On November 8, 2024, at NAPA Headquarters in Ha Noi, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Ba Chien, President of the National Academy of Public Administration (NAPA), welcomed Mr. Kim Chae Hwan, President of the National Human Resources Development Institute (NHI) of the Republic of Korea. Both sides discussed significant topics and reached an agreement to sign a memorandum of understanding for future cooperation.
An overview of the meeting.
The NHI delegation included Mr. Kim Chae Hwan, President; Ms. Chun Hye Ran, Director General of the Global Education and Cooperation Bureau; Mr. Kim Seong Hoon, Deputy Director of the Global Education and Cooperation Division; Dr. Yun Woo Je, Professor of the NHI; Dr. Kim Ran, Professor of the NHI; Mr. Jung Dong Ha, Program Officer of the Global Education and Cooperation Division; and Mr. Han Sangjun, Secretary of the Office of the NHI President. Representing the Korean Embassy in Viet Nam was Mr. Lim Byung Chul, Attaché of Internal Affairs and Safety.
On the Vietnamese side, representatives from the Ministry of Home Affairs included Mr. Chu Tuan Tu, Director General of the Department of International Cooperation, and Ms. Tran Thi Lien Huong, Deputy Director General of the Department of International Cooperation.
Representing NAPA were leaders from various departments, including the Department of International Cooperation, the Office of NAPA, the Department of Higher Education Management, the Department of Refresher Training Management, the Department of Personnel and Organization, the Faculty of Human Resource Management, the Faculty of Economic Management, the Faculty of Foreign Language and Information Technology Studies, the Institute of Administrative Studies, and the State Management Review.
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Ba Chien, NAPA President, at the meeting.
Warmly welcoming the NHI President on his visit to NAPA, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Ba Chien noted that this visit is a significant event to further actualize the cooperation agenda between Viet Nam and South Korea, as established following Minister Pham Thi Thanh Tra’s official visit to the Ministry of Personnel Management in South Korea in July 2024. During that visit, Minister Pham Thi Thanh Tra emphasized with Korean counterparts the importance of close cooperation in public sector human resources management and development and in fostering high-quality workforce training between the two countries through long-term, effective international partnerships.
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Ba Chien outlined several practical directions for cooperation to foster stronger and more effective relations between the two institutions:
(1) Collaboratively develop and design training programs to enhance the quality of leadership and public sector workforce development;
(2) Jointly conduct research and surveys on the administrative systems and public management practices in Viet Nam and South Korea to deepen mutual understanding of public service policies, supporting diplomatic relations between the two governments;
(3) Organize seminars, workshops, and academic exchanges on theoretical and practical issues relevant to public administration;
(4) Facilitate and support exchanges and study visits for professional development and experience sharing.
Mr. Kim Chae Hwan, NHI President, at the meeting.
Mr. Kim Chae Hwan, NHI President, expressed his appreciation for the warm reception from NAPA, acknowledging the enthusiasm of Viet Nam’s Ministry of Home Affairs and NAPA for strengthening practical, effective cooperation between Viet Nam and South Korea in public service training and administration development. He emphasized the importance of Viet Nam-South Korea diplomatic relations and affirmed that training programs will play a vital role in promoting mutual understanding of culture, policies, and public administration. Following NAPA’s ideas for collaboration, Mr. Kim Chae Hwan voiced NHI’s readiness and eagerness to build long-lasting cooperation by focusing on experience sharing and effective, practical actions to strengthen ties.
Mr. Chu Tuan Tu, Director General, Department of International Cooperation, MoHA, at the meeting.
Mr. Chu Tuan Tu emphasized that Viet Nam’s Ministry of Home Affairs prioritizes administrative reform, building an effective state administration, and fostering innovation to support sustainable national growth. He highlighted learning from other countries’ experiences, particularly development-oriented models like those of South Korea and Japan, as key to these goals. The Ministry of Home Affairs has actively strengthened cooperation with South Korean partners, focusing on comprehensive, strategic collaboration, especially in leadership training and public sector workforce development. Mr. Chu Tuan Tu added that Minister Pham Thi Thanh Tra is especially committed to supporting the cooperative relationship between NHI and NAPA, particularly in nurturing young and female officials, aiming to build an elite public service essential for advancing Viet Nam’s prosperity.
The signing ceremony of the MOU between NAPA and NHI.
In alignment with the principles, vision, and key areas of cooperation, the signing ceremony for the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between NAPA and NHI took place in the presence of representatives from Viet Nam and South Korea. This event marked and concretized the strategic direction for cooperation, opening valuable opportunities to enhance and elevate training programs for leadership and management, advancing the mission of developing a high-quality public sector workforce to better meet the demands of administrative innovation in the modern era.
Through this MOU, NAPA and NHI agreed on the following key areas of cooperation:
(1) Joint development and implementation in the training and development of public leaders and human resources in the areas of public administration and home affairs, aligning with national development needs and international standards.
(2) Exchange of experts and faculty members to allow Vietnamese officials to learn from Korea’s advanced management and training methods while also providing Korean experts with deeper insights into Viet Nam’s administrative environment. This mutual understanding will enable both sides to adapt and refine programs that meet local needs.
(3) Exchange of academic materials and research publications to create a rich repository of resources that support research, learning, and knowledge-sharing between the two institutions.
(4) Conducting joint research to provide useful information and reference models, supporting the modernization of public administration in both nations.
(5) Organizing conferences, workshops, and symposia to share experiences and discuss emerging trends, challenges, and solutions in the context of digital transformation and international integration.
Celebrating this initial step toward effective collaboration with NAPA, NHI President Kim Chae Hwan emphasized that the MOU is a memorable milestone and a solid foundation for the ongoing relationship between NAPA and NHI, significantly contributing to strengthened diplomatic ties between Viet Nam and the Republic of Korea.
The Memorandum of Understanding establishes a foundation for the development of cooperative relations between NAPA and NHI.
On behalf of NAPA, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Ba Chien extended his sincere gratitude to Minister of Home Affairs Pham Thi Thanh Tra and other MoHA leaders for their guidance and support in fostering the partnership between NAPA and NHI. He also expressed heartfelt thanks to the MoHA functional units for their ongoing support in implementing the MOU and facilitating NAPA’s collaboration with Korean partners. He expressed his appreciation to NHI and to President Kim Chae Hwan personally for their commitment to strengthening the cooperative relationship between the two institutions.
Celebrating the success of the signing ceremony, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Ba Chien extended his thanks to all the distinguished guests present and shared his hopes that this spirit of collaboration and mutual support will lead to productive and meaningful new chapters in the partnership between NAPA and NHI in the future.
