On December 30th, 2025, in Hanoi, the Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics (HCMA) held a Conference to review the work of 2025 and deploy tasks for 2026. General Secretary of the Party Central Committee To Lam attended, delivered directive remarks, and awarded the First-Class Labor Order to the Academy. Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Ba Chien, President of the Academy of Public Administration and Governance (APAG), delivered a presentation at the Conference. Below is the full text of the presentation by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Ba Chien.
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Ba Chien, President of the Academy of Public Administration and Governance, Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics, presenting at the Conference
Respected General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam To Lam,
Respected Prof. Dr. Nguyen Xuan Thang, Member of the Politburo, President of the Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics, Chairman of the Central Council on Theoretical Studies,
Distinguished delegates and guests,
Ladies and gentlemen at the Conference!
Today, in the enthusiastic atmosphere of the entire Party, the entire people, and the entire army emulating to record achievements to welcome the 14th National Party Congress, preparing to welcome the New Year 2026, and attending the Conference to review the work of 2025 and deploy tasks for 2026 of the Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics, on behalf of the collective of officials and employees of the Academy of Public Administration and Governance, I would like to extend my wishes of health, happiness, and success to the General Secretary, leaders of the Party and State, and all distinguished guests.
Respected Comrades,
It has been exactly one year since we implemented the historic decision regarding the revolution in streamlining the apparatus. Within this historic milestone lies the merger of the National Academy of Public Administration into the Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics and its renaming to the Academy of Public Administration and Governance. Looking back on the journey of the past year, I would like to report and share four key highlights:
First, the merger of the National Academy of Public Administration into the Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics, and its renaming to the Academy of Public Administration and Governance, is not only a strategic step to realize the policy of "Lean - Compact - Strong - Efficient - Effective - High-performing," but also demonstrates a far-reaching vision and a determination to fundamentally innovate the training and fostering of cadres, civil servants, and public employees of the Party and State. Through the unification of a single focal point for training and fostering leadership and management cadres for the political system—which is the Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics—we can uniformly manage and concentrate resources, especially the team of scientists, lecturers, and program content, to enhance the quality and effectiveness of training and fostering in political theory, state management, public governance, and development governance.
Second, strategic positioning: Connecting "Virtue" and "Talent," connecting "Theory" and "Practice," and connecting political theory with administrative skills and public governance in training and fostering.
Under the common roof of the Party School bearing the name of Uncle Ho, the current cadre training model aims for strategic completeness. If the tradition of the Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics is the cultivation of political bravery, sharp reasoning, and guiding orientation for leadership and management (which is the Root), then the mission of the Academy of Public Administration and Governance is to cultivate governance skills, administrative expertise, and public service execution capacity (which is the Trade). This resonance helps the Academy system train a contingent of cadres who possess both high-level theoretical capacity and administrative and public governance skills to solve the practical problems of national management, national governance, and local governance.
Third, after one year of restructuring, the Academy has quickly stabilized and affirmed its pioneering role in new tasks, especially in enhancing capacity for local governments:
Immediately after the merger, the Academy of Public Administration and Governance ensured there were no "gaps" or "delays" in operations. The Academy participated actively and effectively in training and fostering activities associated with the context of Vietnam operating a two-level local government model.
A bright spot in 2025 was the Academy's strong promotion of the international network on administration and public governance, contributing to the overall results of the international cooperation activities of the Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics. The Academy successfully fulfilled the role of Chairman of the Executive Council and successfully organized the 2025 Annual Conference of the Eastern Regional Organization for Public Administration (EROPA). Along with that, the Academy also successfully organized the annual Public Governance Forum on the theme "Innovation towards national sustainable development in the new era," and the Elite Civil Service Forum; and coordinated with international organizations to introduce the Chandler Good Government Index (CGGI), contributing to raising the level of national governance and providing important scientific arguments for Ministries, sectors, and localities in administrative reform and competitiveness enhancement. On that basis, in 2025, the Academy of Public Administration and Governance submitted three policy recommendation reports to the Central level regarding: "Innovating modern, effective national governance to realize the aspiration for national development in the new era"; a report recommending "Civil service reform in Vietnam in the new era"; and a report recommending “Social development management content in the documents of the 14th Congress”, along with many key scientific topics and solutions sent to ministries, sectors, and localities.
The Academy has shifted strongly from a mindset of training and fostering knowledge to training and fostering based on competency, focusing on local governance capacity, development governance, flexible and adaptive governance, and digital capacity for the contingent of cadres, civil servants, and public employees in localities.
Fourth, commitments and recommendations regarding the training and fostering of cadres, civil servants, and public employees in 2026 and subsequent years:
Entering 2026 and the following years, the Academy of Public Administration and Governance clearly defines its responsibility and mission in building a socialist rule-of-law state that facilitates development. In order for the Academy of Public Administration and Governance—a constituent unit of the Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics—to truly become a national center for training, fostering, scientific research, international cooperation, and the provision of public services regarding the training and fostering of cadres and civil servants in the fields of administration, state management, and public governance, we hope to continue receiving the attention, direction, and orientation of Party and State leaders and the President of the Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics regarding 05 important contents as follows:
One, we respectfully request the Central Organizing Commission and the Ministry of Home Affairs to coordinate closely with the Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics in implementing newly assigned tasks in training and fostering leadership and management cadres, as well as the contingent of cadres, civil servants, and public employees, regarding political theory, state management, public governance, and development governance. This is to ensure quality, efficiency, and unification under one focal point: the Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics.
Two, regarding training, fostering, and public service provision: Enhance decentralization in training, fostering, and public service provision to allow the Academy of Public Administration and Governance to develop according to the model of university autonomy and modern university governance; design modern training programs to train human resources with superior governance capacity, creative thinking, and professional mastery, meeting the requirements of a professional and modern civil service. Simultaneously, decentralize authority so the Academy can participate more in fostering activities and capacity building for cadres, civil servants, and public employees according to Decree 171/2025/ND-CP, aiming to inherit and maximize the capital of experience and the 65-year tradition of training and fostering cadres, civil servants, and public employees established by the former National Academy of Public Administration.
Three, regarding scientific research and digital transformation: We request continued attention to investing resources to develop the Academy of Public Administration and Governance into a leading national "Think Tank" on administrative science, public policy, and public governance. Construct a "Digital Academy" model, build simulation classrooms and practical simulation centers for public governance, state management, and public policy associated with the philosophy of promoting "Public Value," transparency, and modernization of governance, spreading advanced governance knowledge to the entire political system.
Four, regarding international cooperation: Promote integration, expand cooperation with international organizations, universities, and research institutes, absorb global public governance quintessence, contribute to raising the position of, and spreading and introducing Vietnam's science of public governance to the world.
Five, it is necessary to prioritize and focus investment on the quality of training for the leadership and management team to possess superior governance capabilities that meet the requirements of modern, effective national governance. This should be done through a comprehensive review of training and fostering programs; ensuring no duplication of content or subjects and ensuring substance; ensuring training and fostering programs are modern, meeting practical requirements and the country's development in the new era; and strengthening the participation of central and local leadership and management cadres in training and fostering work.
Respected Comrades,
Conscious of the Academy's mission in the new context, along with the attention of the Party and State and the direct leadership and direction of the Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics, the collective of officials, lecturers, and employees of the Academy of Public Administration and Governance commits to continuing to unite, innovate, and create, ceaselessly improving the quality of training and fostering high-quality human resources in administration, state management, and public governance. We clearly define our pioneering responsibility in proactively participating in the training and fostering of the contingent of cadres, civil servants, and public employees for the country, contributing to realizing the aspiration for a mighty and prosperous Vietnam.
On the occasion of the approaching New Year 2026, on behalf of the Academy of Public Administration and Governance, I respectfully wish the General Secretary, the Party and State leaders, and all distinguished guests abundant health, happiness, and success!
Thank you!