Vietnam Institute of American Studies (VIAS) is a unit member of Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences, established under Decision No. 466/TTg of the government on 13rd September 1993. It has the function of researching on Americas to provide scientific arguments for agencies of the Party and State in planning the pathways, policies for international relations generally and each country in the region specifically. VIAS is re-evaluated on Decree No. 109/2012/ND-CP on 26th December 2012 to identify the function, mission, power, and organizational structure of Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences.
With the basic objective, the main duty of VIAS is to build up and organize researching activities on scientific research programs inter and multi subjects, short – term and long – term of international studies, regional studies related to Americas and especially programs on the economic, political, social issues and the international relations of American countries and the relationship between them and Vietnam. VIAS coordinated with other researching centers, universities, and other organizations (ministries and diplomatic agencies in Vietnam) to hold scientific conference to provide information and evaluate on the economic, political, social matters of American countries, and the situation of regional and global politics, economy and implications on Vietnam.
Beside the researching activities, VIAS also collaborated with other units in and out of VASS, universities to provide undergraduate programs, postgraduate programs on subjects such as economics, politics, international relations, regions, and international studies. VIAS also carried out the scientific exchange programs with other regional and international universities and research academies, collaborative research, exchange scholars, organize the scientific advising and developing activities; to build the database of library and introduce the results of scientific research to readers; to build the necessary infrastructure for researching Americans.
Since the establishment, VIAS has carried out and completed many projects at State, ministry, and academy level. They are in economy, politic, law, culture, education, and international relations… Some of them are:
- Projects at State level:
+ The conflicts of modern capitalism, Assoc. Prof. PhD. Do Loc Diep, 1996-2000.
+ The transnational companies, Prof. PhD. Nguyen Thiet Son, 2004.
+ Economic cooperative relation of Vietnam – United States, Prof. PhD. Nguyen Thiet Son, 2007-2009.
+ The industry of Vietnam in regional network: position, potential, and suggested policies, PhD. Cu Chi Loi, 2009-2010.
- Projects at Ministry level:
+ The restructuring of US economy, PhD. Vu Dang Hinh, 2005.
+ US-China Relation 2011 - 2020, PhD. Le Khuong Thuy, 2008.
+ Matters of ruling party and the oppositionist in political life in U.S, M.A Nguyen Thi Hanh, 2008-2009.
+ Prominent political issues of America for the period 2010-2020 and implications to Vietnam, PhD. Cu Chi Loi, 2009-2010.
+ Prominent economic issues of America for the period 2010-2020 and implications to Vietnam, Ms. Nguyen Ngoc Manh, 2009-2010.
+ Prominent political – economic issues (domestic) of the United States of America for the period 2010-2020 and implications to Vietnam, Ms. Nguyen Tuan Minh, 2009-2010.
+ Adjustment of the U.S. global and regional strategy after the financial crisis and implications to Vietnam, PhD. Cu Chi Loi, 2011-2012.
+ Adjustment of the U.S. strategy toward EU after the financial crisis and implications on Vietnam, PhD. Bui Phuong Lan, 2011-2012.
+ Adjustment of the U.S. strategy toward Asia after the financial crisis and implications on Vietnam, Ms. Nguyen Thi Hanh, 2011-2012.
+ Adjustment of the U.S. strategy toward China after the financial crisis and implications on Vietnam, PhD. Le Khuong Thuy, 2011-2012.
+ Culture in development of Latin American countries, PhD. Nguyen Kim Anh, 2011-2013.
The most outstanding result of these projects is to evaluate the developing trend of American economy generally and other capitalism countries specifically. Other researches of Institute focused on identifying the major conflicts of modernism, the latest appearance of them, the developing trend of these contradictions, and outline the basic structure of capitalism in the upcoming period. These works contributed to the theories of indicating the capitalism in today world, scientific bases for social awareness of Western countries, and building the foreign policies for our Party and State.
These projects focused on in-depth researching a popular form of producing organization of modern capitalism which is a business organization operates in multiple national and regional scopes and the most typical example is U.S. companies. They also indicated this form of organization is inevitable result of capital accumulation, development of productive forces, and productive international relations. This form is more effective, innovative, and social than ever before. The expansion of these organizations in the world are spreading out the innovation of scientific technology, management of production, and working skills to many different regions globally. Thus, we not only need to accept the modern form of these organizations perceptionally but also actively build up our own domestic organizations to ensure the further efficiency of production.
The outcomes of these researches also identified the expansion of these capitalism organizations led to many implications to mechanism, economy, and lifestyle… in many adopting countries. Therefore, countries including Vietnam must regularly follow and promptly take actions and adjustments to exploit the advantage of new developing trend of America economies, global economy, and to prepare the solutions to minimize the negative implications to the globalization.
Besides that, VIAS also concentrated on researching the movement and development of U.S. economy – which has huge impact on global economy. To summarize the economic solutions of Clinton’s government implemented in 1990s of 20th century to reform the economy, and strengthen the No. 1 position of U.S. economy in the world. The method of U.S. government used to trigger the creativity and cooperation in private business sector… Helping to explain a successful period of U.S. economy after a long period of stagnation and reduction of public confidence, given the analysis of reasons and adjusting trends for U.S. economy nowadays.
