Memories - Beliefs and Aspirations

"Memories - Beliefs and Aspirations - A Journey of Understanding Vietnam's Economic Development Model" is a highly valuable work by Dr. Tran Du Lich, former Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Institute of Economics and a member of the National Assembly for the 9th, 12th, and 13th terms, published by the Ho Chi Minh City General Publishing House. Written by the author at the age of seventy, the book is the culmination of a life journey filled with tireless work, reflections, and dedication to the country's development.

Báo Đồng Nai•10/01/2026

Scenes from the book launch and discussion event for "Memories - Beliefs and Aspirations - A Journey of Understanding Vietnam's Economic Development Model." Photo: Lam Vien

The book launch and discussion event, recently held at Ho Chi Minh City Book Street, attracted a large number of guests and book lovers.

A personal memoir and journey of self-discovery.

In the continuous flow of socio-economic life, there are individuals who quietly journey alongside history, contemplating the nation's destiny, leaving behind a legacy of knowledge, responsibility, and unwavering faith in the nation's future. As the former Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Institute of Economics, a member of the National Assembly for the 9th, 12th, and 13th terms, and a researcher and economic policy consultant, Dr. Tran Du Lich is deeply involved in the development and reform of the country. Reading the pages of his book, "Memories - Beliefs and Aspirations - A Journey of Understanding the Vietnamese Economic Development Model," readers will not only understand and appreciate his more than 70-year life journey but also gain insight into his thought process, perspective, and the formation of Vietnam's economic development orientations throughout different historical periods.

This book is not simply a personal memoir, but through its stories, it reveals the journey of innovation and development of the Vietnamese economy. Over 400 pages long, it is divided into three parts. The first part, "Memories of Life," covers the author's childhood in Binh Dinh, through his years of earning a living, studying, and entering adulthood at the age of 15. The second part, "Memories of Years of Work," chronicles the author's contributions to Ho Chi Minh City, the Central Government, and the National Assembly. The third part, "The Journey of Understanding the Vietnamese Economic Development Model," summarizes the author's understanding of the Vietnamese market economy model through stories and some research papers.

The author's appeal

In the main stage area of Ho Chi Minh City Book Street, the book launch and discussion event for Dr. Tran Du Lich attracted a large audience. Besides invited guests, many book lovers and admirers came to listen to the story of their beloved author. It's rare to find an author whose name evokes not only interest in academic titles and degrees, but also in his candid speeches in the National Assembly. These speeches possess not only intellectual depth but also a broad, comprehensive scope, reaching international levels, accumulated throughout his years of study, practical work, and research abroad.

The book launch and meet-and-greet event attracted a large number of attendees.

As a contemporary and long-time colleague of Dr. Tran Du Lich, Ms. Pham Phuong Thao, former Deputy Secretary of the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee and former Chairwoman of the Ho Chi Minh City People's Council, shared: “Reading through this three-part book, we can see the image of a person who always had the will and determination to strive. From a difficult childhood, losing his mother early, and having to work various jobs to make a living, he never gave up on his studies to contribute to the country and to life. Reading the book, we see that Dr. Tran Du Lich did all kinds of jobs, from collecting cow dung, doing laundry, working as a construction laborer, tutoring… to earn money for his studies and help his family. Dr. Tran Du Lich always had the striving spirit, the belief, and the aspiration, as he said: belief is belief in himself, belief in the future, belief in the development of the country, and aspiration is the burning desire to constantly strive forward…”

Also at the book launch and exchange event, Dr. Nguyen Khac Canh, a senior lecturer and former Vice Rector of the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Vietnam National University Ho Chi Minh City, shared: “I am a younger generation than the author, but we were in the same class of Russian language students studying in the Soviet Union, so he considered me a close friend. When we went to the Soviet Union, we lived in the same city of Leningrad (now Saint Petersburg) and were in the same student group. I was a student, and he was a postgraduate researcher. That was in 1982-1983. Occasionally, we would visit him. My impression of him was when I heard him talk about market economics, marketing… At that time, we were very surprised and unfamiliar with those concepts. Naturally, I felt a belief that with these fresh ideas, he would surely make some contribution to promoting the development of the country.”

"Memories - Beliefs and Aspirations - A Journey of Understanding Vietnam's Economic Development Model" is a work imbued with the passion of Dr. Tran Du Lich, offering valuable information and stories that are practical and relevant not only to professionals interested in the development of Vietnam's economy but also to a wide audience, inspiring the younger generation with positive messages.

Lam Vien

During casual conversations over drinks, a close friend suggested I write down my life story. My first step was to sift through two large cardboard boxes containing all my articles and research papers. I looked through them and found a series of events from 1990 to the present, and I pieced these events together into stories about my life and work. First, for myself, to remember how I lived and worked. Second, I hoped these stories would be helpful to someone else, as a kind of journey of experience…