The Group for Studying Vietnamese Economic Issues in Japan
 Tokyo, May 31, 2003

 
   The kick-off meeting of the group for studying Vietnamese economic issues was held on May 31, 2003 at the National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies (GRIPS) with the main purpose of discussing the proposal of establishing the above-mentioned group. Professor Kenichi Ohno (GRIPS) and Professor Tran Van Tho (Waseda University) chaired the meeting with the presence of 15 Vietnamese researchers and students who are studying economics at the graduate and senior undergraduate levels in Japan.

   At the meeting, all participants contributed valuable opinions for the group's activities and agreed that the group would have the official name "The Japan-Vietnam Economist Club" with the major objectives of stimulating high quality research on the Vietnamese economy and promoting intellectual exchange between Vietnamese and international researchers. The fields of study would comprise of all issues and topics concerning the Vietnamese economy without any limitations. The membership of the Club would include scholars, researchers, government officials, and students at the graduate level and distinguished undergraduate students in all nationalities who are interested in studying Vietnamese economic issues. The meeting also elected Professor Ohno and Professor Tho the Chairpersons and other four members the Secretariat.

   The implementation plan of the Club would consist of three stages. At the first stage of six months to a year, regular workshops would be conducted on relevant topics to mobilize ideas from all participants. The results of these workshops would be disseminated through a web of the Club, which would be constructed shortly. In the second stage, research activities are to be expanded with channels of discussion and dissemination enhanced, including seminars in Japan and Vietnam, GRIPS research publications, and other forms. Based on the evaluation of these activities, the third stage would focus on establishing an economic association with a formal structure and full legal status.

   The meeting also decided that the first workshop of the Club should be held at 2:00-4:00pm on July 5, 2003 at GRIPS with the subject of "Human Capital, Poverty Trap, and Industrialization" presented by Do Ngoc Huynh. In the final minutes, the participants enjoyed interesting discussions with Professor Ohno on the topic of attracting FDI in Vietnam, especially the local contents scheme and the tariff policy.