It's time to export culture.

Vietnam needs to export more than just goods. Vietnam needs to export knowledge, culture, and the Vietnamese soul through books.

Mrs. Ngo Phuong Ly visits the Oodi Central Library in Helsinki and donates a "Vietnamese Book Collection" in October 2025. Photo: Vietnam Communist Party's official website .

I've been thinking about this since 2014. That was the first time I met Ms. Claudia Kaiser, then Vice President of the Frankfurt Book Fair, the world's largest book fair, in Jakarta. It was within the framework of the annual conference of ASEAN Publishers Association leaders, and I, as Head of the International Cooperation and Copyright Department, was appointed by Mr. Nguyen Kiem, President of the Vietnam Publishers Association, and Ms. Quynh Giao, Chief of Office.

During that conversation, I said, "One day, Vietnamese books should be available in major universities around the world."

Claudia smiled broadly and said, "That's a wonderful idea."

Later, I had the opportunity to speak with Mr. Juergen Boos, President of the Frankfurt Book Fair. He also agreed that for a nation to progress through knowledge, books must come first.

Then there was Ms. Bodour Al Qasimi and many other world publishing industry leaders, or Mr. Shake, President of the ASEAN Book Publishers Association and also President of the Malaysian Publishers Association—friends in the Southeast Asian publishing community whom we meet many times each year—all of them supported this idea: “Vietnam doesn’t just need to export goods. Vietnam needs to export knowledge. Export culture. Export the Vietnamese soul through books.”

That's right, because Vietnam has a rich culture. So rich that many people find it hard to believe!

Then I kept pondering and reflecting for the past 12 years. And I kept coming to the conclusion that "the first place to go is the world's major universities." Because universities are not just places for vocational training. Universities are places that shape thought. They are places that nurture those who will lead the future of humanity. If Vietnamese books are not present there, then the voice of Vietnamese knowledge will remain very small on the world map.

Promoting Vietnamese books at the Frankfurt Book Fair 2025.

Having attended international book fairs for many years, I've realized one thing: countries with strong cultural foundations are also very strong at integrating books into their universities. Universities in the US, Canada, Australia, and Europe all have book exhibition booths at the Frankfurt Book Fair. Thanks to my 12 consecutive years of participation, I've connected with dozens of major universities across five continents.

And then I thought about other countries. The Japanese do it. The Koreans do it. The Germans, the French, the British, the Americans all do it. They don't just sell books. They spread cultural influence.

A book entering a university library can sometimes be worth more than a thousand travel advertisements. Because when students read a book about a country, they begin to understand that country. When they understand, truly understand, they appreciate and cherish it. And when they understand, appreciate, and cherish it, cooperation will open up.

Therefore, I hope that today, right now, we will begin a great journey. Let's work together to bring Vietnamese books to universities in Germany, France, England, and the United States first. Then, to Japan, South Korea, Australia, Singapore, India, and throughout the world. Not just Vietnamese books, but also translated English, German, and French books. Not just books on culture and literature, but also books on business, history, meditation, education, economics, science, children's books, and books about Vietnamese values.

This is no longer just a matter for the publishing industry. This is a national strategic issue. In the context of Vietnam's recent Resolution 80-NQ/TW on cultural development and the orientation of cultural industries, along with important goals for the publishing industry, bringing Vietnamese books to the world is no longer an option. It is a matter of survival.

For a nation to go far intellectually, books must become its "ambassadors." For a country to develop sustainably, culture must go hand in hand with the economy. And for culture to go far, books must embark on this journey.

I have always believed that Vietnamese people have so much beauty to offer the world.

The spirit of learning, compassion, perseverance, the ability to overcome difficulties, spiritual depth, cultural harmony, mindfulness... all of these, if not written down, published, translated, and introduced into the world's leading universities, will forever remain within our own borders.

It's time for Vietnamese books to go further. Not to show off, but to contribute. Not to compete, but to work with humanity to build a more knowledgeable, humane, and enlightened world.

I believe that one day, the bookshelves of Harvard, Oxford, Sorbonne, or Heidelberg will be filled with Vietnamese books. And then, Vietnam, including its publishing industry, will have a completely different mindset. At that point, there will be no need to discuss or dream about the development of our national publishing industry. We will have a publishing industry of our own, and as an industry, it must be measured by impressive figures – not just the number of publishing units (both state-owned and private), but also by revenue, profits, and contributions to the state budget through taxes.

Source: https://znews.vn/da-den-luc-xuat-khau-van-hoa-post1652894.html