The responsibility of the Archives sector in building the national data infrastructure.

The seminar was attended by Major General, Dr. Nguyen Ngoc Cuong, Director of the National Data Center (Ministry of Public Security), Standing Committee Member, and Vice President of the National Data Association; Mr. Dang Thanh Tung – Director of the State Archives and Records Department; Mr. Do Quoc Toan – Deputy Director of the Archives and Records Department, Central Party Office; leaders of the National Archives Center, the Hanoi City Historical Archives Center and several provinces and cities, and a large number of experts and scientists in the fields of archival studies and data science.
Representing the University of Social Sciences and Humanities were Assoc. Prof. Dr. Dang Thi Thu Huong (Vice Rector of the University), the leadership and faculty, students, and trainees of the Department of Archival Studies and Office Management.
In her opening remarks at the seminar, Associate Professor Dr. Dang Thi Thu Huong, on behalf of the university's leadership, expressed her sincere gratitude to Major General Nguyen Ngoc Cuong – an expert with many years of experience in the field of archiving and document management, and other leading experts who attended the seminar. With their extensive practical experience in management and research, the insightful analyses and comprehensive perspectives of the speakers and experts will contribute to clarifying the strategic role of archiving, as well as the new requirements for document management in the digital age.
Vice Rector Dang Thi Thu Huong emphasized: “In the digital age, data has become a strategic national resource, the 'infrastructure of infrastructures,' playing a fundamental role in all governance, administration, and national development activities. Building a synchronized, modern, secure, and efficient national data infrastructure is one of the key tasks identified in the Resolution of the 14th National Congress of the Party. In this process, the Archives sector plays an extremely important role – not only in the traditional function of preserving documents, not only as the 'keeper of national memory,' but also as a force directly involved in creating, organizing, managing, and protecting the national data ecosystem.” Over the past period, the University of Social Sciences and Humanities has proactively organized a series of scientific seminars to thoroughly understand and gradually concretize the spirit of the Resolution of the 14th National Congress of the Party. And today's scientific seminar is an important link in that series of activities, clearly demonstrating the University's commitment to working alongside agencies, organizations, and the professional community to make practical contributions to the development of the national data infrastructure.
Sharing his insights at the seminar, Major General, Dr. Nguyen Ngoc Cuong presented profound analyses on the role of data in the context of rapidly developing technology and artificial intelligence (AI), highlighting the urgent need to build a national database covering all fields that can be utilized to serve socio-economic development, national security and defense, and improve people's lives.
However, to build a sufficiently robust national database that plays a central role in modern national governance and enhances Vietnam's competitiveness in the context of globalization, a comprehensive solution is needed: building digital infrastructure, developing human resources, perfecting institutions, building a digital ecosystem, and developing endogenous capacity. With such objectives, the archival sector urgently needs significant changes in awareness, professional competence, and human resource training models in this new phase. Also at the seminar, Mr. Dao Dinh Nam - Deputy Head of the Planning and Synthesis Department, National Data Center (Ministry of Public Security) shared information on the progress and results of building a synchronized, interconnected, secure national database that can be effectively utilized and contribute to the protection and development of the country, and improve the quality of life for the people. However, building a unified and secure national data infrastructure, so that sectors, agencies, organizations, and individuals can connect, share, and effectively utilize it, still faces many difficulties and challenges. During the seminar, delegates unanimously agreed on the importance of data, data collection, storage, preservation, and sharing, especially digital data. They also emphasized that institutions training in archival science need to equip students with the most up-to-date knowledge and skills to ensure they can adapt to the demands of the new context and the development of science and technology.
At the conclusion of the seminar, experts unanimously agreed on the role of data and the importance of building a national data bank that is accurate, complete, clean, secure, and efficiently utilized. They also clearly analyzed the advantages and challenges facing the archival field in the new context. The Resolution of the 14th National Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam emphasized major orientations for developing the data economy, ensuring data security, and promoting comprehensive digital transformation. Archiving is not merely about preserving and safeguarding information, but also directly participates in the creation, operation, and security of the national data infrastructure.
In his closing remarks at the seminar, Dr. Cam Anh Tuan (Head of the Department of Archival Studies and Office Management) once again expressed his sincere gratitude to the scientists and managers who participated and shared incredibly insightful and useful information, while also suggesting new directions in training and research in archival studies in the context of digital transformation. The Department of Archival Studies and Office Management is a pioneer in incorporating content on digital data and the application of technology in archival activities into its curriculum. The specialization in Digital Archival Studies has officially been included in the training program for students of the 70th cohort, opening up an interdisciplinary path between Archival Studies and Data Science. Dr. Cam Anh Tuan expressed his hope to continue receiving the support of scientists and managers in the future in training, scientific guidance, and practical internships of the University and the Department.