Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh paid a Lunar New Year (Tet) visit and held a working session with the Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences (VASS) and leading scientists and experts in the fields of social sciences and humanities in Hanoi on February 24.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh visits the exhibition space on Han Nom (classical Chinese and Vietnamese script) at the Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences.

PM Chinh extended New Year greetings and appreciated the contributions by generations of VASS scientists, affirming that their proposals will be carefully considered.

He stressed that social sciences are not merely academic disciplines but a foundational intellectual framework guiding national development policies.

Drawing on Vietnam’s millennia-long history of nation-building and defence, he underscored that the country’s rich cultural, ideological and spiritual values form a vital resource for social sciences to study, preserve and promote.

The PM affirmed that the Party and State consistently regard social sciences and humanities as an essential pillar of national science, playing a special role in national construction and defence.

Quoting President Ho Chi Minh and Prof. Tran Van Giau, he highlighted patriotism as a core value to be transformed into national strength in the new era.

Across different revolutionary periods, he noted, social sciences and humanities have played a pioneering role, providing the theoretical basis for the Party and State to build policies and strategies for national development and safeguarding.

He emphasised that while scientific and technological development is identified as a key breakthrough, social progress, equity and welfare must not be sacrificed for pure economic growth.

Social sciences and humanities, he said, play a crucial role in shaping the ideological foundation and value systems, developing culture and social knowledge, enhancing national solidarity and boosting international cooperation, thereby reinforcing internal strength and national soft power.

PM Chinh affirmed that the VASS is a leading strategic research centre of the Party and State in social sciences and humanities, serving as a core force in theory research, reality review and policy consultancy, thus helping preserve and promote Vietnamese cultural and intellectual values.

He called on the academy to assert its role as a “strategic advisory body” of the Party and State in social sciences and humanities, proactively implement the Resolution of the 14th National Party Congress and key Politburo resolutions, enhance fundamental research linked to safeguarding the Party’s ideological foundation, and actively contribute to major national reviews.

The academy was also encouraged to step up digital transformation, green transition, modern governance models, high-quality human resources development, and domestic and international cooperation, while keeping people-centred development at the core.

PM Chinh said the Government and ministries will continue reviewing mechanisms and policies to grant the academy greater autonomy and accountability while addressing its proposals within their authority.

Expressing confidence in the academy’s mission, tradition and intellectual capacity, the Government leader voiced his belief that the VASS will continue to reach new heights and remain a source of pride for the nation’s scientific community.

Prior to the working session, the PM toured an exhibition showcasing major achievements of Vietnamese social sciences, including outstanding scholarly contributions nationwide, 20 Ho Chi Minh Prize-winning works, 28 others winning the State Prizes, and archival materials transferred from the École française d’Extrême-Orient that are being prepared for UNESCO recognition.

VASS President Professor Dr Le Van Loi reported that over its 73-year development, the academy has affirmed its position as a leading theory research and reality review body of the Party and State, providing important scientific foundations for formulating national development policies and strategies.

VASS leaders and scientists proposed measures to enhance the effectiveness and applicability of social sciences and humanities, calling for improved financial mechanisms, better incentives for scientific personnel, stronger research commissioning linked to practical needs, and increased investment in modern research infrastructure.

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