From February 10 to 13, 2026, the first International Conference on State Governance, themed “State Governance in the 21st Century: Speed and Significance,” took place at the Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration (RANEPA), Russian Federation. The event gathered over 700 senior federal and regional officials from across Russia, along with more than 50 representatives from state agencies, experts, scientists, and the educational community from various countries worldwide
The international conference featured six major thematic groups and dozens of parallel discussion sessions on state governance issues in the Russian Federation and globally. The program opened with a welcome message from the President of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Putin, and a keynote speech by Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin, emphasizing the importance of international connectivity, experience sharing, promoting digital transformation in state governance, and reforming public services with a citizen-centered approach.
The Vietnamese delegation included Dr. Bui Phuong Dinh, Vice President of the Academy of Public Administration and Governance (APAG), and Assoc. Prof. Dr. Pham Minh Son, President of the Academy of Journalism and Communication.
At the discussion session on “International Experience in Developing State Management Systems,” Dr. Bui Phuong Dinh - Vice President of the APAG, as one of the keynote speakers, presented a research paper titled “Reforming and Transforming the Local Government Apparatus in Vietnam to Create New Developmental Spaces and Momentum.” He shared lessons and orientations from the practical implementation of institutional reform, the streamlining of the central state apparatus, and the restructuring of the two-tier local government system in Vietnam during the 2024–2045 period, which garnered significant interest and lively discussion from international delegates.
The core of the presentation focused on institutional governance reform in Vietnam aimed at creating new "developmental spaces" and "developmental momentum" to serve the goal of becoming a developed, high-income country by 2045, for a peaceful, independent, democratic, wealthy, strong, prosperous, civilized, and happy Vietnam, stepping firmly toward socialism and possessing a modern and advanced national governance system. The paper emphasized that the goal of streamlining is not merely to reduce size, but to build a state apparatus that is “smaller in scale, but stronger in capacity,” flexible, and effective in navigating the volatile global context of the 2025-2030 period. Based on a deep understanding of the international and domestic development context, as well as drawing on international experiences affirmed by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), the paper offered several strategic recommendations, policies, and a roadmap to ensure the effectiveness of institutional reforms in development governance by 2030.
During the working trip, Vice President Bui Phuong Dinh visited the Ho Chi Minh Monument at Ho Chi Minh Square in Moscow to express infinite respect and gratitude to President Ho Chi Minh, the founder of the Communist Party of Vietnam, who led the successful August Revolution in 1945 to establish the modern State of Vietnam.
Dr. Bui Phuong Dinh also held bilateral meetings to discuss cooperative development relations with the leadership of the Russian Presidential Academy (RANEPA), the State and Government Officials Training Institute of the Republic of Cuba, the Academy of Public Administration under the President of Kazakhstan, and the National School of Government of South Africa. Additionally, he met with Vietnamese students and postgraduate candidates currently studying at RANEPA.
The working trip and participation in the International Conference on State Governance at the Russian Presidential Academy were a great success, contributing to enhancing the image and prestige of the Academy of Public Administration and Governance (APAG) within the international academic and state governance spheres.
Some photos from the working trip:
