Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences and the Party Committee of Bac Giang Province signed a cooperation agreement for the period 2013-2020

Attending the ceremony, on the VASS side there were Porf.Dr. Nguyen Xuan Thang, Member of Party Central Committee, President of VASS; Prof.Dr. Vo Khanh Vinh, Deputy President of VASS; Prof.Dr. Nguyen Quang Thuan, Deputy President of VASS; and representatives from VASS member departments.

On the side of Bac Giang province, there were Mr. Tran Sy Thanh, Alternate Member of Party Central Committee, Secretary of Bac Giang Provincial Party Committee; Mr. Than Van Khoa, Permanent Deputy Secretary of Provincial Party Committee, Chairman of the Provincial People’s Council, Head of Bac Giang’s Congress Delegation; Mr. Bui Van Hai, Deputy Secretary of Provincial Party Committee, Chairman of the Provincial People’s Committee; Mr. Nguyen Manh Cuong, Vice Chairman of the Provincial People’s Council; Mr. Bui Van Hanh, Vice Chairman of the Provincial People’s Committee; Mr. Lai Thanh Son, Vice Chairman of the Provincial People’s Committee; and the leaderships from the agencies of the Provincial Party Committee, Provincial People’s Committee, other provincial departments, and the provincial School of Politics.

Mr. Tran Sy Thanh, Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, said despite difficulties and challenges in the passing years, Bac Giang’s achievements were considerable thanks to the constant endeavor and the solidarity and determination. However, some indicators were lower than the targets set in the Resolution of the provincial Congress. Particularly in the context of national and international rapid change, it remained a puzzle for the province to identify the development model and adjust the strategy and planning to adapt to the new situation.

Recently, the province built a plan to improve the quality of high-leveled human resources of the province for better quality and effectiveness of the leadership. Therefore, it was a need for training and improving the political arguments and enhancing the qualifications and professional knowledge of these cadres. The signing of the cooperation agreement between Bac Giang Provincial Party Committee and VASS showed the determination of the province for innovation and also marked a new page in the relations of the two sides.

The Secretary of Bac Giang’s Party Committee hoped that with VASS reputation and experiences in cooperation with different provinces, the assistance from VASS would help the province to build a development model and to adjust the provincial development strategy and planning, provide consultancy during the development process, and participate in the training for high-quality human resources of the province.

On behalf of VASS, President Nguyen Xuan Thang said previously a number of research institutes of VASS involved in research activities in the Bac Giang as individual projects. The cooperation agreement between VASS and Bac Giang Provincial Party Committee would be an important institutionalization of the partnership between the two parties. It helped to form a legal framework and formalize the cooperation of subordinate units of the two sides in order to perform specific collaborative tasks effectively.

After the cooperation agreement signed, the two parties would discuss and develop specific activities of cooperation, focusing on two major issues: i) Carrying out survey and research for the strategic plan and development planning of Bac Giang province; ii) Providing training and developing high-quality human resources for the province. There would be also a review and adjustment to the plans, strategies and policies complying with new thinking of development to settle in the context of rapid changes domestically and internationally. This was aimed to taking best of the potential advantages of the province, such as lying on the economic corridor of Nanning-Lang Son-Hanoi-Hai Phong, being associated with mountainous border areas and as a buffer zone of the capital city. Therefore, the policy systems of the province should be flexible and subtle to enjoy development effects in order to transform the difficulties and challenges into advantages.

VASS had wide experience in cooperation with different agencies and provinces for building plans based on their advantages and specific need. At the point of time, VASS was entrusted by the Central Theoretical Council to review 30 years of reform, which directly involved seven issues: i) The global and regional situation – recent changes, impacts on Vietnam and forecast; ii) Development of socialist-oriented market economy; iii) Promotion of industrialization and  modernization of the country; iv) Cultural development and human development in Vietnam; v) Addressing social issues in the new context; vi) Reforming the political system and building a law-governed socialist state and a socialist democracy; and vii) Review the recognition and resolution towards eight major relationships outlined in the Political Program 2001.

The President of VASS stressed that the cooperation with local authorities, including Bac Giang province, would greatly contribute to the review and assessment of the real situation, as well as bring the scholars of VASS closer to the realities.

Prof.Dr. Vo Khanh Vinh, Deputy President of VASS also emphasized the cooperation stemmed from the practical need of the both sides. The cooperative activities should focus on the two major issues, building plans and development strategy for implementing seven fields and providing training for the development of high quality human resource for Bac Giang.

Graduate Academy of Social Sciences with reputation in training would make a positive contribution in the professional training and improvement for senior executives and high quality human resources of the province based on the plan for provincial leaderships. The signing of the cooperation agreement helped to form the legal framework and mechanisms of cooperation. The two sides should actively discuss to specify the cooperative activities with a roadmap to ensure the effectiveness and high responsibility.

The cooperation program between VASS and Bac Giang Provincial Party Committee in 2013-2020 aiming to:

1. Cooperate in research and application of research results to contribute to the socio-economic development of Bac Giang province.

2. Provide scientific arguments for the adjustment and perfection of strategies and policies for the socio-economic development of Bac Giang province and build the projects in social sciences to serve the development of sectors.

3. Contribute to the review of theoretical and practical studies of VASS.

4. Provide training for cadres and high quality human resource of Bac Giang province.

On this basis, the two sides agreed on the cooperative activities as follows:

1. To coordinate for the review of the socio-economic development and the realization of the guidelines by the Party and the State on industrialization and modernization in order to propose appropriate development model with the characteristics of Bac Giang province; to provide scientific basis for guideline and policy planning, and planning for the local socio- economic development.

2. To coordinate to undertake a number of projects for assessment, and suggesting solutions to conserve and promote cultural ​​and historical values of the local revolutionary traditions in order to serve the industrialization and modernization; to coordinate to conduct surveys and build databases of socio-economic conditions and environmental resources in the province.

3. Provide training for cadres and high quality human resource of Bac Giang province.

The signing ceremony was taken place in the solemn and cooperative atmosphere, making a new start in the relations of the two parties.

Vu Hung Cuong (Ph.D)