International cooperation to effectively serve the political tasks of the Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics

International cooperation has been constantly renewed comprehensively in all aspects of activities, making an important contribution to the accomplishment of the Academy’s common political tasks - Photo: hcma.vn

Since the Nguyen Ai Quoc Senior Party School now the Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics was established, in the Viet Bac War Zone, international cooperation activities have been deployed through the relationship of the Central Committee of the Party with the Communist International, countries under the leadership of the fraternal communist party in receiving and spreading materials and experiences in teaching and studying Marxism - Leninism; invited experts from socialist countries to teach some basic theoretical subjects and train and foster international cadres.

In order to improve the quality and efficiency, specialize in international cooperation, serve key political tasks in training and fostering cadres, and advising on policies for the Party Central Committee and the Government, on November 04, 1981, the Director of the Nguyen Ai Quoc Senior Party School issued Decision No. 83/QD on the establishment of the External Affairs Working Group of the Central Nguyen Ai Quoc Party School, then the International Committee and became the Department of International Cooperation from October 25, 1993 (according to Decision No. 195/QD-TC of the Academy’s President); with the task of strengthening international cooperation, directly serving the teaching, scientific research and cadre training for some friend countries.

Since then, international cooperation has been continuously expanded and developed in both width and depth.

Over the years, international cooperation has been constantly renewed comprehensively in all aspects of activities and achieved remarkable results, making an important contribution to the accomplishment of the Academy’s common political tasks in the trend of global integration.

To date, the Academy has established relationships with more than 200 international partners, including special and traditional friendships, comprehensive strategic partnerships and new strategic partnerships, as well as political parties and governments of more than 60 countries around the world. The Academy has also established cooperation relationships in training, fostering staff, exchanging and sharing international knowledge with national cadre and civil servant training academies and leading universities in the world.

1. Contributions of international cooperation to the implementation of the Academy’s tasks

Firstly, contribute to improving the quality of cadre training and fostering

International cooperation has directly contributed to improving the quality of cadre training and fostering, especially serving the training of strategic cadres of the political system. Cooperation activities in training and fostering leaders and managers at all levels are implemented through bilateral cooperation with partners such as China, USA, UK, France, Japan, Korea, Singapore, Australia, New Zealand, etc.  and multilateral cooperation (such as United Nations, United Nations Development Program, European Union, World Bank, Asian Development Bank,...).

Cooperation programs are implemented through appointing and inviting high-level experts to speak at training and fostering courses as well as building advanced courses and doing research abroad. The Academy has organized hundreds of fostering courses abroad with thousands of cadres. In which, the partners from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) organized 12 cadre delegations of senior cadres reserve fostering class (the 12th Congress) to conduct practical research in Japan and Korea; organized a senior cadre delegation of senior officials of the Strategic Cadre Class (the 13th Congress) to do research in Japan.

At the same time, international cooperation activities have made an important contribution to the training and fostering of foreign languages and skills to work in an international environment for leaders, managers, lecturers and researchers. members of the Academy, leaders and managers of central agencies and and localities through long-term training (undergraduate, master and doctoral), short-term fostering programs abroad, including Laos, Cuba, China, India, Japan, Korea, UK, USA, France, Germany, Australia, New Zealand, Sweden, Singapore, etc..

Through cooperation programs and projects with international partners, leaders and managers have shared knowledge and strategic leadership skills from international experiences and referred to Vietnam. The Academy has established partnerships with embassies of countries and international organizations, invited politicians, leaders, managers and international experts to give thematic reports in senior cadre reserve classes and refresher courses to update knowledge for strategic cadres (the 13th Congress).

International cooperation activities have contributed to the renewal of contents, programs, curricula, skills and methods of training management, and cadre training and fostering activities.

Fostering program for strategic cadres with dozens of topics by foreign experts; more than 10 programs integrating contents from international cooperation frameworks such as human rights, gender, female leadership, climate change, PAPI index, public policy analysis, international media and communication, etc..

The Academy of Journalism and Propaganda has completed the development of a project on joint training for masters of journalism with the Sydney University of Technology (Australia); Joint training with the University of Vienna (Austria), Middlessex University (United Kingdom), etc..

