On October 30, 2024, the leadership of the National Academy of Public Administration (NAPA) held a meeting with the Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration (RANEPA).
Representing RANEPA was Ms. Shafinskaya Natalya Valerievna, Head of the Department of International Development.
Dr. Nguyen Dang Que, NAPA Vice President, chaired the meeting. The meeting also featured the participation of leaders from several relevant departments and faculties connected to the agenda with RANEPA.
Speaking at the meeting, Ms. Shafinskaya Natalya Valerievna expressed gratitude for the warm reception from the NAPA leadership and expressed her hope that the meeting would be a productive step in launching significant upcoming initiatives for both institutions.
Dr. Nguyen Dang Que emphasized that Viet Nam and the Russian Federation share a deep-rooted, friendly relationship based on solidarity, cooperation, and mutual trust. Many generations of Vietnamese leaders, including those from NAPA, have studied in Russia, are proficient in Russian, and retain fond memories and positive impressions of the Russian people and nation. RANEPA is a comprehensive, multi-disciplinary institution of high standing and prestige in Russia, with a strong faculty and a solid commitment to international cooperation. As the lead institution for the Presidential Program for Strategic Leadership Development in Russia, RANEPA has extensive experience in cultivating high-level strategic leadership, which can be valuable for Viet Nam. Strengthening collaboration with RANEPA would allow NAPA to access high-quality training and development programs at relatively lower costs compared to other developed countries. In 2019, the combined domestic and international training program on “Policy Formulation and Implementation Skills” organized by NAPA at the direction of the Ministry of Home Affairs enabled 17 public leaders and officials from provincial Departments of Home Affairs and government bodies to study at RANEPA. The program achieved excellent results and received positive feedback from participants, establishing an important foundation for continued cooperation between the two institutions.
During the meeting, both sides discussed potential forms of cooperation, agreeing to advance the partnership between NAPA and RANEPA based on the contents of the signed Memorandum of Understanding, with a focus on the following areas:
(1) Researching and applying the Presidential Strategic Leadership Training model to develop and implement elite-focused programs for strategic leaders and emerging leaders at NAPA.
(2) Organizing workshops to share experiences in innovation, national governance, digital governance, administrative reform, socio-economic development, leadership management, and policy planning and implementation.
(3) Cooperating in training by inviting Russian experts to teach in Viet Nam and organizing training programs for Vietnamese public leaders and managers in Russia.
(4) Coordinating with localities to organize study tours for Vietnamese delegations to Russia on topics of local interest, such as administrative reform and training for leadership and management personnel to meet the needs of administrative reform and digital transformation.
(5) Organizing faculty exchanges between the two Academies, allowing faculty from NAPA to teach at RANEPA and vice versa.
The cooperation mechanism will be based on the strengths and needs of each party, mutual benefit, and clear delineation of responsibilities and benefits for each side.
In the immediate term, as part of RANEPA’s current visit, both sides will focus on discussions and negotiations to implement several training programs at RANEPA for Vietnamese public officials, following the CIG model (as proposed in the NAPA President’s report and approved by the NAPA President). Key topics for discussion include cooperation models (cost-sharing, responsibility-sharing), clear division of responsibilities and benefits (particularly with RANEPA clarifying which services are fee-based, which are free, and whether additional funding can be sourced), and ways RANEPA can support NAPA in providing preparatory training in Viet Nam prior to study in Russia.