tasked with implementing strategic systems and pioneering projects.
This proposal is to be presented to the Prime Minister for endorsement in July, after consultation with the Standing Board of the Central Steering Committee.
The General Secretary stressed that ministries and agencies should actively identify and suggest appropriate candidates for the roles of chief engineers and chief architects. These can include top specialists in Vietnam, expatriates, or esteemed international experts.
The aim is to create a process for appointing truly exceptional individuals who possess the right skills, integrity, and credibility. These appointees will hold full authority and resources to lead and mobilize talent while being accountable for the success of national initiatives in science, technology, and innovation.
The announcement highlighted exemplary figures like Professors Tran Dai Nghia, Ton That Tung, Luong Dinh Cua, and Nguyen Van Hieu as inspirations for the upcoming generation of leaders.
To ensure a robust talent pool, the General Secretary has instructed the Ministry of Home Affairs to collaborate with the Ministries of Science and Technology, Education and Training, Finance, and Foreign Affairs to create and implement strategies aimed at attracting both domestic and international talent, particularly in high-tech domains such as artificial intelligence, semiconductors, and advanced materials.
Among these strategies will be exceptional incentive schemes that surpass common salary and benefits structures to entice at least 100 leading experts to return to Vietnam. These initiatives are expected to be finalized by August.
The Ministry of Science and Technology is also responsible for devising a comprehensive plan to identify and leverage elite talent, primarily focusing on critical scientific and technological domains and national innovation and digital advancement. This initiative is expected to outline objectives through 2030, with a long-term vision extending to 2050, and must be concluded by September.
Furthermore, the Ministries of Science and Technology and Finance will collaborate with respective sectors and local authorities to ensure sufficient state funding allocations for initiatives related to science, innovation, and digital transformation that support the objectives outlined in Resolution 57.
They are also tasked with guiding the prioritization of high-impact, cross-sectoral, and inter-regional projects, with a strong focus on investment in strategic tech projects, research institutions, and national laboratories.
For digital transformation, the Ministry of Public Security is expected to develop innovative mechanisms for national data governance, ensuring data is accurate, complete, clean, real-time, and interconnected to facilitate measurable value creation.
Novel strategies in data governance are necessary to adhere to roadmaps, even if this requires discarding outdated databases to prevent bottlenecks and inefficiencies.
The Ministry of Public Security is also tasked with the completion and activation of a national data center, national databases, and sectoral data systems that meet criteria for being “accurate, complete, clean, and live.”
In addition, it must offer guidance on data usage and construct frameworks for data sharing and analysis across sectors to expedite Vietnam’s national digital transformation and socio-economic development.
The General Secretary underscored that agency leaders will be held responsible for any unjustifiable delays.
