New era and development of human resources

To build a strong and prosperous Vietnam in the new era, the strategic starting point must be people. There is no other choice.

Vision and human resources - the key to transformational progress

In the context of today’s transformative era and in pursuit of renewed national mission, the Party is required to continuously expand strategic vision. This involves setting new goals, preparing comprehensively and acting with renewed strategies to achieve accelerated development over the next 20 years, aiming to become a high-income, developed country by 2045.

The new era marks a distinct historical phase in which Vietnam is undergoing a comprehensive transformation in institutions, mindsets, and the people themselves. It is a period striving toward a modern, democratic nation with a strong identity and a proactive role in globalization. This is not just the “digital era,” but one that reshapes development thinking, governance mechanisms, and methodologies centered around humanity and sustainability, not the reverse.

A lecturer from Lilama 2 International Technology College introduces students to the school’s international vocational training program.

In essence, this is a renewed phase of comprehensive reform, where all development limitations are challenged by new strategic vision, timely opportunity management, systemic reforms, and institutional synchronization, with a focus on power control and balance through a consistent, effective institutional system across all dimensions, political, economic and social. These reforms must be applied to every organization within the political system, including the Party, the State, the Vietnam Fatherland Front, and mass organizations, at all scales and levels, with people placed at the center.

It also requires new approaches to mobilizing collective strength, along with a new driving force for development, a holistic, coherent, unified and sufficiently strong policy framework. All these efforts aim to achieve breakthrough and comprehensive progress in both scale and quality, aligning with global development trends and toward the national vision for 2045.

Symbolically, the new era is one that challenges and overcomes all development boundaries by seizing opportunities and drawing strength from within, with dignity, pride, resilience, and bold action. There can be no hesitation or perfectionism. This period demands mastery in navigating both timing and context, expanding strategic foresight, and formulating decisive political decisions. It also requires the ability to rally broad-based support, first and foremost, through high-quality human resources and talents, and to seek out a set of effective, synchronized, and powerful solutions. Only then can Vietnam achieve breakthrough development speed in line with global progress.

In this great transition, humans are not merely a resource but must become the agents of creation and drivers of development; at a deeper level, they are the central factor in every aspect of national progress.

Vietnam may be able to attract science, technology, and investment capital, but without a matching foundation of human resources, it cannot ascend to become a “dragon” in this new era. Without a capable workforce, especially top-tier talent, the nation risks becoming a low-cost labor provider, harming the environment and falling short of success.

Naturally, training and developing human resources and honoring talent must go beyond simply learning to work or to innovate; people must be equipped to lead and utilizing talents as the launchpad for national take-off.

Core issues in human resource and talent development

History has proven: all powerful nations invest heavily and correctly in education as a foundational pillar. Leibniz once said, “Who controls education can change the world” and Francis Bacon famously stated, “Knowledge is power.”

Ignoring these principles results in an unqualified workforce and, ultimately, a weak society, a nation that struggles or even fails to develop. The new era is no exception to this rule.

Renewing the philosophy of education - the foundation of a prosperous workforce

Without a modern education system, there can be no strong citizenry, no national dignity, and no standing on the world stage.

Rooted in Vietnam’s thousands of years of cultural heritage, particularly shaped by 80 years under the new political system and 40 years of comprehensive reform and international integration, the current realities of Vietnam’s education and training sector underscore an urgent need to establish and advance a guiding educational philosophy as the foundation for cultivating a capable national human resource.

First is morality. Education must begin with learning to be a person of character. As the ancients taught, benevolence, propriety, integrity, and a sense of shame are the four "cords" that bind the moral fabric of a society and a nation. Losing one and the nation tilts; lose two and it faces danger; lose three and it collapses; lose all and the nation perishes. When a nation tilts, it can still be righted. When it is in danger, it can still be saved. Even after collapse, it may yet be rebuilt. But once it is destroyed, there may be no salvation. As the old saying goes, “A person without integrity is no better than a beast.” The French also say: “Steal an apple as a child, and you’ll steal a cow as an adult.”

Education must begin with instilling these values. Without this moral grounding, individuals become corrupt, families disintegrate, society devolves into chaos, and the nation risks collapse. If children do not respect their elders, students do not respect teachers, and intellectuals turn their backs on the truth, national ruin is not far away. At the very least, education must uphold this standard of morality.

Second is knowledge. This includes not only factual learning but also civilization, heritage, and culture. A nation that loses its culture loses its identity, and soon after, its sovereignty. The same applies to individuals.

Knowledge must be taught and applied in ways that are broad, practical, and modern, particularly from the foundational level of general education, the starting point of every life journey. In short, the educational philosophy must ensure that students first learn to be moral, then acquire knowledge.

Third is action. Ancient wisdom reminds us: “Learn when young, act when grown.” Education today must be action-oriented, where learning and doing are intertwined. Students must not become mere “bookworms” disconnected from real life. Education must transition from being confined within classrooms to being integrated with life itself, cultivating lifelong learning.

Thus, education must comprehensively prepare learners to enter society confidently and independently, ready to shoulder responsibility in every role, whether in the family or the community. Educators themselves must lead by example.

Fourth is responsibility. Without fundamental and proportional education on responsibility, toward oneself, family, society, and the nation, education falls short, even fails.

Lack of responsibility is a threat to the individual and society alike. Educators must take responsibility for their students and for themselves in all roles. This is the responsibility of responsibility, a duty to self and to society.

Fifth is liberal education. Without freedom, there can be no genuine or sustainable development. Liberal education, understood as both self-enlightenment and self-liberation, is the process of breaking free from outdated dogmas, rigid norms, and imagined absolutes that no longer serve present needs. These constraints often haunt and shackle the mind, suppressing independent thought and stifling creativity.

Liberal education is, at its core, the process of encouraging and safeguarding the courage to break through limits and explore new horizons of national and human knowledge. It means challenging outdated molds and even dismantling the decayed shackles that confine human potential. It upholds and protects every individual’s right to grow in their own way. This spirit of liberal education must be taught to learners, and in turn, educators must also liberate themselves. It is a natural and inevitable process of the negation of negation, through which old structures are transcended to give way to new growth. Education and self-education inherently embody both freedom and responsibility; they reflect not only human ethics and values but also liberation. The pillars of this process are knowledge and the power of knowledge—driving innovation and continuous development. If a nation aspires to evolve with dignity and in step with the times, this is the direction education must pursue.

By Dr. Nhi Le, former Deputy Editor-in-Chief of Communist Review

Translated by M.N-H.T