After researching the causes of U.S financial crisis, the Institute researchers indicated the global imbalance started from globalization, liberalization, and the structure of U.S. economy was too dependent on international resources. U.S. economy need a big reform so it will take years for this economy to return to its growing rate.
About the U.S. politic, these projects clarified the institutions of political system of U.S. From studying the U.S. Constitution to the actual construction and implementation of the Acts, projects are able to identify basic rule of forming the entire political system of U.S. The outcomes of these basic researches facilitated to the study of entire U.S. society and being a great example to learn when study other political systems. The significance of these projects is not only identified the rules, but also studied the root of them or the condition, demand, and idea to form these rules. Projects on this field focused on in-depth analysis in the peculiarities of the Federal State, the running principle of this complicated political system including the structure of U.S. federal states and the interest in linking of forming parts based on original ideas and rules of creating the federal states, the issues in group’s interests and its dominance to the construction and implementation of institutions.
U.S is no. 1 superpower in the world and it plays role as coordinator to political and international relation issues. Therefore, many Institute researches focused on analyzing the critical factors, forming and developing trends of U.S foreign policies in recent decades, especially the recent adjustment when U.S has changed its interest toward Asia-Pacific. These researches identified that a long period of time after the Cold War, U.S has launched a number of foreign policies based on its power in military and economy to impose on global issues, underestimating the independence of other countries and it has suffered enormous consequences rom the terrorist attacks on 11st September 2001.
Many researches of Institute concentrated on evaluation of strategic adjustment in region and global by the U.S in recent years under the circumstances of previous foreign policies were not effective and the strategic balance in international relation has changed. Generally, the U.S goal of dominating global economy, politic, and military are not changed but the financial crisis and certain changes in international balance make U.S’s approach to global issues in a more flexible, democratic, and practical way combined with other economic, political, and military tools. In this situation, researches also identified that there are significant changes in Vietnam – U.S relations and U.S is approaching Vietnam with a more flexible and respectful policy. Vietnam – U.S relation has important developments in recent years, and the general trend is two countries will be more positive and friendly.
In recent years, the researches on economy, politic of countries in Americas, especially Latin American countries, have been carried out including the projects on the trend of left side in Latin American countries, the regional integration in this region, and especially the relation between U.S and Latin American countries – a relationship full of ups and downs. Many researching activities and scientific conferences are held by VIAS and Latin American countries’ embassy. In general, the researching works on Latin American countries are quite new but these recent results of Institute’s researches contributed to the introducing of basic information on economy, politic, and culture of Latin American countries and based on that to recommend the cooperative strategy between Vietnam and Latin American countries
Based on the results of many projects at State, Ministry, and Academy level and the cooperation with many scholars, VIAS has published a number of books such as:
1. Do Loc Diep: Today capitalism: internal conflicts, trend, and expectations (2002);
2. Nguyen Thiet Son: U.S – Vietnam economic relations: Issues of policies and trend (2011);
3. Do Loc Diep: U.S. – Changes in economic strategy since the Cold War (1998);
4. Vu Dang Hinh: The characteristics of political system in U.S (2001);
5. Do Loc Diep: U.S - EU - Japan: Culture and development (2003);
6. Vu Dang Hinh: The restructure of U.S economy (2005);
7. Cu Chi Loi: The global network of production and participation of Vietnam’s industries (2012);
8. Le Khuong Thuy: U.S – China relation at the beginning of 21st century (2012);
9. Nguyen Thi Hanh: Matters of ruling party and the oppositionist in political life in U.S (2012);
10. Bui Phuong Lan: Vietnam – U.S relation 1994 - 2010 (2011).
Beside books, VIAS has the journal published every month named Americas Today with many articles and researches on the new U.S economy, foreign policy, political parties in U.S, governmental agencies in U.S, U.S culture, Canada economy, economic, political, and social situation of Latin American countries and economic crisis in Latin America… to provide researched information and evaluation for readers in a timely fashion.
To improve the quality and trustworthy of researches, VIAS held many group discussion of domestic and foreign scholars from U.S, South Korea, and Japan… on current scientific issues at different points of time like: the priorities of U.S after the Cold War, the causes of budget crisis in U.S, the establishment of NAFTA and the role of NAFTA in development of its members, the security policies of U.S and international relation. After discussion, the issues were clarified and has scientific reports at necessary level. Besides that, VIAS is in collaboration with US and Canada embassies held international conferences on current and future relations to evaluate and discover the potential of expanding the cooperative relationship with each side.
Along with basic research, many members of VIAS also participated in teaching and training at undergraduate and post graduate level in, for example: Graduate Academy of Social Sciences, National Economics University, Foreign Trade University, University of Social Sciences and Humanities, National Political Academy, and other institutions. A lot of students and doctoral students have completed dissertations, thesis with the guidance of the senior scientific staff of the Institute.
Besides that, the Institute also opened the training courses for new staff to teach them sufficient knowledge on country studies to better serve researching works.
With these achievements, the Institute is step-by-step strengthening its position and reputation among member units of Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences.
