Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Van Thang inaugurates Vietnam Leadership Program 2026 at Columbia University, USA
From August 24-26, Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Van Thang led the Vietnamese delegation to attend the Vietnam Leadership Program (VLP) 2026 at Columbia University, New York, USA.
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| Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Van Thang speaking at the Vietnam Leadership Program (VLP) 2026. (Photo: Bao Chi) |
In his opening remarks on the morning of August 24 (New York time, USA), Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Van Thang emphasized that Vietnam is entering a new strategic development phase with a long-term vision and a strong aspiration to realize two centennial goals: becoming a modern industrialized nation with upper-middle-income status by 2030 and a high-income developed country by 2045.
In pursuing these strategic goals, Vietnam highly values the collaboration, knowledge sharing, and international experience from leading academic centers worldwide, such as Columbia University.
The Deputy Prime Minister praised the policy exchange content of the VLP 2026 Program, which covers topics crucial to Vietnam's development needs, such as safe AI governance, digital finance, cloud computing, banking modernization, capital markets, and national technology strategy.
He expressed hope that the in-depth discussions would provide diverse perspectives, offering scientific and practical arguments to support Vietnam in policy development and actualizing specific, substantive cooperation projects between Vietnam and the USA in the near future.
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| Delegates attending the Program. (Photo: Bao Chi) |
Professor Nguyen Thi Lien Hang, Director of the Weatherhead East Asian Institute at Columbia University, affirmed that the VLP 2026 Program marks a significant milestone, continuing the success of the Vietnam Executive Leadership Program (VELP) held over the past two decades.
The professor emphasized that the discussion topics at the program address urgent issues faced by both the USA and Vietnam, with the expectation that the sessions will create an open, substantive exchange space and inspire new development ideas for Vietnam, as well as enhance bilateral relations with the USA.
On this occasion, Professor Lien Hang shared plans to develop the Center for Global Vietnam at Columbia University, aiming to establish a sustainable, long-term academic foundation in policy, leadership, culture, arts, and internships, thereby deepening the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between the two countries.
The VLP 2026 Program focuses on three main areas: (i) Assessing the prospects and notable developments of the global economy and major economies, major transformation trends, and their impact on Vietnam's economy; (ii) New growth drivers (science and technology, AI, digital finance, digital transformation, cloud computing...); and (iii) Recommending solutions to promote growth and build a new development model in Vietnam.
The program is expected to continue serving as a solid knowledge bridge and a reputable policy advisory forum, contributing to mutual understanding, strengthening trust, and opening up practical cooperation opportunities between Vietnam and the USA.
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| Delegates taking a group photo. (Photo: Bao Chi) |
In discussions with professors and experts from Columbia University and the USA, Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Van Thang and the Vietnamese delegation shared key solutions to achieve double-digit growth, strengthen economic self-reliance, and promote balanced, sustainable, and mutually beneficial trade relations with partners.
They clarified Vietnam's major directions on innovating the development model, perfecting the safe AI development framework, and digital financial infrastructure. They also requested leading US scholars to share experiences and provide practical policy advice for Vietnam in the coming time.
The VLP 2026 Program will continue on August 25 and 26 with specialized sessions on cloud computing and the development of Vietnam's financial services sector, global trade and supply chains, and mobilizing resources for Vietnam's new development model.
