Vietnam scientific and technological development initiatives

Vietnam is implementing policies to strengthen its scientific and technological capabilities through human resource development and strategic research initiatives.

Experts have advocated for early investment in scientific talent, specifically targeting doctoral researchers to build a sustainable workforce. This includes providing scholarships, research conditions, and clear career paths. While Decree No. 179/2026/ND-CP provides scholarships for basic sciences and strategic technologies, some institutions are proactively implementing programs that cover full tuition and living expenses to cultivate talent.

Building on these developmental goals, the Ministry of Science and Technology has issued a call for research proposals focused on strategic technology and development. Minister Vu Hai Quan has also highlighted mathematics as a foundational capability, aiming to establish the Vietnam Institute for Advanced Study in Mathematics as a premier national center for basic research with significant international recognition by 2035.

To operationalize these efforts, the Ministry of Education and Training issued Circular No. 80/2026/TT-BGDDT, providing detailed guidance on scholarship policies for students in basic sciences, key engineering, and strategic technology sectors. To qualify, students must rank within the top 30% of candidates nationwide in their field. The selection is based on high school graduation exam results, specifically the sum of Mathematics and the two highest-scoring subjects among Physics, Chemistry, Biology, and English, without the use of priority points or foreign language certificate conversions. In an administrative shift, students do not need to manually apply; information is automatically extracted from national enrollment and training management databases.