Associate Professor Bùi Hoài Sơn.— VNA/VNS Photo Phương Hoa

Associate Professor Bùi Hoài Sơn, a National Assembly deputy and Hà Nội delegate, talks to Đầu tư newspaper about the draft Political Report placing cultural and human development on equal footing with economic, political and social progress.

How do you assess the spirit of renewal in the draft Political Report, particularly the decision to elevate cultural and human development to the same level as economic, political and social progress?

The draft reflects a new strategic mindset in which the Party positions culture and human development on a par with the economy, politics and society. Culture is no longer treated as a supporting sector but as a national development pillar, a decisive source of motivation. In an age of global competition, the digital economy, artificial intelligence and the green transition are reshaping how people live and create. Development thinking must therefore be grounded in a harmonious balance between growth, identity and humanity.

In my view, the draft embodies renewal in three main ways. First, it recognises culture as an endogenous resource for development, rather than merely a spiritual foundation. Second, it shifts from affirming the role of culture to designing actionable policies, from value systems, cultural industries and creative human resources to digital technology in heritage preservation. Third, it demonstrates reform-minded thinking: developing culture and people for the digital century, rather than relying solely on the traditional goal of building an advanced culture imbued with national identity.

In short, this is a new roadmap of the Party that places people at the centre as both the goal and the driver of sustainable development.

You describe this as a repositioning of culture from a soft field to a hard resource. What does this shift signify?

Repositioning culture means transforming the country’s development mindset. Previously, culture was viewed mainly as a spiritual value. But in today’s knowledge-driven economy, it has become a strategic asset and a competitive capability. Culture is a hard resource because it shapes the resilience, creativity, adaptability, solidarity and human quality of Vietnamese people, the very elements that constitute a nation’s internal strength.

I call this “an era of development through culture and for the people” for three reasons. First, culture fuels creativity in the digital economy, content industries, design, music and film. Second, culture generates the internal energy that forms human motivation, responsibility, aspiration and respect for the law. Third, culture ensures sustainable development because economies fluctuate, technologies become obsolete, but cultural values endure and help a nation overcome crises.

Placing culture at the centre means establishing a new development model where culture works alongside and guides economic, political and social progress. Việt Nam’s future depends on the quality of its culture and its people.

The draft emphasises the development of national, cultural and family value systems as well as standards for Vietnamese people. How should these be effectively integrated?

This is crucial. If value systems remain only beautiful on paper, they will not take root. For values to become lived experience, they must be reinforced across education, the media and social life. Education should sow the earliest seeds, turning values such as honesty, creativity, responsibility and compassion into lived experiences through learning activities, community projects, arts and history. When students live the values, they become life skills.

Mass media must act as the daily current that nurtures values. Journalism, film, music, gaming and digital platforms should inspire positive and creative lifestyles while safeguarding a healthy online environment.

Finally, family and social life must be where values are practised: love and responsibility at home; integrity and dedication in public service; ethics and transparency in business. When values align with rights and responsibilities, they become natural behaviour. Only when these three channels move in unison can we shape a new model of Vietnamese citizens – compassionate, resilient, creative and globally integrated.

You suggest the value systems in the draft Political Report should be more concrete. What level of detail is both directional and feasible?

Concretisation is essential for unified action. If the guidance is too general, implementation becomes difficult. If the guidance is too detailed, the implementation is inflexible. We should identify core, enduring values – patriotism, compassion, responsibility, integrity, creativity and aspiration – qualities Vietnamese people need in the new era. These should be accompanied by behavioural standards across different settings in family, community, public service and business.

Equally important, value systems must be paired with policy in education, law, cultural industries, the cultural environment and the media. Values only become a real strength when linked to concrete actions with enforcement mechanisms.

Clarifying the roles of schools, families, businesses and the media will ensure coherence and feasibility. Concretisation should not restrict but provide a clear, flexible framework for development.

The draft highlights cultural industries, entertainment industries and the heritage economy. What policy breakthroughs are needed?

This is a major step forward, signalling the Party’s recognition of culture as a pillar of the creative economy. To make cultural industries a true growth driver, three breakthroughs are essential.

First, a more enabling institutional environment. Cultural industries depend on ideas and intellectual property. Việt Nam needs agile, modern legal frameworks of licensing reform, stronger copyright protection, public-private partnerships and sandbox mechanisms for gaming, film, digital content and creative AI.

Second, investment in creative infrastructure of studios, design centres, urban creative spaces, and major performance complexes. Việt Nam should develop creative hubs – Hà Nội as a design city; Hồ Chí Minh City as a film centre; Huế and Hội An as heritage-tourism-arts hubs.

Third, building cultural markets. We need transparent commissioning mechanisms, tax incentives for creative businesses, film and arts funds, and measures to promote the export of Vietnamese cultural products. Once the market reaches critical mass, creativity will flourish.

These breakthroughs can help cultural industries make a meaningful contribution to GDP, create high-quality jobs and strengthen Việt Nam’s national brand.

You previously proposed a National Target Programme on Cultural Development for 2025-35. What must be done for it to drive real change?

The primary goal is to end fragmented and small-scale investment in culture and replace it with systematic, long-term development, similar to past successful national target programmes.

The programme needs five components. First, it needs a strategic vision to enhance human quality, cultural environments, creative industries and the global reach of Vietnamese values in the digital age. Second, it requires flexible financing mechanisms combining State funding, socialisation, cultural public-private partnerships and creative investment funds. Third, intersectoral coordination, linking culture with education, tourism, technology and the media, is necessary. Fourth, breakthrough components such as cultural digital transformation, digital heritage preservation, creative spaces, training in arts and technology, and promoting cultural exports are also required. Fifth, empowering localities to design cultural projects that reflect local identity, creating a rich and diverse cultural map of Việt Nam, should be implemented.

If implemented properly, the programme could become a historic milestone, transforming culture from a supportive field into a real development engine.

In the context of digital transformation, you emphasise building a national digital cultural ecosystem. What should the country prioritise to both preserve heritage and project culture to the world through Vietnamese technologies?

A national digital cultural ecosystem is a strategic step towards an era where preservation goes hand in hand with innovation. First, we must digitise national heritage systematically, not only 3D scanning or document archiving, but building open data platforms connecting museums, monuments, festivals and performing arts. This will create an information infrastructure for education, research and content creation.

Second, Việt Nam needs strong domestic digital platforms for film, gaming, streaming and heritage databases, enabling us to tell Việt Nam’s story using Vietnamese technologies and reducing reliance on foreign platforms. Third, preservation should be integrated with creativity. Technologies such as virtual reality, augmented reality and AI can turn heritage, folklore and history into vivid experiences that appeal to younger generations.

Finally, we need talent in digital culture, people fluent in both art and technology, supported by incentives for Vietnamese content, tax breaks, creative funds and AI innovation sandboxes.

When heritage is digitised and reimagined through Vietnamese technology, Vietnamese culture will become more vibrant, engaging and globally accessible.

What are your expectations for this era of development through culture and for the people after the 14th National Party Congress?

I believe the 14th Congress will usher in a new development vision in which culture forms the foundation and the core of every strategy. Việt Nam will grow more harmoniously: economic progress without sacrificing culture; modernity without losing identity; technological advancement alongside humanistic values.

For culture to become an endogenous resource and a regulatory force for development, four conditions are essential. First, the new development mindset must permeate policy with culture, education, science and human beings placed at the centre of every decision. Second, investment must be strong and focused, not fragmented. Third, society as a whole must be involved, with the State enabling, businesses investing, and citizens, artists, intellectuals and young people nurturing culture. Fourth, Việt Nam’s national aspirations must be awakened because aspiration is the most powerful driver of progress.

I am hopeful that after the 14th Congress, our country will enter a phase where culture becomes the true measure of development and where people are both the goal and the driving force, enabling the nation to rise through the strength of its own cultural identity. — VNS