General Secretary of the Communist Party of Viet Nam Central Committee and President To Lam met representatives of Vietnamese experts and intellectuals in Belgium and Luxembourg on October 24 local time during his official visit to Belgium.
Vietnamese Ambassador to Belgium and Head of the Vietnamese Mission to the European Union Nguyen Huong Tra briefed attendees on Vietnamese intellectuals, experts and scientists who live, study, conduct research and work in Belgium and Luxembourg, as well as France, the Netherlands and Austria.
The experts proposed making Viet Nam a leading artificial intelligence services hub in Asia; expanding cooperation with Belgium and the EU in nuclear energy, semiconductors and green materials; building a resilience framework for critical infrastructure; developing agricultural biotechnology; creating a circular industrial model from rice straw to green steel; advancing quantum technology from experiments to workforce development; and building laser satellite communications and space connectivity infrastructure.
To Lam said the 14th National Party Congress set the goal of turning Viet Nam into a high-income developed country by 2045. The country can no longer rely on cheap capital, labour and raw resources. Science, technology, innovation and digital transformation are necessary. Results have not matched the country's determination, and execution remains the biggest bottleneck.
He called for a shift from seeking resources to connecting resources with needs. Ministries, agencies, localities and companies must define the problems, missing technologies, users of the results and final products. He urged experts and intellectuals to take on tasks linked to national challenges and strategic technologies.
They should select feasible tasks with domestic partners and wider application potential. Each needs clear goals, a timeline and a responsible person. It is complete only when it produces an operational product, verifiable data, actual users and measurable results. Successful initiatives should then be replicated, he said.
Flexible mechanisms are needed, including task-based expert contracts, remote working, joint research and funding tied to final products. Experts should be able to join projects directly, and intellectual property rights must be clear. Research risks and delays should be accepted. Intellectuals should be judged on results, with capable people selected to deliver without red tape.
Every joint project must leave capacity behind in Viet Nam. The measure is not the number of agreements or memoranda but the engineers and scientists trained, laboratories and research teams established, and technology companies created. Technology transfer alone is not enough: the parties must develop technologies together to build self-reliance.
The Ministry of Science and Technology was asked to lead the collection of recommendations with the ministries of foreign affairs and education and training and other relevant bodies. Matters within their authority must be addressed promptly, while others should be escalated. Written responses and a responsible focal point must be provided for each task.
To Lam hoped the Association of Vietnamese Intellectuals in Belgium and Luxembourg would expand its network with universities, research institutes and technology companies in Europe and help Europeans understand Viet Nam's innovation and integration. He urged the group to mentor younger Vietnamese intellectuals in Europe so the flow of knowledge and expertise to the homeland remains uninterrupted.
Sources: Viet Nam News
