Society

Viet Nam’s four-member national team at the 2026 International Olympiad in Informatics (IOI) won one gold medal, two silver medals, and one certificate of commendation. Nguyen Huu Tuan made a notable mark on the international Olympiad stage by winning gold medals at both the IOI and the International Olympiad in Artificial Intelligence in quick succession.

After considerable efforts to implement policies to encourage childbearing in response to a prolonged and sharp decline in fertility, some positive signs have emerged. However, Viet Nam’s population policy landscape remains marked by significant disparities among localities.

Since May 26, functional forces in Hue City have completed sampling at 7,282 martyrs’ graves across 42 cemeteries, reaching 100% of the planned number. Of these, samples of remains have been collected for DNA testing from more than 3,900 graves, equivalent to 53.4%.

Eight mass graves containing the remains of war martyrs have been uncovered at Le Thi Rieng Park in Ho Chi Minh City, as search teams continue efforts to recover and identify remains of fallen soldiers.

A delegation led by Deputy Minister of National Defence Sen. Lieut. Gen. Nguyen Van Gau, who is deputy head of the National Steering Committee on the Search for, Collection and Identification of Martyrs’ Remains (Steering Committee 515), conducted in-depth working sessions on August 12 (local time) at the University of Georgia and a leading US military forensic facility.

In pursuit of having the “yellow card” warning lifted in 2026, Deputy Prime Minister Ho Quoc Dung, Head of the National Steering Committee on Combating Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) Fishing, has requested that ministries, agencies, and localities deliver substantive improvements between now and August 31, draw up action plans based on the recommendations of the European Commission (EC), and establish a unified fisheries management platform nationwide.

The 2026 university admissions season saw, for the first time, more than half of applicants choosing at least one STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) discipline. The positive signal raises a key question: how can training quality be improved and better aligned with businesses' needs so that the country's human-resource advantage can become a driver of national development?

Pharmaceutical management is not confined to documents, dossiers or licences. It is a chain of responsibility extending from manufacturing plants to hospitals, and from management data to individual pharmacies and patients. The health sector is gradually standardising and harmonising its regulations while aligning with international practices, with the aim of ensuring that people have access to medicines that are safe, effective, of high quality and reasonably priced.

Traditional medicine is recognised as a pillar of Viet Nam's healthcare system in protecting and improving people's health. However, many experts believe that the sector has not realised its full potential due to the lack of a comprehensive legal framework and effective implementation mechanisms.

The Ministry of Construction has issued Decision No. 1405/QD-BXD authorising a framework to draft an agreement between the Government of the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam and the Government of the Lao People's Democratic Republic on road transport.

Deputy Prime Minister Le Tien Chau signed Decision No. 1528/QD-TTg, on August 11, approving the National Programme on Developing Artificial Intelligence Human Resources through 2030, with a vision to 2035 (the Programme), designed to cultivate a workforce of sufficient scale, structure, and quality to meet the development needs of strategic technology industries and enhance national technological self-reliance.

After the Government issued Decree No. 174/2026/ND-CP on penalties for administrative violations in the fields of postal services, telecommunications, radio frequencies, electronic transactions, and information technology, which took effect on July 1, 2026, some fabrications and inaccuracies about the decree began circulating in cyberspace.

On August 11, the Ministry of Ethnic and Religious Affairs, in coordination with the Lai Chau Provincial People's Committee, organised a scientific workshop entitled “Assessment of the current situation and proposed solutions for employment creation, service development and sustainable labour connections in ethnic minority and mountainous areas for the 2026-2035 period”.

On August 10, the Ministry of Education and Training held a seminar in Ha Noi titled “Developing elite and excellent university models in Viet Nam in the context of implementing Resolution No. 71-NQ/TW, the higher education development strategy and the planning of the network of higher education institutions.”

In recent times, Party committees and Party organisations under the Government Party Committee have strengthened mass mobilisation work in association with the operation of the overall organisational model of the political system and the two-tier local administration model. Many Party committees and agencies have achieved positive results and drawn important lessons, contributing to improving the quality of the Party's mass mobilisation work and meeting the requirements of the new period.

On August 10, the Prime Minister issued Decision No. 1515/QD-TTg approving the project “Development of the pre-hospital emergency care system for the 2026-2030 period”.

With 4,532 martyrs’ graves — most containing the remains of those who fell during the resistance war against French colonial rule — where the condition of the bones may make sampling difficult, Ha Noi is expediting the collection of samples for DNA analysis throughout August and September, aiming to complete the process before October 10, 2026.

In early August, 24 newly constructed houses opened their doors for the first time at the resettlement site in San Bay Village, Muong Than Commune, Lai Chau Province. The sound of footsteps — belonging to those who had just survived a devastating flood—echoed across the new floors.

After years of implementation as one of the flagship initiatives of the Viet Nam Youth Federation, the “I Love My Fatherland” movement has evolved into a journey stretching across the country, featuring a wide range of concrete and measurable projects and activities. The movement has helped unleash the energy and creativity of young people in building and defending the Fatherland.

The event, organised by the Youth Advisory Group of the UN in Viet Nam, brought together 44 youth groups, social enterprises, educational institutions and UN-supported programmes. Exhibition booths and interactive activities at the event introduced solutions created and led by young people.