Need to promote international development research in Vietnam

At the beginning of the presentation, Dr. Thomas Jandl presented the basic contents of international development and international development research in the world. This is a field of research on the interrelationship between development and transnational issues that play a role as context, conditions, problems, resources and are part of development. Accordingly, the subject of international development research is not only the state but also many other non-state actors such as intergovernmental organizations such as the WTO, the World Bank or non-governmental organizations. This is because in the current trend of globalization and international integration, states increasingly have to consider the level of their intervention in the development of the country. International development research will analyze in depth the policies of the state and non-state actors, and at the same time compare and contrast these policies with each other to draw lessons for their own country.

Dr. Thomas Jandl presents on international development research

Dr. Thomas Jandl used the development model of Prof. Kennichi Onno to illustrate the four steps of a country's development as follows:

• Step 1: Attract foreign investment, stabilize the economy and reduce poverty. This is a common stage in newly developing countries.
• Step 2: Replace foreign factors with domestic factors to improve the country's production value chain.
• Step 3: develop human capital, take advantage of technological power and the knowledge economy for development.
• Step 4: become autonomous and independent in your own development.

For Vietnam, Dr. Thomas Jandl said that Vietnam has successfully implemented the first stage of development. After the Doi Moi policy was launched in 1986, the Vietnamese government has implemented many effective reform steps to attract foreign investment, promote economic growth and reduce poverty to soon transform our country from an agricultural country to an industrialized and modernized one. However, the current context of rapid globalization and international integration requires not only general policy changes but also a shift in the development frame of reference. This has become even clearer since Vietnam has just signed the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPP), requiring our country to implement stages 2 and 3 of development in parallel. In this context, promoting international development research is extremely important to compare and summarize the development experiences of other countries in the actual conditions of Vietnam. He hopes to soon establish an independent training and research facility on international development in Vietnam, with the existing foundation being the Department of International Development Studies at the Faculty of International Studies, University of Social Sciences and Humanities.

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Pham Quang Minh (Rector of University of Social Sciences and Humanities) took a souvenir photo withDr. Thomas Jandl and staff of the Faculty of International Studies

After the presentation, Associate Professor Dr. Pham Quang Minh and staff of the Faculty of International Studies discussed with Dr. Thomas Jandl a number of issues related to international development research in the form of questions and answers such as the connection between cultural and economic factors in development, the application of the four-stage development model to the context of each country, the ability to detect problems and difficulties in international development research, the importance of the connection between theory and practice, etc.

The Faculty of International Studies (USSH) officially established the Department of International Development Studies and began training in this major according to Decision No. 3086/QD-XHNV-TC signed by the University President on December 22, 2014. International Development Studies is a major that is being taught in many countries around the world at both undergraduate and graduate levels. The Faculty of International Studies (USSH) is the first institution in Vietnam to train in the major of International Development Studies.