The Party chief said the strong attendance of scholars and researchers from both Viet Nam and abroad conveyed an important message that Viet Nam is not merely a subject of study but has become an intellectual partner for scholars of Vietnamese studies.
He noted that Viet Nam’s millions-year history of formation, defence, and development has created a distinctive identity and a rich cultural heritage, rooted in the people, guided by humaneness and righteousness, and sustained by a spirit of independence and self-reliance.
Vietnamese culture, he said, is both the crystallisation of national identity and the product of exchanges with humanity; it serves as the spiritual foundation of society, a source of soft power, and the nation’s “development identity.” This vitality has enabled the country to overcome wars, rebuild after devastation, and move forward into a new era of confident development.
General Secretary Lam highlighted two historical milestones that marked turning points in the nation’s journey. The first was the founding of the Communist Party of Viet Nam in 1930, which led the Vietnamese people to independence and national reunification, paving the way for socialist-oriented development. The second was the “Doi Moi” (Renewal) policy – a strategic decision that created a breakthrough, turning Viet Nam into a dynamic, deeply integrated economy actively participating in regional and global value chains.
Praising the conference’s theme, "Viet Nam: Sustainable Development in the New Rising Era,” the Party leader underscored that Viet Nam’s development strategy rests on three closely connected pillars.
The first is institutional and governance reform – building a modern, transparent, efficient, and integrity-based system that ensures strategic autonomy and effectiveness, and constructing a socialist rule-of-law state “of the people, by the people, and for the people,” as well as a facilitating, development-oriented Government.
The second is comprehensive human development. The Party chief affirmed that Viet Nam’s most valuable resource is its 106 million people – industrious, creative, patriotic, community-minded, eager to learn, and resilient in the face of hardship.
The third is the development of a green, circular, knowledge-based, and digital economy linked with science, technology, innovation, and digital transformation. He emphasised that sustainable development must not be viewed solely in economic or environmental terms, but also as a matter of culture, society, humanity, and ethics.
General Secretary Lam commended the scholars and scientists for their deep engagement with structural and strategic issues concerning the country’s future. He affirmed that in formulating guidelines and policies for national development, the Party and the State always listen to independent, rigorous, and well-intentioned scientific opinions.
He reaffirmed Viet Nam’s clear and consistent aspiration to become a developed, high-income nation oriented toward socialism by the mid-21st century. This, he stressed, is both a pledge to the Vietnamese people and future generations, and a commitment to international friends, that Viet Nam seeks to advance through knowledge, innovation, and cooperation based on equality and mutual respect, contributing to global progress and shared prosperity.
The Party leader underscored that as the nation enters a new stage of development with renewed thinking, its core values remain unchanged. First, national independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity are sacred and inviolable. The second is the people's happiness, he said, stressing that every policy must aim to improve the people’s quality of life. Third, the strength of Viet Nam lies, above all, in great national unity. He said this unity must be broadened further to include intellectuals at home and abroad, the business community, artists, youth, women, ethnic minorities, religious communities, overseas Vietnamese, and international friends who share goodwill and mutual respect for Viet Nam.
He expressed gratitude to the community of Viet Nam studies scholars for their long-standing dedication and encouraged continued cooperation – not only through sentiment but through scientific knowledge, evidence-based policy analysis, and concrete, practical recommendations. He said he hopes that future research on Viet Nam would increasingly focus on pressing contemporary issues.
The Party chief agreed that the International Conference on Vietnamese Studies should be held more frequently, both in Viet Nam and abroad, and announced plans to establish a Viet Nam Fund later this year. He invited international researchers, doctoral students, and scientists to visit Viet Nam more often, stay longer, work with Vietnamese colleagues on an equal footing, and listen to voices from the grassroots and local communities – rather than viewing Viet Nam solely through aggregated statistics.
With great aspiration but also with humility and a spirit of openness and dialogue, General Secretary Lam affirmed that Viet Nam always values dialogue, respect for international law, and the promotion of effective and equitable multilateralism, aiming to build an independent, self-reliant, innovative, fast-growing, and sustainably developing Viet Nam in the new era.
At the meeting, distinguished scholars representing nearly 1,300 participants of the conference expressed appreciation for the attention and support of General Secretary Lam and the leadership of the Party and State for the global network of Vietnamese studies experts. They showed their impression at Viet Nam’s dynamic development and for the vision and sound leadership of the Party, agreeing that the policies being actively implemented enjoy strong public consensus.
In an open and constructive atmosphere, participants offered recommendations to promptly translate the Party’s newly adopted resolutions into practice. They expressed confidence that under the Party and State’s leadership, and with the unity and determination of the Vietnamese people, the country will soon achieve its comprehensive development goals.
