At the opening session of the 14th National Party Congress on January 20, Party General Secretary To Lam, on behalf of the 13th Party Central Committee, presented a report on documents submitted to the congress.

Many experts in culture and social affairs expressed support for the orientations and directions on culture and people, as well as social policies aimed at inclusiveness, fairness, effectiveness and sustainability, with social security ensured in the period ahead.

The Political Report identifies 12 major orientations, including the designation of science, technology, innovation and digital transformation as the central drivers of development. Accordingly, science, technology, innovation and digital transformation are required to truly become key drivers of growth; the foundation for improving productivity and competitiveness; tools to enhance governance efficiency and national self-reliance while ensuring national defense and security; and means to create new business models, new jobs and new added value.

Nguyen Dinh Duc, Professor at the University of Engineering and Technology – Vietnam National University, Hanoi, said the Party’s vision on this issue is accurate and timely, generating new expectations for the development of science and technology in the coming period.

“We expect the congress to open up space and create breakthroughs to meet the aspirations of the people and the intellectual community, particularly by quickly translating knowledge and technologies from laboratories into products, applications and core technologies, as well as innovation activities, making it possible for Vietnam to truly achieve growth driven by science, technology and high technology,” Duc said.

The report on documents submitted to the 14th National Party Congress also affirms that culture is an endogenous strength, a resource and a driver of development.

Associate Professor Dr Pham Ngoc Trung, cultural expert and former lecturer at the Academy of Journalism and Communication, said that when the national value system, the cultural value system and the family value system are closely integrated, they will form a solid shield against the negative impacts of globalization, while fostering national pride and the spirit of self-reliance.

According to Trung, the brief directives reflect objective laws governing the country’s current stage of development. The Party General Secretary stated that culture must become the spiritual foundation, resource and driving force of social development. These assessments place culture in its appropriate and important position. National development, he said, requires the building of cultural spaces within families, schools, workplaces and online platforms that are civilized and progressive.

From “management mindset” to a “development-enabling” mindset

The 14th National Party Congress not only sets out an economic vision but also marks a further development in theoretical thinking after 40 years of renewal.

A key highlight of this term is the clear shift from a “management mindset” to a “development-enabling” mindset, alongside the determination to place culture at the center and identify it as an endogenous resource for sustainable national progress.

Nguyen Thai Hiep, Deputy Director of the Institute for Research on Development and Conservation of Southeast Asian Arts and Culture, under the Central Association for Southeast Asian Scientific Research of Vietnam, said the 14th National Party Congress represents a milestone reflecting a new stage of maturity in the Party’s theoretical thinking.

For the first time, he noted, the renewal line has gone beyond serving merely as an orientation for action and has been established as an integral component of the ideological foundation. This demonstrates the Party’s proactive review of 40 years of renewal practice and its synthesis into a coherent theoretical framework to guide the next stage of development.

The most prominent feature of this term is the clear transition from a “management mindset” to a “development-enabling” mindset. Rather than focusing solely on administration and control, the Party and the State are actively creating new drivers, improving institutions and, in particular, maximizing human resources.

Regarding development pillars, Hiep expressed his expectation that the 14th National Party Congress will place culture at the center in a substantive manner. Investment in culture, he said, is primarily about creating an environment that nurtures people and stimulates creativity, social responsibility and the aspiration to make contributions.

On the vision for international integration through culture, Hiep said strengthening cultural exchanges between Vietnam and the world would help preserve and enrich national identity during the integration process.

Promoting ASEAN cultural values, he added, will serve as an important bridge for boosting regional peace, cooperation and prosperity.

“With the congress’s strategic vision and sound decisions, Vietnam is expected to continue affirming its position, turning culture into pride and endogenous strength, and making practical contributions to the country’s sustainable development in the new period,” Hiep said.

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