Hanoi is facing increasingly complex development challenges, including improving urban governance and infrastructure, tackling traffic congestion and environmental pollution, and promoting digital transformation, innovation and green economic growth.
Alongside financial resources and policy mechanisms, human resources are important to addressing these challenges.
The city has listed 30 “major challenges” for the 2026–30 period. The approach shifts attention from administrative tasks to strategic issues that require comprehensive, long-term and breakthrough solutions in line with the spirit of Politburo Resolution 57.
Ngô Minh Hoàng, former deputy director of the Hanoi Department of Home Affairs, said high-quality human resources are becoming a decisive factor in a major city’s governance capacity, labour productivity, innovation and competitiveness.
“An important part of implementing Resolution 57 is establishing a targeted investment mechanism for human resources. Training and professional development should be linked to recruitment needs and the practical challenges facing the city,” Hoàng said.
Hanoi is prioritising human resource development in three groups of fields.
The first covers science, technology, innovation and digital transformation, including artificial intelligence, big data, semiconductor technology, automation and the operation of the city’s digital platforms.
The second comprises experts and scientists directly involved in researching and proposing solutions to major challenges, particularly in urban planning, infrastructure, environmental management, pollution control and intelligent transport systems.
The third covers human resources for key sectors and occupations, with the aim of reaching advanced regional and international standards. These include high-tech engineering, high-quality services, public administration and legal affairs.
For doctoral candidates working on the city’s major challenges, Hanoi has introduced support covering living expenses, research, international scientific publications, participation in international conferences and dissertation completion.
The policy is intended to let candidates focus on their research and direct it towards issues for which the city urgently needs solutions.
The Hanoi Department of Science and Technology has also issued preliminary guidance on support for doctoral candidates studying at domestic educational institutions. The city plans to select 100 candidates for support in 2026.
Under the guidance, a candidate’s field of study and dissertation topic must directly contribute, or have the potential to contribute in practice, to resolving the city’s major challenges.
Research topics should stem from real-world needs, demonstrate scientific rigour, originality and feasibility, and aim to produce results that can be applied or transferred.
Using human resources effectively
In addition to supporting doctoral candidates, the city has introduced postgraduate training policies for cadres, civil servants and public employees. It also provides support for outstanding pupils and students and those studying in key sectors and occupations.
Identifying and developing high-quality human resources from an early stage is another priority.
The city is helping outstanding pupils and students access high-quality educational institutions while linking financial support to responsibilities and commitments to contribute after their studies.
“However, the effectiveness of these policies depends not only on the level of financial support but also on how they are implemented and how trained personnel are subsequently deployed,” Hoàng said.
“Beneficiaries must fulfil their commitments, while those who fail to complete their programmes or meet the regulations must repay the support received,” she said.
The city is ready to invest in people, but the investment must target the right beneficiaries, meet actual needs and ultimately create value for Hanoi’s development, she added.
Sources: Viet Nam News
