Academy of Public Administration and Governance holds working session with National Foundation for Science and Technology Development (NAFOSTED)

Attending the working session on behalf of the National Foundation for Science and Technology Development were Mr. Le Tai Dung, Deputy Director of the NAFOSTED Executive Office; Ms. Pham Thi Phuong Dung, Acting Head of the Social Sciences and Humanities Management Department; and Mr. Nguyen Van Vinh, Deputy Head of the Social Sciences and Humanities Management Department. Representing the Academy of Public Administration and Governance were Dr. Bui Phuong Dinh, Vice President of the Academy; leaders of constituent and affiliated units of the Academy, along with interested faculty members.

During the working session, delegates watched a summary video showcasing the scientific research outcomes of the Academy of Public Administration and Governance for 2025 and the first six months of 2026, providing a comprehensive picture of the Academy's potential and research development orientation.

Delivering welcoming remarks, Dr. Bui Phuong Dinh, Vice President of the Academy of Public Administration and Governance, emphasized that against the backdrop of special focus from the Party and State on promoting science, technology, innovation, and national digital transformation, strengthening connections between research and training institutions with NAFOSTED holds great significance. This activity contributes to elevating the quality of scientific research, developing strong research groups, and increasing valuable scientific works serving national development. The Academy deeply appreciates NAFOSTED's attention and support, expecting the working session to open up numerous cooperative opportunities and broad research orientations for the Academy's scientists and faculty members.

Dr. Bui Phuong Dinh clearly outlined the overarching guiding principles in the Academy's scientific research activities: First, scientific research must be closely aligned with political tasks, directly serving the education and executive training of cadres, leaders, and managers with new thinking, new methods, new approaches, and new results, while promptly updating new Party and State policies and directives. Second, the Academy affirms an interdisciplinary research direction, deeply integrating management and governance knowledge with science, technology, engineering, and natural sciences to effectively solve practical problems. Third, closely link scientific research with innovation and entrepreneurship movements among students and trainees to build high-quality human resources for the country. Operationalizing these orientations, the Vice President shared the key science and technology task groups on which the Academy is focusing: accelerating in-depth basic research to theorize national governance; applying research findings to innovate textbooks and lectures while enhancing policy advisory reports for central ministries, departments, and localities; improving the quality of master's and doctoral training, developing research capacity for young faculty, and focusing on building strong research groups; enhancing international academic exchange and cooperation, and implementing the Project to Elevate the Quality of the State Management Journal to approach and join the Scopus citation database for the 2026–2030 period. In particular, the Academy is actively promoting plans to establish an Innovation and Entrepreneurship Center in the near future.

Speaking at the working session, Mr. Le Tai Dung, Deputy Director of the NAFOSTED Executive Office, presented an overview of the function, tasks, mission, and development vision of the National Foundation for Science and Technology Development. He emphasized that NAFOSTED consistently serves as a reliable funding launchpad for basic and applied research meeting international standards, aiming to enhance national science and technology capacity and forge tight connections between research and educational institutions and practical development goals.

Also during the session, Ms. Pham Thi Phuong Dung, Acting Head of the Social Sciences and Humanities Management Department, introduced specific funding programs for basic research in social sciences and humanities (Public Administration, Law, Economics, Management Sciences, etc.); funding mechanisms for strong research groups, support for young scientists, international publications, and short-term overseas fellowships. Additionally, NAFOSTED representatives provided detailed guidance on the project application process, independent peer-review evaluation criteria, and flexible updates in financial management mechanisms.

During the discussion session, delegates from various faculties, departments, and regional campuses of the Academy actively exchanged views and raised questions regarding project proposal criteria, mechanisms for establishing strong research groups, and NAFOSTED's project evaluation process. NAFOSTED representatives responded openly, offering practical guidance to assist the Academy's staff and faculty in accessing national scientific funding sources more easily.

The successful working session opens up practical and sustainable cooperation opportunities between the Academy of Public Administration and Governance and NAFOSTED, contributing to enhancing the Academy's scientific potential and stature in its new phase of development.