Vietnam Development Forum

The National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies (GRIPS), Tokyo, and the National Economics University (NEU), Hanoi, have established a new joint project in January 2004 featuring policy-oriented research on all aspects of Vietnam's economic development. Professor Kenichi Ohno (GRIPS) is the project leader on the GRIPS side and Dr. Nguyen Van Thuong (NEU Rector) is the project leader on the NEU side. Dr. Pham Hong Chuong is the project coordinator.

This project, approved by MOET, is funded by the Japanese education ministry's Center of Excellence (COE) research grant awarded to GRIPS during FY2003-2007. The official opening ceremony is scheduled to take place on February 27, 2004. In the mean time, research activities have already begun.

Our first publication, Policy Note no.1, Vietnam at the Crossroads: Policy Advice from the Japanese Perspective by K. Ohno (Dec. 2003), is now available. There will be more publications to follow. The web site will be ready within two months.

Our small-group workshops began in December. These workshops will continue in the future.

The objectives of VDF are to:

--Produce high quality policy research on Vietnam's development strategy
--Support excellent research by young Vietnamese in general and in NEU in particular
--Innovate methodology in research and dissemination

We would like to become a catalyst for all researchers and policy makers concerned with Vietnam's development, rather than just producing our own papers. Our activities will include the following.

--Production and dissemination of high quality research
--Workshops and lectures
--Publication of research output in various forms
--Website for reporting activities and downloading documents
--Networking with officials, researchers, business community, donors, international organizations, NGOs, press, etc.
--Logistic support for researchers
--Supporting functions for JVEC and GRIPS Alumni Association

The proposed research areas include the following. However, we will accept addition of any topics related to Vietnam's socio-economic development subject to the availability of appropriate resource persons, good research proposal, and budget limit.

(1) Industry, trade and investment
(2) Macroeconomy and finance
(3) Social issues under market-orientation and globalization
(4) Aid partnership

Within these areas, we are now formulating projects on industrial master plan, pension reform, exchange rate management, motorbike, automobile, land inflation problem, vocational training reform, and street children.

We have been contacted by interested policy makers from SBV (on exchange rate management), MOI (on industrial master plans) and MOLISA (on social security reform). We are happy to talk to and work with these official bodies and more.

Besides hiring as regular -time staff, VDF will mobilize Vietnam's human resources in a flexible way and through many channels. We will invite interested people in the government, universities, and other institutions to our small-group workshops. While NEU and GRIPS will provide researchers and networks, outside researchers are also encouraged to join the VDF as full-time, part-time, task-based, or even one-time participants. Our working language is English. We will welcome anyone who is seriously motivated and sufficiently capable.

The research competition for NEU and outside researchers will begin soon. The application guideline will be posted on this page in the near future.

The project office is located in the Hanoi Central Office Building (Melia) at 44B Ly Thuong Kiet Street. The VDF office can seat seven staff members. It features modern office space, fast internet and a seminar room with the capacity of 15 people (or even more) and power point and transparency projection capability.

Kenichi Ohno