Associate Professor Dr Saaidal Razalli Bin Azzuhri, deputy head of the Faculty of Computer Science and Information Technology at the University of Malaya. VNA/VNS Photo

KUALA LUMPUR — Việt Nam needs a bold strategy to build technological sovereignty through talent attraction, education reform, and deeper international cooperation, according to Associate Professor Dr Saaidal Razalli Bin Azzuhri, deputy head of the Faculty of Computer Science and Information Technology at the University of Malaya.

Speaking to the Vietnam News Agency correspondents in Kuala Lumpur, the expert said the priority is to rethink how the country attracts and retains highly skilled digital talent.

For top data architects and technology specialists, competitive salaries alone are no longer enough. Many seek non-financial incentives such as purpose, autonomy, recognition, and opportunities for personal growth.

Rather than relying solely on attractive compensation packages, Việt Nam should offer talented professionals a national mission, such as helping build sovereign digital infrastructure. Linking technical work to the country’s long-term development and strategic goals can provide a powerful sense of purpose and encourage long-term commitment, he said.

Equally important is technical freedom. Outstanding scientists and engineers want opportunities to design complex systems, tackle national-scale challenges and contribute meaningful research, rather than being constrained by rigid administrative structures.

To support this, Việt Nam should establish a clear national expert pathway that allows AI engineers, cybersecurity specialists and data architects to advance professionally and expand their influence without having to move into administrative management roles. Such a model would enable them to remain technical leaders while enjoying career stability and professional recognition.

Dr Saaidal also proposed a talent mobility model linking government agencies, universities and the private sector. Under this approach, experts could spend time working in government to understand practical needs before returning to research institutions or technology companies to apply and update their knowledge. This will help ensure that expertise remains relevant in a rapidly evolving technological landscape, he explained.

He emphasised that autonomy, respect and a clear technical career path are the most sustainable factors for attracting and retaining high-quality digital talent.

The Malaysian academic argued that Việt Nam must strengthen cooperation among government, universities and businesses through a “Triple Helix” model to develop engineers capable of contributing directly to technology creation.

The ultimate objective, he said, is for Việt Nam to move from being a technology user to becoming a technology contributor.

Rather than training engineers merely to operate packaged software, educational institutions should equip graduates with the skills to understand, modify, secure and contribute to global open-source projects.

In this model, the government would provide strategic direction by defining national missions, funding research and building sovereign computing infrastructure. It should also support open-source initiatives in key sectors such as artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, digital government, cloud computing and chip design.

Universities, meanwhile, need to shift from theory-based teaching to project-based learning centred on real engineering challenges. Student performance should increasingly be measured through practical contributions, including coding, debugging, technical documentation and accepted pull requests on international platforms.

Technology companies form the third pillar of the ecosystem. Beyond recruiting graduates, businesses should serve as mentors, provide real-world industry challenges and offer students opportunities to work with advanced semiconductor and cloud-computing platforms.

Under this approach, graduates would leave university not only with academic degrees but also with publicly verifiable portfolios demonstrating their coding contributions and experience solving real-world problems, said the expert.

Alongside strengthening domestic capabilities, Dr Saaidal highlighted the importance of expanding international cooperation, particularly with Malaysia.

He said the two countries could build on their strengths in semiconductor manufacturing, chip design and electric vehicles by establishing joint research laboratories and promoting expert exchange programmes.

Such collaboration will help optimise resources, accelerate innovation and strengthen Southeast Asia’s position in the global technology landscape, he concluded. — VNA/VNS