Dr. Hoang The Ban, a Vietnamese expatriate in Japan and director of the Vietnam-Japan Training and Technology Transfer Center at the Ho Chi Minh City High-Tech Park, guides students in practicing robotics automation – Photo: TU TRUNG
The event included an opening ceremony, a forum, and four thematic sessions throughout August 22nd. Overseas Vietnamese actively contributed with over 70 presentations, offering numerous opinions in areas such as high technology, economics , trade and investment, national unity, legal policies, culture, and the Vietnamese language.
Bringing Vietnam to the world stage
Despite having spent many years away from their homeland and making tireless contributions to world science , they all affirm that they always remain connected to their roots and offer suggestions for the development of the country using their expertise.
Professor Nghiem Duc Long – President of the Vietnamese Intellectuals Association in Australia, Director of the Center for Water and Wastewater Science and Technology (University of Technology Sydney, Australia) – is concerned about the need for a special mechanism to leverage the advisory role of leading Vietnamese intellectuals worldwide on domestic issues. He proposes piloting an online university to bring lectures, curricula, and scientific guidance from top Vietnamese intellectuals to Vietnamese students.
Professor Nguyen Thi Kim Thanh – a member of the European Academy of Sciences and deputy dean at University College London (UK) – proposed that Vietnam host the World Science Forum in 2026. Professor Thanh confidently stated that this would be a rare opportunity for Vietnam to enhance its international standing and prestige, improve its national image, and thereby attract new investments.
Dr. Le Viet Quoc – an artificial intelligence (AI) expert at Google – emphasized that Vietnam needs to recognize that its greatest asset is its people. Based on this, he suggested that the government should invest heavily in AI education, especially at the university level; proposing that Vietnam should establish an Asia-class university specializing in AI with in-depth training programs from the early years. At the same time, Vietnam should also establish a high-level advisory council on chips and AI.
Offering advice to young Vietnamese people passionate about AI, Mr. Quoc said that most current software and models are open source, and young people should contribute to these open-source programs. According to him, this is the best way to learn and to understand what world-class AI research is like.
“Today, Big Tech companies like Google, Facebook, Microsoft, OpenAI… are leading the industry. Therefore, becoming an intern or doing research at these Big Tech companies is the best way to learn skills and work on large projects. In addition, young people can read articles and work on projects, uploading them to GitHub to showcase their work to others,” he shared with Tuổi Trẻ newspaper.
A discussion session on high technology with the participation of representatives from domestic ministries and agencies and overseas Vietnamese – Photo: DANH KHANG
Despite its immense impact, science and technology cannot replace cultural identity or change our personal values. As Vietnamese people, no matter where we live, we remain Vietnamese. These are the core values of our being and our identity.
Professor Nghiem Duc Long (Chairman of the Association of Vietnamese Intellectuals in Australia)Riding the wave of investment in the semiconductor industry.
Vietnam is considered to have many advantages for the development of the semiconductor industry, such as strong political will, a favorable investment and business environment, a high-quality workforce, strategic and comprehensive partnerships with most countries with developed semiconductor industries, and some of the world's largest reserves of rare earth elements.
During the thematic session "Overseas Vietnamese and the Development of High-Tech in Vietnam," Mr. Duong Minh Tien, an overseas Vietnamese from South Korea and an expert in chip packaging, stated that according to a report by the IDC Institute (USA), by 2028, market demand in the chip industry will exceed production capacity. This will lead to a wave of investment in expanding and building factories in the packaging and testing sector. Therefore, he believes Vietnam needs to prepare its resources to readily welcome this investment wave.
Speaking to Tuổi Trẻ newspaper, Mr. Tiến expressed positive optimism about the future of the semiconductor industry in Vietnam. He suggested that Vietnam should have a fund to support businesses investing in this field. He also stated that Vietnam is currently considered a safe place for investment, minimizing risks related to trade wars and geopolitical conflicts.
“Vietnam needs to seize this opportunity to reform its institutions and administration, decentralizing power to the grassroots level to make investment procedures faster, more open, and more transparent. Large businesses will have social responsibility, and if Vietnam offers incentives, they will be willing to support career guidance for students. Businesses have experience and standardized processes, and Vietnam has resources, so we need to find ways to leverage the experience of businesses and support them in expanding production for mutual benefit,” Mr. Tien said.
Furthermore, Mr. Tien also stated that while semiconductors are a global industry, they are highly localized, therefore Vietnamese students need to focus on improving their foreign language skills to be ready for the future.
Speaking at the conference, Eric Nguyen, a Vietnamese expatriate in Germany and a member of the National Innovation Network in Germany, emphasized the need to focus on researching rare earth mining technology, given that Vietnam ranks second in the world in rare earth reserves, accounting for 18% of global reserves. He suggested that the government and scientists could collaborate to develop a plan for efficiently exploiting rare earth resources: "The US, Canada, and China are currently mastering rare earth mining technology. Vietnam has good diplomatic policies; we can leverage our connections with major countries to master this technology."
Graphics: TUAN ANH
We cherish all contributions from our fellow citizens.
This is the first time the Forum of Vietnamese Intellectuals and Experts Abroad has been held within the framework of the World Conference of Overseas Vietnamese. This event was organized under the direct guidance of Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh during his official visit to Australia and New Zealand in March of this year.
