Tô Lâm Meets Vietnamese Experts in Japan, Calls for Stronger Science and Technology Cooperation
Tokyo, The Gulf Observer: General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee and State President Tô Lâm, together with a high-level Vietnamese delegation, met with Vietnamese experts in Japan working in strategic fields on Sunday afternoon, as part of his official visit to the country.
Addressing the meeting, the Vietnamese leader expressed his pleasure at meeting outstanding Vietnamese professionals. He said the occasion offered an opportunity to review achievements and to discuss ways of better connecting knowledge, experience and resources between Vietnam and the Vietnamese expert community in Japan.
Science and Technology as New Pillars of Vietnam-Japan Cooperation
Tô Lâm stressed that, amid profound global changes driven by science, technology, innovation and digital transformation, the Vietnamese intellectual community abroad is playing an increasingly important role. This is particularly true in Japan, one of the world’s leading scientific and technological powers.
He noted that the Vietnam-Japan Comprehensive Strategic Partnership is developing in a positive, substantive and effective manner, underpinned by a high level of political trust across all areas. Science, technology and innovation, he said, are emerging as new pillars of bilateral cooperation.
The leader briefed participants on the resolutions and decrees Vietnam has issued to attract overseas Vietnamese experts and intellectuals and make effective use of their skills. He also noted that the fourth plenum of the 14th Party Central Committee adopted a conclusion on attracting and utilising talent in strategic sectors to support rapid and sustainable development.
He expressed confidence that the network of Vietnamese experts in Japan will continue to grow and become an important bridge in advancing Vietnam’s knowledge- and technology-driven development.
Call to Attract High-Tech Japanese Investment
Tô Lâm said he wished to hear recommendations from the experts on strengthening the three-way link between the State, businesses and universities. The aim, he said, is to attract more Japanese investment projects with high technological content and added value. He also suggested promoting research and development, technology transfer and the training of high-quality human resources in Vietnam, while strengthening business connections between the two countries.
He urged the expansion of networks connecting Vietnamese and Japanese experts to serve as bridges for cooperation in areas where Japan has strengths and Vietnam has growing needs. These include innovation, space technology, artificial intelligence (AI), semiconductors, quantum technology, marine science and the marine economy, and digital technology. He also listed rare earth exploration and development, medical technology, advanced biotechnology and hydrogen-powered high-tech agriculture.
The experts were encouraged to share research findings that could help improve labour productivity in Vietnam. They were also asked to offer recommendations on addressing bottlenecks in institutional frameworks, the investment environment, infrastructure, human resources and technological capacity.
Vietnamese Experts in Japan Pledge to Support National Development
At the meeting, Vietnamese experts working in semiconductors, AI, quantum technology, robotics and biomedicine shared proposals for developing strategic technologies. They also presented specific products and projects that contribute directly to Vietnam’s development and promote bilateral scientific and technological cooperation.
Expressing their commitment to the homeland, the experts pledged to contribute to national development in the spirit of Resolution 57. They said they would help train strong research teams, establish laboratories, promote university-business partnerships and jointly develop the technologies and products Vietnam needs.
A Growing Community of Scientists
Vietnamese Ambassador to Japan Phạm Quang Hiệu said the Vietnamese expert and intellectual community in Japan has grown steadily in both size and quality.
More than 260 Vietnamese scientists in Japan currently hold professorships, associate professorships or doctoral degrees. Nearly 1,000 experts have been recognised in Japan for their high-level expertise in science, technology and management. Many have gained extensive experience in research, technology development and the commercialisation of research findings.