International projects funded by Australia and FES Institute (Germany) have helped the Academy to train lecturers on Active Teaching Methodology. JICA Japan’s project has helped the Academy to open fostering courses on management of education and training (TOT - Training of Trainers) for lecturers of the Academy system and political schools.

Secondly, contribute to the improvement of capacity, skills, scientific research methods and policy advice

International cooperation in scientific research through projects, research programs, international conferences, seminars and talks, thematic reports, sharing and academic exchanges of leaders, politician at the Academy(1), with the participation of leaders, managers, scientists and advisors of central agencies and localities, has served practically for scientific research and policy advice.

Only since 2015 until now, the Academy has signed more than 30 cooperation projects with international partners, specifically: the Project on translating Ho Chi Minh’s thought and Ho Chi Minh dictionary into Lao language; the Joint research project on the rule of law and socialist market economy in Vietnam and Laos, the Joint research project on Development Experience Exchange Program for Vietnam Vision (DEEP) with KOICA (Korea), the Capacity Building Project of Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics with JICA (Japan), the Local Development Forum Project with Indiana University (USA), the Policy Media Capacity Building Project by the Academy of Journalism and Communication with the European Union and KOICA, the Human Rights Education Project with Australia, the PAPI Project with UNDP.

The results achieved by the project drawn from comparative studies and scientific conclusions of the research team have contributed to providing profound theoretical and practical scientific arguments for Vietnam’s policy making and implementation consultation process, thereby, making an important contribution to the process of training high-level human resources in Vietnam.

Every year, the Academy’s scientists participate in overseas training and fosstering courses, international scientific conferences, seminars and talks to improve their professional capacity and experience, foreign languages and international publication. There are hundreds of articles and monographs that have been published internationally according to the ISI/Scopus index or in the Top 500 leading universities, such as: University of Cambridge, University of Middlesex (UK), Harvard University (USA) ), University of Sydney, University of Melbourne, (Australia), Lund University (Sweden), Yonsei University, Seoul National University (Korea), National University of Singapore, etc..

The expansion of international cooperation activities has directly served to strengthen the capacity of scientific research, policy advice and working in the international environment; at the same time, directly contributed to providing scientific and practical arguments, contributing to perfecting the lines, undertakings, policies and laws of the Party and State, on improving the Party’s leadership and ruling capacity and building and perfecting the socialist rule of law state, contributing to spreading Vietnam’s development model, and establishing Vietnam’s position and stature in the international arena.

International cooperation activities on scientific research and training with the participation of scientists, experts and international organizations have actively contributed to strengthening people-to-people diplomacy and academic diplomacy; strengthening cooperation between scientists and educators, thereby consolidating and deepening the comprehensive friendly cooperation relationship between the Academy and its partners, contributing to fostering solidarity and friendship between the people of Vietnam and people of countries around the world.

Thirdly, directly contribute to the establishment of new disciplines and research directions and new academic institutions of the Academy.

International cooperation has directly contributed to the formation of new scientific disciplines, as well as new academic institutions, including: human rights law, religion, leadership and public policy , gender and female leadership, mass media, external information, recently the Center for Indian Studies, Center for International Knowledge Sharing (CIKS) and Center for Vietnam - Australia (VAC).

The expansion of cooperation with new international partners, especially major countries and strategic partners, and the establishment of new academic institutions have directly served the training and fostering of cadres of the political system, provided policy advice to the Party and State, and at the same time served the Academy’s development strategy. In which, typical examples are the successful development and implementation of key international projects, including the Local Development Forum Project with the University of Indinana, USA, the Project to establish the Center for Vietnam - Australia with Australian Embassy, Vietnam Industry Project with Australian partners, etc..

Fourthly, promote, strengthen and expand cooperation in training and fostering cadres for Laos and the ruling and left-wing political parties.

In particular, the international cooperation of the Academy has contributed to developing training and fostering plans, programs, and contents for leaders and managers, and at the same time, improving the quality and effectiveness of the training and fostering programs for Laos, actively contributing to the promotion of great friendship, special solidarity and comprehensive cooperation between the two parties, the two governments and the two states in the current world and regional context. Through programs of cooperation, exchange, theoretical research, training and fostering of middle and senior cadres of the Lao political system (average 350-500 students each year, including knowledge update classes for leaders and managers, courses fostering on foreign titles, examination, propaganda, mass mobilization, training in political theory, master’s and doctoral degrees, etc.), thousands of students have participated, many of them have become senior leaders of the Lao Party and State, making an important contribution to strengthening the special friendly relationship and comprehensive cooperation between Vietnam and Laos(2).

