Since assuming the presidency in early March 2023, President Vo Van Thuong has always devoted special attention to developing human resources as well as building the personality and values of the Vietnamese people.

Stepping back in time about 17 years to late 2007, the 9th Congress of the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union re-elected Vo Van Thuong as the First Secretary of its Standing Committee and launched two movements on socio-economic development and national defence, and support for young people to set up businesses and establish themselves. Within those movements, an important content was accompanying the youth in enhancing their educational levels and professional skills. That goal was important to create an army of dedicated and capable young people.

Since then, as leader of the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union, Vo Van Thuong has expended a great deal of effort trying to truly bring to life the content of accompanying the youth. What he has been always thinking about is how to create an environment for young people to train in reality and help them assert their role.

That thinking and spirit have always been maintained and followed by comrade Vo Van Thuong over many years and in many positions.

In early September 2023, the President met with generations of volunteer soldiers and prospective families on the 30th anniversary of the summer volunteer programmes and campaigns of young people in Ho Chi Minh City (1994-2023). With the deep feelings of a former Youth Union officer, the President said the youths should be immersed in the vivid reality of social life to learn more about the country and the cause of the people and the nation. This is the most effective educational method of the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union Central Committee, through revolutionary action in practice.

Meeting with outstanding members of the Youth Union of the Bloc of Central Agencies, President Vo Van Thuong emphasised that each youth must identify their ideals and ambitions associated with the nation's interests. Every youth must always be persistent and passionate, always strive, innovate, overcome difficulties and move forward, and never be satisfied with themselves or their achieved results. Thanks to that, they can take longer, further and steadier steps towards achieving loftier goals.

The quality of human resources and human personality values will be formed and affirmed if they are nurtured and oriented from afar and early on. Therefore, in his congratulatory letter on the occasion of the 2023-2024 academic year, President Vo Van Thuong called on students to bear in mind that learning is an important task for their whole life. Each school year is a meaningful journey on the path of acquiring knowledge, practicing skills, cultivating qualities, and establishing good and sustainable values for personal development.

The President stated that a country that wants to further develop must have high-quality education, stressing that investing in education is investing in sustainable development. A high-quality education is fair and creative education which does not place much focus on achievement but facilitates learners’ development in accordance with their own abilities.

That is also an education that encourages learners who have cognitive abilities and pure learning motivation. It is also an environment that fosters talented intellectuals and scientists who thoroughly understand their working fields and always contribute their intelligence, enthusiasm, and responsibility to the country and society.

President Vo Van Thuong always wants to “build a truly healthy and safe educational environment so that teachers and students can teach and learn in joy and happiness, and they can maximise their creative capacity.”  But, the head of State does not avoid the reality of life and is ready to face the existing inadequacies, limitations, and even weaknesses.

Attending the opening ceremony of the 2023-2024 school year of the National Defence Academy (Ministry of Defence), President Vo Van Thuong noted: It is necessary to determine the right motivation for learning, absolutely against the thought of learning just for a degree and to be qualified for promotion, salary increase, and leadership positions. Each student must always uphold their ideological stance, political courage, ethics, behaviour, and lifestyle, in addition to overcoming the reluctance to study political theory. It is also advisable to focus on building an advanced and exemplary cultural and pedagogical environment. Straightforward and enthusiastic views of the President have spread positive things among teachers, students, and young people.

During the official visits and State visits to countries to attend major international conferences in the region and the world, as well as the meetings and talks with presidents, heads of state, and leaders of many countries and when presiding over important foreign affairs activities of the country, one of the key issues that President Vo Van Thuong has  shown interest in and placed on the agenda is to further expand and strengthen cooperation in training Vietnamese officials and students.

The country's human resources will increasingly improve their quality through the process of exchanging, learning, absorbing, and researching in countries with inherent strengths and in accordance with Vietnam's needs. 

Training and development of human resources and building Vietnamese human values is a process that requires coordination from the policies and orientations of the Party and State and the high determination and drastic actions of leaders as well as the entire political system. 

Only then can those important and correct policies be truly brought to life.