On the morning of July 26, 2025, at APAG Headquarters in Ha Noi, the Academy of Public Administration and Governance (APAG) held the Opening Ceremony for postgraduate training and the Conferment of Doctoral and Master's Degrees – First Phase of 2025.
The full speech delivered by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Ba Chien, President of APAG, is presented below.
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Ba Chien, President of APAG, delivered a speech at the ceremony. Distinguished guests,
Dear professors and lecturers,
Dear postgraduate students,
First of all, I would like to express my sincere thanks to Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Duy Bac, Vice President of the Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics, as well as to all distinguished guests, professors, and lecturers for attending the Opening Ceremony for postgraduate training and the Conferment of Master’s and Doctoral Degrees - First Phase of 2025 - of APAG.
At today’s ceremony, I would like to share my joy and emotion as we gather here, not only to witness the beginning and completion of the Master's and Doctoral study journeys at APAG, but also to reflect, contemplate, and look ahead to the future of knowledge, of scholarly dedication, and of the aspiration to contribute.
First of all, I would like to extend my warmest congratulations to the 301 master’s students and 48 doctoral candidates who have trusted and chosen APAG as the place to begin or continue their journey of knowledge development. Your choice is a great source of pride for APAG, affirming society’s confidence in APAG as a trusted, reputable, high-quality institution with a strong identity and rich tradition that has established its brand in master’s and doctoral training in public administration, state management, and governance.
At today’s ceremony, APAG is also honored to confer degrees upon 24 new doctors and 210 new masters who have successfully completed their training programs at APAG. These graduates are filled with joy and pride as they receive their doctoral and master’s degrees. Behind each diploma lies countless sleepless nights of research, pages of documents marked with revisions, the silent sacrifices of families, the encouragement from institutions and colleagues, and above all, the tireless efforts of each and every student.
Let me take this opportunity to congratulate and commend the perseverance, determination, and academic rigor that all of you - our graduate students and doctoral candidates - have demonstrated throughout your study and research journey at APAG.
Dear new Master’s students,
The two years ahead may not seem long, but they are an invaluable period for each of you to supplement, update, and elevate your knowledge, expand your network, and further develop your personal capacities. Approach your studies like true researchers: always seek out real-life problems, always question, always yearn to understand the essence of an issue. Treat each lesson, each discussion, each lecture not just as a source of knowledge, but also as an opportunity to broaden your vision, mindset, connections, critical thinking methods, and diversity in approaches to analyzing, evaluating, and addressing real-world problems.
Pursuing a Master’s degree is not merely about obtaining a diploma; it is about becoming a capable contributor to development, a participant in, or even a leader of, change. In the current context where Viet Nam is accelerating institutional reform, renewing public governance models, and advancing comprehensive digital transformation, the knowledge and skills you gain will be the key to solving complex issues in state management and public service delivery.
Dear new doctoral candidates,
The journey to earning a Ph.D. is a unique and challenging path. There will be times when you feel lonely, moments of wanting to stop because your ideas seem to lead nowhere; when theory has not been validated by practice; when what seemed like a perfect research outline must be completely revised following critiques from the review board; when finding relevant sources proves difficult; or when you even start to doubt your own capabilities. Therefore, the path of a doctoral candidate requires persistence, endurance, and an unyielding thirst for discovery.
Today, 48 new doctoral candidates are preparing to embark on a three- to five-year journey of in-depth research. To succeed, each of you should keep in mind:
First, choose a topic that is groundbreaking and makes a clear contribution to both theory and practice in public management, constitutional law, or administrative law.
Second, build a systematic research roadmap. Start by surveying domestic and international literature, conducting a theoretical overview, establishing research hypotheses, and then proceed to data collection, analysis, and the actual research.
Third, expand your academic exchange activities domestically, regionally, and internationally. Actively participate in exchange programs, international conferences, and publish research papers in reputable journals.
Fourth, orient yourself toward teaching. Each doctoral candidate should gain experience lecturing in undergraduate and graduate programs or leading training sessions at their own agency, organization, or local area. Integrate research with teaching and knowledge sharing to spread academic value into practice.
Fifth, continuously cultivate patience, perseverance, faith, passion, an innovative mindset, and a spirit of commitment. The research journey is never a straight path. Failure, correction, and repeated experimentation are normal parts of the research process.
I hope that during your time conducting research at APAG, you will not simply aim to complete a dissertation, but instead pursue a genuine academic aspiration. Write and think in ways that raise new and open-ended questions; engage in critical thinking to help clarify controversial issues; and connect Viet Nam’s realities with the global knowledge system.
Dear Master's and doctoral students,
APAG, with its 66-year tradition in training and developing high-quality human resources in public administration, state management, and governance, is now officially merged into the Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics. It continues to receive significant attention and support and benefits from the involvement of a large network of reputable scholars in training and academic research. APAG will continue to strongly innovate toward modern governance, striving to provide the best possible learning environment for all students and doctoral candidates. APAG will always stand by your side as a hub of academic support, a forum for serious academic dialogue, and a nurturing environment for your research passion.
Dear new Ph.D. holders,
The diploma you receive today is a testament to your perseverance. But more than that, I hope you will continue to strive, to keep learning, working, and contributing while inspiring future generations.
As you leave today’s graduation ceremony, walk forward not with the mindset that one journey has ended, but that another is just beginning: work more deeply, see further, think longer term, and build broader connections. Take pride in your journey and continue your mission:
First, teaching. Be those who plant and spread knowledge in classrooms, in your agencies, organizations, and localities. Contribute to the creation of a knowledge ecosystem that supports the sustainable development of your institutions and communities.
Second, research. Take the lead or actively participate in research projects at various levels; be proactive in identifying and exploring research problems that contribute to academic discourse and address practical challenges.
Third, actively transfer knowledge through consulting, policy advising, and performing duties in your institutions. Lend your scientific voice to the development process of your workplace, locality, sector, or field of work.
Dear new Master’s graduates from the seven training programs,
The APAG’s seven master's programs, namely Public Management, Public Policy, Constitutional and Administrative Law, Finance–Banking, Economic Management, Cultural Management, and Archival Studies, are all highly relevant to the country’s current demands for innovation.
Your career should not be confined to a specific job title or professional role. With your elevated knowledge, I hope you will become pioneers of innovation and creativity, i.e., those who bridge knowledge and action, who proactively advise, propose, and solve practical issues at your agencies, organizations, localities, and within your respective sectors.
Viet Nam is undergoing significant transformation, shifting from administrative management to development facilitation and public service. This transformation places higher and more professional demands on public managers, policy makers, and researchers. The nation urgently needs intellectuals with bravery and a pioneering spirit - those who seek out and explore real-life issues. Let what you have learned go beyond theory; let it become an effective tool for solving the practical challenges in your field, locality, or organization. The Master’s degree you receive today should serve as a means for action and service instead of merely a title or symbol.
Dear distinguished guests, professors, and students,
Power comes from connection and data sharing. APAG hopes to see the formation of academic communities, strong research groups, and policy dialogue forums, initiated by our new Ph.D. holders, new Masters, and all of our current students and doctoral candidates, in collaboration with the APAG professors. Each individual can serve as a vital connection point, spreading academic spirit and sharing knowledge in service of national development. The success of each student and researcher, each master and Ph.D. holder, is a great source of pride for our faculty and for APAG as a whole.
Once again, congratulations to all new Ph.D. holders and masters. May you achieve great success in both your careers and personal lives.
Congratulations to all new postgraduate students. I wish you every success in completing your academic journeys at APAG.
Wishing all our distinguished guests, professors, and lecturers continued health, happiness, and success.
Thank you very much!