At the same time, international cooperation has also strengthened and expanded the cooperation in training, fostering and academic exchanges between the Academy and the ruling and left-wing parties in the world, including training and fostering middle and senior leaders for the People’s Revolutionary Party of Cambodia, the ruling Communist Party of Frelimo of Mozambique; next with the Communist Party of Cuba, the Communist Party of South Africa, the Socialist Party of the 21st Century of Venezuela,... at the same time, strengthened theoretical and academic exchange cooperation with other left-wing parties such as the Communist Party of Japan, India, France; other ruling parties such as the SDP of the Federal Republic of Germany, Sweden, etc..

Fifthly, contribute to strengthening the facilities for the Academy

International cooperation activities have contributed to strengthening the material and technical facilities for training, scientific research and many other aspects of the Academy’s work. Typical examples are grant projects, cooperation projects after the end of operation with many equipment handed over to the Academy for continued use such as: Project “Support to build student houses” funded by the Government of China; Project “Support to build the electronic library at the Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics and Public Administration” funded by KOICA; Office Machine Support Project supported by the Embassy of Japan, Technical Assistance Project of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID) and Samsung Complex in Vietnam for the repair and equipping of a number of operating equipment and machinery of the International Knowledge Sharing Center, the Center for Vietnam - Australia, etc..

The Academy’s international cooperation has been adjusted and adapted to the new context (Covid-19 epidemic), contributing to the successful implementation of the Academy’s political tasks, meeting the increasing requirements of cadre training and fostering, research and policy advice for the Party, State and localities.

2. Directions and tasks in the coming time

Continue to thoroughly implement the open foreign policy under the motto that Vietnam wants to be a friend and a reliable partner of all countries in the world on the principle of respecting each other’s independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity, international law, non-interference in each other’s internal affairs outlined in the documents of the Party Congress, and at the same time on the new spirit of an active and proactive foreign policy and comprehensive diplomacy outlined in the Documents of the 13th Party Congress, the Academy’s international cooperation firstly adheres to the Party’s open foreign policy and the State’s comprehensive diplomacy, and at the same time adheres to the Resolution of the 3rd Academy Party Congress, strengthens the leadership and direction of the Academy’s Party Committee, Board of Directors for the international cooperation of the whole Academy; enhancing the quality and efficiency of international cooperation, effectively serving the Academy’s key political tasks, which are cadre training and fostering, scientific research and policy advice.

Through promoting the achieved results, international cooperation activities will strengthen unified, synchronous, disciplined, exemplary and effective management in the spirit of highly promoting positivity, initiative and creativity and flexibility of the units under the Academy and the whole system.

In order to achieve the goals, tasks, the Academy’s international cooperation in the coming time focuses on the following orientations:

Firstly, continue to consolidate, strengthen and expand international cooperation relations in the direction of focus, priority and strategy, promote international resources to serve political tasks, along with increasing priority of cooperation with traditional partners, solidarity, special friendship, strategic partnership and comprehensive strategy is to strengthen the expansion of new partners, scientific institutions for managing and training high-quality human resources in the region and the world.

Secondly, constantly innovate methods and forms and contents of international cooperation activities; diversify forms and modes of cooperation, towards bilateral, multilateral and mixed directions; improve the quality and efficiency of international cooperation activities on the basis of promoting the capacity and initiative of agencies and units under the Academy, in order to approach and selectively absorb the world’s good achievements and experiences in training and fostering senior human resources, scientific researchers, and policy advisors. Improve the quality and effectiveness of training and fostering programs for international learners and students. Actively promote forms of training cooperation with prestigious academies and universities in the world; regularly send or create conditions for Academy cadres to go abroad for training and fostering.

