BANGI: Vietnam is ready to work more closely with Malaysia in the fields of education, science and technology, innovation, and digital transformation in an effort to drive sustainable development and shared prosperity across the ASEAN region.
Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, in a public lecture at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) here today, said both countries share a vision of leading Southeast Asia’s transition toward a knowledge-based, innovation-led future.
“We are two dynamically developing economies in Southeast Asia, sharing a vision of sustainable development based on 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,” he said.
Chinh delivered the public lecture as part of his visit to Malaysia for the 46th ASEAN Summit, which concluded yesterday.
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 were also in attendance.
Chinh emphasised that the people are strategic assets and that breakthroughs in science, technology and digital transformation are “key drivers and decisive factors” for national development, especially among developing countries in ASEAN.
In light of globalisation and the Fourth Industrial Revolution, Chinh stressed the urgent need for quality human capital development and the pivotal role of educational institutions.
“Now is the time for educational institutions to play a central role in preparing the workforce of the future, not just for one country, but for the entire region and the world,” he said.
Chinh outlined five pillars for advancing university-level cooperation between Malaysia and Vietnam, including 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; not just a place to apply technology, but also to create knowledge and future technologies,” he said.
He also proposed enhancements to deepen science, technology, and digital cooperation between the two countries including joint research, infrastructure development, and digital governance.
“I believe that educational cooperation will not only produce learning hubs and knowledge transfer centres, but also serve as centres of innovation, scientific research, and technology transfer across nations, regions, and globally.
“Knowledge is power. When two countries share and connect knowledge, and invest in future generations, no limit is insurmountable, and new milestones can always be achieved,” he said.
In the same lecture, Chinh urged the youth of ASEAN to adopt a mindset of resilience, innovation and accountability in navigating an increasingly complex world.
“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, and the unimportant into the essential, that is what truly matters,” he said while underlining the values of discipline and responsibility as critical traits for future leaders.
He said the youths are the architects of progress and as such must embody five traits, namely: active learning, innovation and entrepreneurship, institutional and policy engagement, international integration, as well as cultural preservation and peace-building.