Therefore, in his concluding remarks and guidance at the event, before hundreds of overseas Vietnamese, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh expressed his emotion at the heartfelt sharing and sense of responsibility towards their homeland shown by our compatriots abroad.
Pointing out that the world is undergoing rapid, profound, complex, and unpredictable changes, with challenges intertwined with opportunities, the Prime Minister emphasized that the more difficulties and challenges the Vietnamese people face, the more united and cohesive they become to overcome them together. “That is the value and identity of the Vietnamese nation. The world is changing, but the identity and values of the Vietnamese people remain unchanged. If there is change, it can only be for the better,” he said.
Affirming that the Party and State always consider the Vietnamese community abroad as an inseparable part of the Vietnamese nation, the Prime Minister affirmed that the country cherishes the feelings and understands the aspirations and valuable contributions of overseas Vietnamese, no matter where they are. “We always strive to ‘listen thoroughly, see clearly, and fully understand’ the aspirations and contributions of the Vietnamese community abroad,” he emphasized.
"I request that ministries, departments, and localities absorb, listen to, and respond to the valuable contributions of the people. In particular, it should be noted that along with contributions in material wealth, contributions in intellect, ideas, initiatives, and scientific and technological knowledge from the people are valuable resources for national development," the Prime Minister said.
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh visits the exhibition area about overseas Vietnamese – Photo: DANH KHANG
We look forward to receiving many suggestions from overseas Vietnamese on new areas.
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh expressed his hope that Vietnamese people living abroad would continue to propose groundbreaking and innovative ideas, and offer concrete solutions to contribute to the development of the country.
“In particular, regarding science, technology, and innovation, I am pleased to know that Vietnamese intellectuals and experts are a very strong human resource at universities, research institutes, and multinational corporations in many countries. I urge you all to contribute ideas, especially on the development of science and technology and new fields such as semiconductors and AI, and to propose specific projects, replicate good practices and effective models, and directly participate in their implementation,” the Prime Minister shared.
Within the framework of the conference, overseas Vietnamese businesses and organizations signed 10 memoranda of understanding with domestic agencies, organizations, and businesses in the fields of technology transfer, human resource training, communication, etc.
* Dr. Le Viet Quoc (AI researcher at Google):
Harnessing the energy of youth in the AI revolution.
I was born in Hue, central Vietnam. I left my hometown to study abroad at the age of 19. I've lived overseas for 23 years now, but Vietnam is always in my dreams. No matter which city I go to in the world, I have to find pho to eat. I'm proud to have eaten pho on every continent in the world; the only continent I haven't eaten pho on is Antarctica.
My journey with AI began in 2004, and it's now been 20 years. My passion for science was ignited in me from childhood when I realized that AI was the key to unlocking future revolutions.
When I left, talking about AI probably meant no one knew what it was. But when I returned to Vietnam to talk to young people, I saw their passion for AI and was very happy to see them present their research on AI. I think this energy is sometimes even better than in Silicon Valley. I hope that Vietnam can leverage the energy of its youth to join the AI revolution more quickly.
Last week I attended the AI Generation Conference in Ho Chi Minh City. The program also brought several foreign experts and overseas Vietnamese to Vietnam to speak. Next year, some of my friends and colleagues will be organizing a semiconductor conference, hopefully in Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City. This is a way to bring ideas and energy from abroad to Vietnam.
* Mr. JOHNATHAN HANH NGUYEN (Vietnamese expatriate from the Philippines, Chairman of Lien Thai Binh Duong Group):
The best time for overseas Vietnamese to return to do business.
Having invested and done business in Vietnam for many years, I believe that now is the best opportunity for overseas Vietnamese to return and do business in Vietnam. The government should have a strategy to attract overseas Vietnamese students and young people to intern and start businesses, and participate in community projects in Vietnam to help them connect with their roots and bring new initiatives, contributing to the country's development.
To fully utilize your potential and leverage the new technologies you create, I suggest the government implement a sandbox mechanism, allowing for experiments without requiring numerous permits.
Although Vietnam has made significant progress in improving its investment environment, there is still a need to enhance transparency and simplify procedures. A one-stop mechanism specifically for overseas Vietnamese should be considered – one that can provide information, advice, and quickly resolve legal issues related to investment.
* Mr. NGUYEN NGOC MAI KHANH (Vietnamese expatriate in Japan, senior manager at Marvell Vietnam):
The overseas Vietnamese network is very valuable to the high-tech industry.
I returned to Vietnam five months ago, after 15 years of working and researching at the University of Tokyo (Japan). I returned both to participate in the microchip industry in Vietnam and to teach at universities in Ho Chi Minh City, training students in English and providing them with the knowledge and expertise in microchips to better align with global engineering standards.
The goal is to train 50,000 high-quality personnel for Vietnam's semiconductor industry.
It's great, but also very challenging. I believe that the overseas Vietnamese network in the microchip industry can expand support and training not only domestically but also from abroad.
Based on my experience working at the University of Tokyo, the advantage for overseas Vietnamese is their ability to leverage the host country's policies regarding equipment, technology, and resources. If such a large network can be established, it will allow them to take advantage of the host country's incentives to help their homeland, while also creating a bridge between Vietnam and developed countries.
Tuoitre.vn
Source: https://tuoitre.vn/kieu-bao-hien-ke-phat-trien-cong-nghe-cao-20240823084736758.htm
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