APAG welcomes the delegation of leaders and trainees from the Matsushita Institute of Government and Management (MIGM), Japan

Attending the working session, on the side of MIGM, Japan, were Mr. Kenji Ozeki, Director of MIGM and head of the delegation; Mr. Yoichiro Morioka, Head of the Training Department, MIGM, and deputy head of the delegation; along with 17 trainees from cohorts 43, 44, 45, and 46.

Representing APAG were Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Ba Chien, President of APAG; Dr. Le Van Hoa, Deputy Dean of the Faculty of Administrative Sciences; Ms. Pham Thi Quynh Hoa, Acting Director of the Department of Science Management and International Cooperation.

During the meeting, the MIGM delegation listened to an overview introduction of APAG’s training model, as well as key topics related to administrative reform, organizational structure, and practical experience in operating Viet Nam’s political system. A lecturer from the Faculty of Public Administrative Sciences presented a thematic report on modern public governance, which sparked lively discussions among the Japanese trainees.

Speaking at the session, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Ba Chien warmly welcomed the MIGM delegation to APAG for their visit and academic exchange. He emphasized that Viet Nam-Japan cooperation has long served as an important foundation for promoting research exchange, especially in the fields of public administration and governance.

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Ba Chien provided an overview of Viet Nam’s administrative reform orientation, focusing on the prominent new features of the two-tier administrative reform model currently being implemented. Accordingly, Viet Nam is concentrating on streamlining the administrative apparatus and expanding decentralization to enhance district-level autonomy; promoting comprehensive digital transformation in public service delivery; standardizing public servants based on competency frameworks; and modernizing the “one-stop shop” and “interconnected one-stop shop” mechanisms with a citizen-centric approach, using public satisfaction as the key measure.

These reforms demonstrate Viet Nam’s determination to build a service-oriented, transparent, and efficient administration, while opening up numerous areas for future cooperation and joint research between the two institutions. He expressed his hope that APAG and MIGM will continue collaborating on faculty exchanges, academic workshops, and comparative studies to further strengthen their cooperative relationship.

Mr. Kenji Ozeki, Director of MIGM, expressed his sincere appreciation for the warm reception of APAG.

Mr. Kenji Ozeki highly commended Viet Nam’s efforts in administrative reform, especially in applying technology, enhancing transparency, and improving the quality of the public servants. He noted that the experiences shared during the session would serve as valuable resources for MIGM trainees to broaden their understanding and apply them within Japan’s reform context.

He expressed his wish for MIGM and APAG to maintain regular annual exchanges and move toward building deeper and more sustainable cooperation programs in the future.

As part of the working session, Dr. Nguyen Thi Thanh, lecturer of the Faculty of Administrative Sciences, delivered a thematic presentation providing an overview of Viet Nam’s political system and public administration, emphasizing the operating mechanism based on the principles: the Party leads, the State manages, and the People master. The presentation highlighted key components of Viet Nam’s administrative reform throughout different periods and its notable achievements, particularly innovations during the 2021-2030 phase, including enhanced digital transformation, streamlined organizational structures, expanded decentralization and transfer of power, and modernization of the “one-stop shop” and “interconnected one-stop shop” models. The session offered the Japanese delegation a systematic and updated perspective on Viet Nam’s public administration in its renewal and integration process.

The working session took place in a formal, friendly, and productive atmosphere. Both sides agreed to continue expanding academic exchanges, sharing experiences, and strengthening cooperation in public administration and governance.

The meeting not only fosters relations between APAG and MIGM, Japan, but also opens up diverse opportunities for cooperation in the years to come.