ICVNS2016 was collaboratively organized by Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences; Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology; Vietnam National University, Ho Chi Minh City; Ministry of Education and Training; Ministry of Science and Technology; Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism; Ministry of Industry and Trade; Ministry of Planning and Investment; Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development; Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs; Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment; Ministry of Information and Communications.

More than 1,200 abstracts were received from scientists, 150 of those were foreigners from over 30 countries and territories; 843 short papers and 500 full papers were presented at the conference.

ICVNS2016 focused on the following 6 themes: Foreign relations; International cooperation and integration; Cultural resources; Education and human resource development; Technology and knowledge transfer; Economy and livelihood; Climate change adaptation.

Addressing the opening ceremony, Deputy Prime Minister Vũ Đức Đam highly appreciated VNU for actively collaborating with other institutions to well organize this conference.

He believed that the Conference would provide the Party and State with useful practical recommendations for Vietnam policies planning.

The Deputy Prime Minister wished that international Vietnamese Studies scientists would stand side-by-side with Vietnamese counterparts and together with them bring Vietnam’s culture and image to the world as well as build and develop a Vietnamese Studies network worldwide.

Delivering his opening speech, VNU President Nguyễn Kim Sơn said that, currently, Vietnam was facing such challenges in the process of development and international integration at national, regional and global levels, as: impacts of global climate change; the problem of sustainable development and growth; international and regional collaborations in dealing with terrorism, poverty, cultural and religious issues, diseases, the emergence of the 4^th industrial revolution... In this context, ICVNS2016, on the one hand, reflected the desire of international and Vietnamsee scientists to present and share research results related to the development of Vietnam; and on the other hand, discussed crucial and practical issues that Vietnam was facing in the process of development and international integration.

VNU President Nguyễn Kim Sơn delivered an opening speech

ICVS2016 main theme "Sustainable Development in the Context of Global Change" expressed our understanding of the need of academic practices and Vietnam’s development.

“Viewing science and technology as a driving force originating the development of each nation, we see that in the context of world multipolarization, economic globalization, and cultural pluralization, the destiny of a nation not only depends on that nation, but also closely relates to the whole world. Therefore, those scientists who devote their love and intelligence to developing Vietnam, they, at the same time, contribute to the prosperity of the region and the world”, VNU President said.

While previous ICVNSs had mainly focused on social sciences and humanities, ICVS2016 covered broader fields, aiming at proposing policy recommendations for Vietnam’s policymaking agencies to effectively resolve Vietnam’s contemporary issues on a broader scope.

Currently, VNU is promoting the building of a Center for Vietnamese Studies documentation and research materials to be located on VNU Hòa Lạc campus. VNU President Nguyễn Kim Sơn hoped that Vietnamese Studies scholars around the world would help gather documentation, indicate sources of Vietnamese studies materials and support VNU in exploiting them. Hopefully, the Center would be put into operation and become a get-together place for Vietnamese Studies researchers from around the world in the near future.

At the reception for ICVS2016 delegates, Party Secretary General Nguyễn Phú Trọng hoped that international scientists would contribute to the making of the Vietnamese image more deeply understood  globally and thus, providing Vietnam with more international experience to develop.

Party Secretary General Nguyễn Phú Trọng had a reception for ICVS2016 delegates

Party Secretary General Nguyễn Phú Trọng also called on Vietnamese scientists to steadily improve their professional knowledge, foreign language proficiency and cooperation with foreign scientists.

For promoting Vietnam’s development, Party leader Nguyễn Phú Trọng highly appreciated VNU’s idea for setting up a center for Vietnamese Studies documentation and research materials and compiling a set of Vietnam’s monographs. The Party leader also assigned VNU to design relevant feasible sub-projects in such a way that they would attract both national and international scientists’ participation.

As a follow-up activity of the Conference, VNU will collect and select most prominent ideas, suggestions and recommendations for the Party and State leaders as well as concerned institutions.