Cultural and social sciences development plays key role in digital era

Dong Nai, with its large area and population, is among the country’s most dynamic economies. As it moves toward becoming a centrally governed city, the province is presented with new opportunities, while also facing fresh challenges in aligning economic growth with the promotion of social development.

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Vu Tuan Hung, Director of the Southern Institute of Social Sciences under the Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences, shared insights into the opportunities and challenges facing Dong Nai in advancing social sciences alongside industrialization, modernization and digital transformation in the current context.

Linking economic growth with social sciences development

What orientations should Dong Nai consider to promote social sciences in tandem with modern, sustainable development, especially as it becomes a centrally governed city?

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Vu Tuan Hung, Director of the Southern Institute of Social Sciences. Photo: Hai Quan.

As Dong Nai becomes a centrally governed city, it will benefit from greater resources while also being required to meet higher standards and criteria. In my view, social sciences play a crucial role. They are not limited to social issues alone, but also relate to institutions, development orientations and policy mechanisms that help steer the locality’s development trajectory.

In other words, social sciences contribute to shaping long-term development directions, as well as designing mechanisms and policies based on an open and forward-looking ecosystem.

Another key aspect is human resources, which represent a fundamental pillar in the development of social sciences. The province needs to build a stable and committed workforce, while attracting high-quality human resources to meet the demands of a centrally governed city.

In particular, once Long Thanh International Airport becomes operational, Dong Nai will require a highly skilled workforce to support the development of the aviation services ecosystem, logistics services and industrial zones in the new context. In parallel, qualified human resources will also be essential to meet the needs of high technology, international integration and foreign direct investment attraction. Governance, in turn, demands experienced and capable personnel to ensure effective and sustainable system management.

A third important issue concerns the quality of life of residents. Ultimately, the most important measure of development is ensuring harmony and sustainability, with people placed at the center. Therefore, the province needs to formulate and implement mechanisms and policies that continuously improve living standards, while supporting vulnerable groups, ethnic minorities and residents in disadvantaged or remote areas.

These efforts include improving social security, education and training, as well as expanding social infrastructure, particularly in rural and remote areas, ensuring access to clean water, environmental sanitation, schools, healthcare services and cultural institutions.

Alongside this, attention should also be paid to preserving and promoting the cultural values of indigenous communities and ethnic minorities, thereby creating new development drivers and improving overall quality of life in the new phase.

Promoting cultural and tourism values in the digital space

The Politburo has issued Resolution No. 80-NQ/TW on the development of Vietnamese culture. In your view, what role does cultural development, combined with digital transformation, play in local development today?

In light of the Politburo’s Resolution No. 80-NQ/TW and earlier Resolutions and orientations from the central government, it is evident that cultural development is receiving increasing attention from the Party and the State. This reflects an inevitable trend in the development of countries, including Vietnam, a country rich in cultural identity and diversity, with 54 ethnic groups.

For Dong Nai, which is home to many ethnic minority communities, including indigenous groups, preserving and promoting cultural values represents a vital resource. First, it helps create livelihoods, enabling communities to drive their own development. Furthermore, it provides a foundation for developing cultural industries and tourism, forming a sustainable ecosystem that supports socio-economic growth.

Traditional brocade weaving of the Stieng people in Bu Gia Map commune, home to a community-based tourism product rated 3 stars under the province’s One Commune, One Product (OCOP) program. Photo: Ngoc Lien.

This is an advantage not all localities possess. If effectively harnessed and preserved in the context of integration, industrialization and modernization, these cultural assets can generate long-term and sustainable value, while fostering the growth of service sectors, particularly tourism.

Cultural industries, in turn, can promote comprehensive development and serve as a key driver toward achieving double-digit growth targets. Moreover, linking cultural and tourism development with sustainable industrial and service sectors, especially by leveraging local potential and opportunities arising from the operation of Long Thanh International Airport, will provide an important impetus for Dong Nai’s overall development.

How do you assess the relationship between science and technology promotion and cultural advancement in the current context?

In my view, this is a symbiotic relationship. The application of science and technology to preserve heritage and cultural values is an effective way to ensure sustainable development.

In the cultural industry, for instance, modern technologies can be applied to enhance traditional values, creating new cultural products and tourism services while maintaining traditional characteristics and promoting local cultural identity more widely.

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Vu Tuan Hung emphasized that in the context of shifting toward a deeper growth model driven by science and technology, digital transformation and innovation, cultural and social sciences development remains a fundamental pillar. Therefore, commissioning and implementing science and technology projects related to social sciences should be a priority for Dong Nai, in order to promote digital transformation while preserving and enhancing cultural and social values, thereby laying a foundation for sustainable development in the digital era.

The province can also develop virtual reality tourism models based on real-world data. By creating digital-based development spaces, Dong Nai can effectively promote its culture and tourism, accelerating the growth of cultural industries. At the same time, applying science and technology to preserve and promote cultural values will create favorable conditions for the development of the cultural sector in particular, and society as a whole, in this new phase of development.

By H.Quan – Translated by M.Nguyet, Thu Ha