Training high-quality human resources to meet sustainable development demands

High-quality human resources are a key factor in Dong Nai City's efforts to strengthen investment attraction in strategic industries, achieve double-digit growth, and realize its ambition to become a dynamic growth engine for the nation.

Lac Hong University won the Vietnam Robocon 2026 championship and earned the right to represent Vietnam at the Robocon competition in Hong Kong (China).

At a recent working session with the Department of Education and Training, Dong Nai City Vice Secretary of the Party Committee, Chairman of the People’s Committee Nguyen Van Ut emphasized: “Education and training must continue to be regarded as a top national priority and the foundation for Dong Nai’s rapid and sustainable development. Human resource training must accelerate, measured through tangible outcomes such as scientific research products and technology transfer projects. Dong Nai must strive to develop leading educational institutions capable of competing nationally and internationally in fields where the city faces strong workforce demand.”

A driving force for a new development cycle

Since April 30, 2026, Dong Nai has officially become a city, entering a new strategic development cycle. The locality has set ambitious targets, including double-digit economic growth in the coming years and annual increases in state budget revenues. These objectives serve as the basis for Dong Nai to fulfill commitments made to the Politburo to become one of Vietnam’s new economic growth poles.

Following administrative expansion, Dong Nai now possesses significant development space and growth potential. The increasing scale of development tasks requires a highly skilled workforce capable of effectively unlocking local advantages and opportunities. Human resources are considered the core foundation shaping future development. Investment in education linked with high-quality workforce development is also viewed as a solution to narrow socio-economic development gaps between Northern and Southern areas of the city.

Associate Professor Dr. Lam Thanh Hien, Rector of Lac Hong University:

Responding to Dong Nai city's 500-day and night emulation campaign to create a breakthrough in human resource training

"Dong Nai’s transformation into a city has strengthened our institutional brand value and reinforced confidence among businesses, students, and parents. Responding to the city’s 500-day-and-night special emulation campaign aimed at creating breakthroughs in workforce training through measurable outcomes, the university will accelerate construction of new academic facilities, expand internationally accredited programs, focus more deeply on strategic core technologies, and intensify scientific research and technology transfer activities."

According to experts and researchers, Dong Nai’s new development phase requires a workforce of higher quality than previous standards. Major projects, including Long Thanh International Airport, Phuoc An Port, and next-generation industrial parks such as Bau Can – Tan Hiep, Xuan Que – Song Nhan, and Long Duc 3, are expected to require large numbers of highly skilled workers rather than mainly relying on low-skilled labor and outsourcing models as in previous periods.

Professor Dr. Yao-Ting Sung, President of National Taiwan Normal University (NTNU), during a recent visit to Dong Nai, commented: "Vietnam, including Dong Nai, is attracting growing attention from major Taiwanese enterprises seeking to capitalize on infrastructure advantages, especially airports, seaports, and clean industrial land in next-generation industrial zones. Many technology companies are interested in investing in Dong Nai. Therefore, the city must prepare a workforce with expertise in automation, semiconductors, electronic chips, artificial intelligence, and the aviation industries."

He also added that training high-quality human resources on a large scale requires developing clear strategies, plans, and roadmaps, followed by investment in facilities, curriculum upgrades, and the diversification of teaching staff across many fields. Investment in human resources, he noted, is a long-term investment that promotes scientific research, application, and socio-economic development. Therefore, the city needs to boldly invest in this work as a key strategic factor to create a distinct competitive advantage in attracting investment.

Accelerating workforce development

Truong Thi Kim Hue, City Party Committee member, Director of the Department of Education and Training, expressed optimism that workforce development had been identified as a breakthrough priority in the First Congress of the Dong Nai Provincial Party Committee (now Dong Nai City Party Committee), for the 2025–2030 term. To implement this orientation, the sector is advising the City People's Committee to prioritize investment in universities and colleges while continuing to attract social investment into training programs for strategic industries.

A lecturer at LILAMA 2 International Technology College in Long Phuoc Commune guides students in operating industrial robots. Photo: Cong Nghia

 Nguyen Van Ut, Deputy Secretary of the City Party Committee and Chairman of the City People's Committee, affirmed that education remains the foremost national policy to meet workforce requirements during the city’s new development stage. The city plans to establish several key educational institutions, develop university urban areas, scientific research centers, and innovation hubs. At the same time, authorities aim to attract major corporations to invest in vocational training programs focused on strategic industries. In particular, next-generation high-tech industrial parks are expected to begin welcoming investors for factory construction and manufacturing operations in the near future.

Regarding talent development policies, Chairman of the City People's Committee Nguyen Van Ut noted that Dong Nai currently has three high schools for gifted students. These schools must compete to improve educational quality and strive to develop at least one institution with a nationally recognized brand,” he said. He also encouraged local universities to strengthen cooperation with leading educational institutions in Ho Chi Minh City and abroad to ensure sufficient workforce supply for local development.

The resolution of the first Congress of the Dong Nai City Party Committee identifies the development of Dong Nai University into a leading regional training center as a strategic priority. Recently, the city's People’s Council approved support policies designed to attract highly qualified personnel with doctoral degrees or higher to work and teach at Dong Nai University. The city authorities have also allocated land for the university’s second campus in Binh Phuoc Ward, situated in the city's northern part, to expand training capacity.

Dr. Phan Ngoc Son, Chairman of the University Council of Dong Nai Technology University, welcomed the recent approval by Central authorities to develop a National Assembly resolution on special mechanisms and policies for Dong Nai City’s development. “This presents a valuable opportunity for Dong Nai to propose suitable mechanisms to improve international-standard vocational education institutions and invest in training programs for core technologies,” he said.

He emphasized that the city should introduce breakthrough support policies for existing universities and colleges to improve quality while avoiding inefficient land use. At the same time, special land allocation mechanisms are needed to attract world-class universities to establish innovation centers, research institutes, technology application hubs, and workforce development facilities in Dong Nai.

By Cong Nghia – Translated by Mai Nga, Minho