Launch of the Governance and Public Policy Association (GPPA): Connecting Training, Research, and Practice in a New Era

Attendees at the Forum from the Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics included: Assoc. Prof. Dr. Tran Thanh Giang, Chief of Office; Assoc. Prof. Dr. Bui Van Huyen, Director of the Institute of Socio-Economics and Environment; Dr. Tran Van Thang, Chief Inspector; Assoc. Prof. Dr. Dau Huong Nam, Director General of the International Cooperation Department; Assoc. Prof. Dr. Dinh Thi Nga, Deputy Director of the Institute of Socio-Economics and Environment; Assoc. Prof. Dr. Hoang Van Hoan, Deputy Director General of the Department of Political Schools; along with many officials and lecturers.

Representing the Academy of Public Administration and Governance were Dr. Bui Phuong Dinh, Vice President, and a large number of the Academy's officials and lecturers.

From the member institutions of GPPA were: Assoc. Prof. Dr. Bui Duc Tho, Secretary of the Party Committee of National Economics University; Assoc. Prof. Dr. Bui Huy Nhuong, President of National Economics University; Prof. Dr. Hoang Anh Tuan, Rector of the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, VNU Hanoi; Assoc. Prof. Dr. Tran Trong Nguyen, President of the Academy of Policy and Development; Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Huy Hoang, Director of the Graduate Academy of Social Sciences; Assoc. Prof. Dr. Le Van Huy, Rector of the University of Economics, University of Danang; Prof. Dr. Pham Van Cuong, Vice President of Vietnam National University of Agriculture; Assoc. Prof. Dr. Bui Quang Hung, Deputy Director in charge of University of Economics Ho Chi Minh City; Assoc. Prof. Dr. Bui Duc Tinh, Vice Rector of the University of Economics, Hue University; along with representatives from policy research and public administration units in the Central government and Hanoi.

At the event, the Academy of Public Administration and Governance officially signed the cooperation agreement to co-found and join GPPA alongside 9 prestigious units nationwide: Academy of Policy and Development; National Economics University; Hue University; University of Economics Ho Chi Minh City; Graduate Academy of Social Sciences; Institute of Economics, Society and Environment; University of Economics, University of Danang; University of Social Sciences and Humanities; and Vietnam National University of Agriculture.

In his welcoming and keynote speech, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Bui Huy Nhuong, President of National Economics University and GPPA Chairman for 2026, emphasized that in the context of globalization, the digital economy, and data-driven governance, national governance has become the key factor determining the competitiveness and sustainable development of every nation.

He noted that the Party's major guidelines have clearly defined the requirement to transition from an administrative management model to modern, efficient, transparent, and highly accountable public governance, where digital transformation is the breakthrough engine for modernizing national governance.

He shared that although positive results have been achieved in administrative reform, streamlining the apparatus, and decentralization, the governance system still faces limitations in coordination, execution capacity, and digital skills among the cadre contingent. Therefore, the establishment of GPPA is expected to overcome fragmentation in training and research, creating an open space for academic cooperation.

Speaking at the ceremony, Prof. Dr. Nguyen Xuan Thang highly valued the initiative to establish GPPA, stating it is a practical step toward realizing the requirement to shift from management to development-enabling governance.

Prof. Dr. Nguyen Xuan Thang emphasized that the current requirement is not just awareness of roles and responsibilities, but more importantly, the capacity for implementation to ensure policies are effectively deployed, creating concrete results and reinforcing people's trust. He pointed out the need for specialized research forums to realistically assess management and execution capacity, especially within the two-level local government model. He also requested that the administrative apparatus be truly streamlined and efficient, avoiding overlap and formality. He suggested that GPPA should expand its role from training to research and practical application, directly participating in solving national development issues.

During the Round Table discussion themed "National Governance Trends and the Role of Higher Education Institutions in the New Era," Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Ba Chien, President of the Academy, emphasized the urgent need to identify existing capacity gaps in the cadre contingent, notably system thinking, development-enabling thinking, digital capacity, and inclusive development governance capacity.

The Academy President argued for a strong shift from traditional training approaches to a model of fostering and coaching linked to practice. Alongside basic theoretical foundations, building practical cases and teaching scenarios close to the public governance context is key. Instructors should not just transmit knowledge but act as "architects" guiding the learning process. Learning methods must be learner-centered, integrating theory with practice to transform experiences into knowledge and leadership capacity.

The delegates also agreed that to improve policy execution efficiency, it is necessary to strengthen links between ministries, sectors, and localities, promote policy dialogue, and enhance independent advisory and criticism capacity based on scientific research. New training models were shared, such as project-based learning and bringing students directly into public administration environments to shorten the gap between training and practice. The forum clarified the shift of higher education institutions from "human resource providers" to "institutional creative subjects."

The launch of GPPA marks an important shift in the training and public policy research mindset in Vietnam. Beyond providing human resources, training institutions are gradually asserting their roles as active participants in building and perfecting institutions and improving policy execution capacity.

Photo: Speakers presenting their papers:

Some images at the event: