Ahead of the Lunar New Year of the Wood Snake, a reporter from Dan Tri newspaper interviewed Prof. Dr. Nguyen Thanh Hieu, Vice President of National Economics University (NEU), about the University’s scientific research activities.

Reporter: Could you give us an overview of scientific research activities at NEU?

National Economics University (NEU), established in 1956, was Vietnam’s first key university specializing in economics. With its mission of education, scientific research, technology transfer, and policy advice, NEU has consistently demonstrated its standing as a leading research and advisory center in economics, management, business administration, and technology in Vietnam. NEU is the lead institution for 15 national-level research projects. New state-level and equivalent scientific research tasks led by NEU in 2024 accounted for 53.3%, including six projects under Program KX.01/21-30, one project under Program KX.06/21-30, and one NAFOSTED project. This represents a breakthrough in NEU’s scientific research activities.

Prof. Dr. Nguyen Thanh Hieu, Vice President of NEU

NEU ranks among the leading economics and business universities in both the number of international publications and the average number of international publications per lecturer. Its publications in ISI/Scopus-indexed journals have increased in both quantity and quality. In 2024, NEU recorded a total of 300 articles in ISI/Scopus-indexed journals, equivalent to 0.38 articles per lecturer. Articles in Q1 journals accounted for 40% of all international publications, a sharp increase compared with 2023. The University’s policy recommendations have been recognized by Party and state agencies and used as a scientific basis for formulating socioeconomic development policies.

Reporter: What were the University’s notable achievements in scientific research in 2024?

In 2024, NEU carried out nearly 90 scientific research projects, with ministerial-level research projects and their equivalents accounting for 60.6%. NEU led the consortium for the project to develop the Hanoi Capital Master Plan. The University’s experts and scientists provided many valuable advisory solutions. NEU continued to build its reputation and earn the trust of provinces and cities nationwide, with the number of provincial-level research projects continuing to grow strongly compared with 2022.

In 2024, NEU successfully organized 30 national conferences and more than 10 international conferences, featuring hundreds of quality papers from managers, policymakers, and scientists from Vietnam and abroad. Particularly impressive conferences included “Vietnam’s Economy in 2023 and Prospects for 2024,” which featured the release of the “Vietnam Annual Economic Review 2023.” The annual international conference co-organized with ADBI, themed “Policy Lessons for a post-COVID 19 Recovery,” was held in Tokyo, Japan. An international conference with Cambodia’s Ministry of Tourism was held in Siem Reap, Cambodia, under the theme “Green and Sustainable Economic Development in Vietnam and Cambodia in the New Context.” The annual international conference co-organized with the Australian National University was held in Canberra, Australia, under the theme “Vietnam Policy and Economy Update 2024.”

Also in 2024, NEU continued its publishing partnership with Emerald for the English-language edition of the Journal of Economics and Development. Following its official inclusion in Scopus, the Journal of Economics and Development was also included in the Emerging Sources Citation Index (ESCI) of Web of Science in August 2024. This represents a major step forward after 30 years of building and developing the Journal of Economics and Development, and an important milestone in NEU’s 68 years of growth and development.

Reporter: What are NEU’s plans for scientific research in 2025?

The University will continue to develop, issue, and consistently implement regulations and guidance documents related to science and technology. It will develop mechanisms and policies to encourage scientific research and increase investment in it. It will continue in-depth and effective cooperation with the Party Central Committee’s Economic Commission, the National Assembly’s Economic Committee, localities, and businesses, and offer timely policy recommendations on issues important to the country’s socioeconomic development.

The University will focus investment on developing a Big Data center to support research and education, and gradually establish centers of research excellence based on long-term cooperation between scientific research organizations and foreign partners. It will continue to rapidly increase both the quantity and quality of international publications in WoS- and Scopus-indexed journals, ensuring that its number of international publications per lecturer is the highest among economics universities and approaches that of major universities in the region.

The University will strengthen international cooperation in scientific research and projects with research organizations and universities worldwide; jointly organize international conferences at universities with leading global reputations; and develop academic exchange programs to attract more reputable foreign researchers, scholars, and experts to collaborate on scientific research, participate in joint research projects, collaborate on international publications, take part in research exchanges (fellowships), and co-organize international scientific conferences…

Thank you, Professor.

Source: Dan Tri newspaper

This is an automated translation. If you notice any errors, please contact the Department of Communications, National Economics University at phongtruyenthong@neu.edu.vn.