Kuala Lumpur: Vietnam is poised to enhance its collaboration with Malaysia in education, science and technology, innovation, and digital transformation to promote sustainable development and shared prosperity across the ASEAN region. Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh announced this initiative during a public lecture at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM), highlighting the countries' shared vision of leading Southeast Asia towards a knowledge-based, innovation-driven future.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, Chinh emphasized the vital role of both nations as dynamically developing economies in Southeast Asia, united by a commitment to sustainable development through knowledge, technology, and innovation. "Vietnam is ready to work more closely with Malaysia for our common goal of sustainable development and the shared prosperity of both nations and the ASEAN community," Chinh stated.
The lecture was delivered as part of Chinh's visit to Malaysia for the 46th ASEAN Summit, which concluded recently. The event also saw the attendance of UKM's Royal Fellow Tunku Zain Al-'Abidin Tuanku Muhriz, Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir, and UKM Board of Directors chairman Prof Datuk Mohamad Abd Razak.
Chinh highlighted the strategic importance of people as assets and the critical role of breakthroughs in science, technology, and digital transformation as key drivers for national development, particularly among developing ASEAN countries. He stressed the urgent need for quality human capital development and the pivotal role educational institutions play in this endeavour amid globalization and the Fourth Industrial Revolution.
He outlined five pillars for advancing university-level cooperation between Malaysia and Vietnam, which include high-tech human resource training, joint scientific research, academic exchanges, regional accreditation standards, and startup innovation ecosystems. "When Vietnam and Malaysia invest in knowledge, when young people today share a common aspiration, we can build a Southeast Asia that is not only a centre of production, but also a centre of ideas," he stated.
Chinh proposed initiatives to deepen science, technology, and digital cooperation between the two countries through joint research, infrastructure development, and digital governance. He expressed confidence that educational cooperation would result in the creation of learning hubs, knowledge transfer centres, and centres of innovation, scientific research, and technology transfer across nations, regions, and globally.
In his lecture, Chinh also called on ASEAN youth to adopt a mindset of resilience, innovation, and accountability in navigating the complexities of the modern world. He underscored the importance of active learning, innovation, entrepreneurship, policy engagement, international integration, and cultural preservation as essential traits for future leaders. "Today's youth must not rest on their laurels but should adopt the mindset of turning nothing into something, difficulty into ease, impossibility into possibility," he remarked.