Thirdly, strengthen the capacity, both in terms of qualifications, skills, forecasting research and advice on international cooperation of managers and carry out the international cooperation work of the Academy, firstly of the Department of International Cooperation; strengthen the inspection, urge and guide the implementation of the regulations of the Party and State, the Regulation on international cooperation of the Academy for the construction, organization and implementation of the annual international cooperation plan.

Fourthly, improve the international cooperation management organizations, apparatus and institutions of the Academy system, including formulating and promulgating the international cooperation strategy, associated with the Academy development strategy in general and the cadre, training, fostering and science strategy of the Academy in particular, formulating and promulgating regulations on coordination in international cooperation activities in science and training. Strengthen system management, efficiency while strengthening decentralization and empowerment of the construction, organization and implementation of international cooperation activities for the units under the Academy. Consolidate all departments and units specialized in international cooperation work of the units under the Academy in the direction of efficiency, streamlining, professionalization and specialization. Establish strong research groups in the Academy to share knowledge. Plan partners and cooperation areas for units based on their characteristics and strengths.

Fifthly, improve the quality and efficiency of international cooperation through the application of a framework for analysis and assessment of management capacity and implement international cooperation activities of the Academy; enhance the professionalism of managers and specialists. Strengthen training, fostering and improving professional qualifications and skills of cadres, especially knowledge, skills and experience in translation, interpretation, diplomatic reception, etc..

Raise awareness of the role, position and importance of international cooperation in the implementation of political tasks of the Academy for the leadership and management cadres at all levels of the Academy. Implement preliminary and final summary activities on the implementation of the Party’s regulations, the State’s laws and the Academy’s Regulation on international cooperation.

Sixthly, deploy to build a background database on partners, contents, activities and results of international cooperation throughout the Academy; strengthen the management of international cooperation activities; strengthen the connection system in the Academy and political schools on international cooperation activities; strengthen exchange and share international cooperation experience with domestic and foreign partners.

Seventhly, strengthen the application of information technology, smart management and digitization of international cooperation activities; build a background database of all international cooperation activities of the Academy system and the specialized website in the Academy’s web portal system on international cooperation, which is connected and shared between units in the Academy system.

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Endnotes:

(1) Major international conferences and seminars such as: “Conference to summarize the program of research, exchange of theories, policy consulting, training and fostering of leaders and managers between the Communist Party of Vietnam and the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party” (August 2021); Annual Vietnam - Laos quadrilateral conference with the topic of theory and practice on Ho Chi Minh’s thought and the Vietnamese revolution and Kaysone Phomvihane’s thought and the Lao Revolution, on the road to socialism, and national management by the law, culture and national development according to the Resolution of the XIII Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam and the Resolution of the IX Congress of the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party; International Conference “100 years of development of the Communist Party of China - Exchange of experiences in leadership and national development between the Communist Party of Vietnam and the Communist Party of China” (September 2021), Conference “Digital Transformation and Green Capital: National and Local Leadership and Governance” with a group of Nordic countries, a series of seminars and talks on “Civil service regime, anti-corruption and administrative reform, state governance” of countries, such as England, Japan, France, Singapore and Korea, Russia, international conferences on the topic of leftist movements in Latin America and the world, with high-ranking Party leaders of Cuba, Venezuela, and Latin American countries, the Republic of South Africa, Mozambique, etc..

(2) Up to now, the Academy system has trained and fostered thousands of cadres of the Lao Party and State, including leaders, middle and senior managers, scientists and political theorists. In the period 2015 - 2020, the Academy trained 52 doctors, 140 masters, 305 bachelors in many different specialties. At the same time, the Academy organized 04 advanced political theory classes for 80 students for 05 months; 05 classes of secretariat at district level for 254 students for 2 weeks and professional training courses such as organization, examination, training, foreign affairs, press... for 355 Lao cadres. After graduating from the Academy, Lao students return home to hold important positions in the political system of Laos. The Academy has developed 5 frameworks of training and fostering programs specifically tailored to the target students and specific conditions of Laos. In addition, the Academy also opened scientific cooperation programs with the Laos National Academy of Politics and Public Administration in various forms (government protocol, special ministerial-level project).

ASSOC. PROF., DR. HOANG VAN NGHIA

Director of the Department of International Cooperation,

Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics;

Member of the Presidium of the Vietnam Peace Committee