"Call" for scientific and technological talents to come back and help the country - Part 1: Respecting talents - the source of the nation

(PLVN) - "Are you ready, Uncle?". "Uncle, I am ready to return home" - That was the answer of Mr. Pham Quang Le (later Tran Dai Nghia) to the old man with bright eyes, Ho Chi Minh, nearly 80 years ago, in September 1946. Currently, the country is also facing turning points, opportunities, and great challenges of the era that require the "readiness" of our compatriots abroad, especially scientists and experts in science and technology.

A peaceful country must have talented people as its foundation.

The legend of Saint Giong not only tells about the heroic boat but also conveys a message about valuing talented people. (Photo: Wikipedia)

Frankly, for many reasons, our country did not have many conditions to promote and develop science and technology in the past. However, the idea of ​​“recruiting talented people” and valuing talented people has always been a consistent tradition of the nation.

We can start with an epic legend – the story of Saint Giong. Vietnamese legend tells that the 3-year-old boy did not speak or laugh for 3 years, but when the country was invaded, the enemy was lurking outside the border, he suddenly transformed into a giant and volunteered to go to the front line to fight the enemy and protect the country.

A legend that is not only beautiful but also contains many messages from our ancestors. Because of the "strange" request of the 3-year-old boy: "Go and tell the king to forge me an iron horse, an iron sword, an iron armor and an iron helmet, I will drive away the evil enemy". What is even more strange is that this request was not only not rejected, but was also trusted by the king to carry out.

The boy from Gióng village could not have become a talented person - a hero of the nation if he had not believed and placed his trust in that seemingly "crazy" proposal.

Although the country's history has had its ups and downs, "although strength and weakness vary from time to time", there have always been heroes in every generation. Therefore, looking forward to talented people and valuing talented people has become the strength for the nation to overcome many challenges.

From Le Loi "treating guests well", "raising the wise", "giving courtesy to the heroes and heroes" in Lam Son mountains to Quang Trung three times bringing letters and gifts to invite La Son Phu Tu; from Chieu Cau Hien in 1429 "to have a prosperous government, one must have talented people" to "talent is the lifeblood of the nation" in 1484; Chieu Lap Hoc, Chieu Cau Hien Tai around 1788-1789 all affirmed one truth: "to build a nation, one must consider education as the first priority, to have a peaceful country, one must select talented people as the foundation" - to build a nation, one must consider education as the first priority, to have a peaceful country, one must select talented people as the foundation.

The motherland calls, overseas Vietnamese respond

80 years ago, after uprisings were drowned in blood, not willing to endure the life of slaves forever, our people rose up together, making the "earth-shaking" August Revolution.

“Vietnam has the right to enjoy freedom and independence, and in fact has become a free and independent country” – the majestic declaration in Ba Dinh Square that autumn afternoon was also the sacred oath of twenty million Vietnamese people: Even if we have to sacrifice our lives and property, we must be determined to maintain that freedom and independence.

In the country's precarious situation after independence, in the summer of 1946, President Ho Chi Minh made a historic visit to France to support the Fontainebleau Conference in its quest for independence and unification for Vietnam. However, the conference failed.

President Ho Chi Minh with Professor Tran Dai Nghia (Photo).

Preparing to return with the entire nation to enter the inevitable fierce resistance war, before leaving France, he spoke to a number of patriotic overseas Vietnamese: The country is preparing for resistance, and is in great need of educated and dedicated people like you. Uncle is about to return home. You guys prepare so that we can leave in a few days. Are you ready?

With a passionate spirit of patriotism, four Vietnamese intellectuals who became famous in France at that time, including Pham Quang Le (Tran Dai Nghia) - weapons and aviation engineer; Tran Huu Tuoc - doctor, Vo Quy Huan - metallurgical engineer and Vo Dinh Quynh - mining engineer, enthusiastically returned to the country with Uncle Ho to participate in the resistance war against France.

The decision of the four scientists and experts to return home at that time was a terrible trade-off, between France - the "city of light" with high salaries and a bright future - and poverty, even facing loss, danger and sacrifice.

There were people like Mr. Vo Quy Huan who even accepted to “leave behind” his young wife and young children. “He must have gone through moments of hesitation and consideration when having to leave his young wife and young children, it was not easy. And he returned to join the resistance at the call of the Fatherland. His heart was filled with love for the country,” Professor Tran Dai Nghia recounted when writing about his comrade.

It was their "hearts filled with love for their country" that was the driving force and great strength for them - the talented experts and engineers at that time - to accept leaving France to help "their Fatherland, their compatriots".

Throughout the flow of national history, the Party and State's policies have always affirmed: the Vietnamese community abroad is an inseparable part of the great national unity bloc.

“Despite differences in political views, historical experiences or living conditions, they all carry national pride, are all “Vietnamese citizens” and have a deep nostalgia for the two words “Homeland”, General Secretary To Lam affirmed in the article “Vietnam is one, the Vietnamese people are one”, May 2025.

