UEH Partners with the Central Policy and Strategy Commission and the Institute for Policy and Strategy Research: Fostering Research, Policymaking, and Sustainable Socio-Economic Development

20 Aug, 2025

In the context of Vietnam entering a new era of growth with significant potential and opportunities—requiring breakthroughs in strategic thinking, growth model innovation, and the full utilization of science and technology—in August 2025, the University of Economics Ho Chi Minh City (UEH) held a collaborative meeting with the Central Policy and Strategy Commission and the Institute for Policy and Strategy Research to establish a comprehensive research and consulting platform. The meeting lays the foundation for breakthrough solutions and contributes to realizing sustainable development goals, enhancing competitiveness, and deepening Vietnam's integration in the new era.

An overview of the collaborative meeting.

Representing the University of Economics Ho Chi Minh City were Prof. Dr. Su Dinh Thanh - President of UEH; Dr. Dinh Cong Khai - Vice President of UEH; Assoc. Prof. Dr. Pham Khanh Nam - Rector of the UEH College of Economics, Law and Government; Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Phong Nguyen - Standing Deputy Head of the Department of Research - Development and Global Engagement; and Dr. Nguyen Kim Duc - Vice Director of the Institute for Regional Development Research and Consulting. Representing the partners were Mr. Nguyen Duc Hien - Deputy Head of the Central Policy and Strategy Commission and Mr. Nguyen Hoa Cuong - Vice Director of the Institute for Policy and Strategy Research.

Speaking at the meeting, Prof. Dr. Su Dinh Thanh - President of UEH, shared: “Today's meeting is a significant milestone, marking the collaboration between the University of Economics Ho Chi Minh City, the Central Policy and Strategy Commission, and the Institute for Policy and Strategy Research. It opens a journey of connecting knowledge with practice, linking academic research with national policymaking. We believe that by jointly developing strategies, plans, and annual socio-economic reports, researching new growth models linked to innovation, science-technology, and digital transformation, as well as promoting trends in the green, digital, and circular economies, we will co-create breakthrough solutions. UEH is committed to mobilizing its full academic resources, expert teams, and international partnership network to accompany localities, businesses, and government agencies, contributing to the realization of Vietnam's sustainable development goals, and enhancing its competitiveness and integration in the new era.”

Prof. Dr. Su Dinh Thanh - President of UEH, speaking at the meeting.

Mr. Nguyen Duc Hien - Deputy Head of the Central Policy and Strategy Commission, and Mr. Nguyen Hoa Cương - Vice Director of the Institute for Policy and Strategy Research, highlighted the significance of the partnership with UEH. They stated that this is a promising step, opening opportunities to mobilize in-depth academic resources to directly serve the advisory work of building and adjusting socio-economic development strategies, plans, and policies at national, regional, and local levels. Both units highly valued UEH's scientific and technological capacity and its network of experts, especially its ability to combine academic research with practical implementation. This synergy will contribute to creating breakthrough solutions for innovating growth models, promoting digital and green transitions, enhancing competitiveness, and achieving sustainable development goals.

At the meeting, the parties discussed and agreed on future strategic cooperation directions, specifically:

+ Strategic cooperation in socio-economic development and planning: The parties will coordinate in building local socio-economic development strategies, plans, and master plans; evaluate development outcomes and formulate scenarios and solutions for sustainable growth; research and propose new economic models such as the digital economy, green economy, sharing economy, circular economy, and night-time economy; and conduct research aligned with the Politburo's Resolutions and current issues at national, local, and industry levels, aiming for sustainable development by 2030 with a vision to 2045.

+ Analysis of growth, industries, and value chains: Assessing the quality of growth and local economic restructuring; building new growth models linked to science-technology, innovation, and digital transformation; developing the digital economy, smart cities, and innovative ecosystems; enhancing the competitiveness of industry clusters and optimizing logistics; establishing a set of provincial-level criteria; upgrading value chains and supporting small and medium-sized enterprises; piloting electricity exports and proposing solutions for greenhouse gas emission reduction by 2030, with a vision to 2050.

+ Science, technology, innovation, and digital transformation: The parties will jointly research and propose mechanisms to support businesses in technological innovation and the adoption of environmentally friendly business models; develop strategies and plans to enhance business competitiveness through the application of science-technology, innovation, and digital transformation, and develop co-creation models; prepare annual reports and evaluate and enhance sci-tech potential; formulate digital transformation strategies for the public sector; support enterprise restructuring and develop a set of indicators to assess the digital capacity of provincial-level officials and civil servants.

+ Key thematic reports: The parties will develop reports analyzing global trends and proposing growth models linked to science-technology, innovation, and sustainable development; improve local governance; promote the green economy and the "net-zero" emissions target; propose policies to enhance infrastructure and institutions for the private sector; and compile macroeconomic reports, annual economic reports for HCMC, and a set of evaluation indicators for local management and administration.

+ Organizing forums and scientific conferences: In 2025, the annual "Vietnam Development Forum" and the sci-tech forum "Science and Technology for Development" are planned, along with national conferences on the private economy, public finance, and tax policy in the context of digital transformation and sustainable development in Vietnam.

+ Research-oriented publications: A book titled "New Economic Models and Best Practices in Localities in the New Development Era" is scheduled for release in December 2025, compiling innovative practices with reference value for policymaking. Policy research centered on the "four pillar" Resolutions will also be conducted.

Delegates in discussion at the meeting.

The collaborative meeting once again affirms UEH's pioneering efforts in linking research with practice and closely connecting with national strategic planning bodies. The synergy between UEH, the Central Policy and Strategy Commission, and the Institute for Policy and Strategy Research will promote knowledge transfer and interdisciplinary research while aiming to build breakthrough policy solutions that meet the country's development needs in the new era.

Through these discussions, in the future, a team of UEH experts will directly participate in the process of strategic research, building socio-economic reports, and proposing new growth models, as well as digital and green transitions for localities. This is a strategic step, creating a foundation for all parties to expand cooperation and co-create initiatives of national significance, contributing to the realization of modern, deeply integrated, and sustainable development goals.