“Our overseas compatriots in many countries always turn to the Fatherland, contributing both their intelligence and financial resources to the homeland in many different ways. […] all stem from the heart always turning to the origin, from the spirit of great solidarity of the descendants of Lac Hong no matter where they are,” the head of our Party once again emphasized in the article “Promoting the strength of great national solidarity to develop the country” recently (November 12, 2025).

In the new era, the country needs the "joint efforts" of Vietnamese people around the world.

The article "Looking for talented and virtuous people" by President Ho Chi Minh was published in the newspaper Cuu Quoc on November 20, 1946.

During his lifetime, President Ho Chi Minh was a person who understood and always appreciated the great role of talented people for the country. The call to “Find talented and virtuous people” that he wrote and published in the Cuu Quoc Newspaper on November 20, 1946 still has its full value today:

“The country needs to be built. Construction requires talented people. Among the 20 million compatriots, there is certainly no shortage of talented and virtuous people. I am afraid that the Government does not listen to or see everywhere, so that talented and virtuous people cannot come from here. I admit that shortcoming. Now, if we want to correct that and make good use of talented people, localities must immediately investigate where there are talented and virtuous people who can do things that benefit the country and the people, and must report immediately to the Government. The report must clearly state: name, age, occupation, talent, aspirations and residence of that person. Within one month, local agencies must report in full.”

After 80 years of independence, 40 years of comprehensive innovation and deep integration, our country has achieved significant and epochal achievements. Vietnam has established diplomatic relations with 195 countries in the world, strategic relations with major countries, especially, the highest level of relations - comprehensive strategic partnership with all 5 countries of the United Nations Security Council.

Vietnam has sufficient "position and strength" to confidently enter the new era - the era of rising up, realizing the sacred testament of beloved Uncle Ho about a peaceful, unified, independent, democratic and prosperous Vietnam, making a worthy contribution to the world revolutionary cause.

However, the country is also facing unprecedented challenges. “Other countries are not waiting for us and we cannot say ‘wait for us’. The risk of falling behind and the middle-income trap is always lurking if we cannot find a new path and new steps,” General Secretary To Lam said at a meeting with former Party and State leaders, outstanding veteran officials, intellectual representatives, scientists, artists and writers from southern provinces and cities on the morning of January 9, 2025, and said that this is the starting point for calculations on strategic orientation.

We must keep up with the world and beat the rhythm of the times. One of the pillars, calculations and strategic directions of our country in the new era is to strongly promote the development of science and technology, innovation and national digital transformation. This is considered a top important breakthrough, the main driving force to rapidly develop modern productive forces, perfect production relations, innovate national governance methods, develop the economy and society, prevent the risk of falling behind, and bring the country to breakthrough development and prosperity in the new era.

General Secretary To Lam (then General Secretary and President) with outstanding overseas Vietnamese attending the 4th Conference of Overseas Vietnamese around the world and the Forum of Vietnamese Intellectuals and Experts Abroad, August 2024. (Photo: Lam Khanh/VNA)

In that process, scientists are identified as key factors. And one of the top important tasks set out in Resolution No. 57-NQ/TW dated December 22, 2024 of the Politburo on breakthroughs in science, technology, innovation and national digital transformation is to mobilize and call upon the strength and intelligence of the Vietnamese community abroad, especially talented scientists, experts and engineers.

“Issuing a special mechanism to attract overseas Vietnamese and highly qualified foreigners to work and live in Vietnam. Having a special mechanism on naturalization, home and land ownership, income, and working environment to attract, employ, and retain leading scientists, experts, and “chief engineers” at home and abroad who are capable of organizing, operating, commanding, and implementing key national tasks on science and technology, innovation, digital transformation, developing artificial intelligence technology, and training human resources. Building, connecting, and developing a network of domestic and international experts and scientists,” Resolution 57-NQ/TW requires.

Institutionalizing the policy of the Resolution, on June 27, 2025, the Law on Science, Technology and Innovation 2025 (Law No. 93/2025/QH15) was passed by the National Assembly and officially took effect from October 1, 2025. The Law not only plays a role in shaping a new legal corridor, replacing the old law, but also brings many fundamental innovations.

According to the Ministry of Science and Technology, one of the outstanding new points is that the Law has established more attractive financial and non-financial remuneration policies for talents and high-quality human resources in science, technology, innovation and digital transformation; Allowing flexible remuneration mechanisms, including mechanisms beyond the salary framework, to attract, retain and promote talents, especially Vietnamese experts abroad.

It can be said that up to now, from the policy to the initial legal corridor to promote the development of science and technology, including attracting Vietnamese experts and scientists abroad to contribute to the country, there has been. But how to make the provisions of the law come into life? So that Vietnamese scientific and technological talents abroad really have the best conditions and mechanisms to contribute to the Fatherland, these are issues that need to be concretized soon?

(To be continued)

Source: https://baophapluat.vn/loi-hieu-trieu-nhan-tai-khoa-hoc-cong-nghe-ve-giup-nuoc-bai-1-trong-dung-hien-tai-mach-nguon-cua-dan-toc.html