Associate Professor, Dr Đậu Hương Nam, director of the Department of International Relations at the Hồ Chí Minh National Academy of Politics addresses a seminar with a delegation of experts from France on digitising public administration, held in Hà Nội on Saturday. — VNA/VNS Photos Bảo Hoa

HÀ NỘI — More than 700 public servants and State employees took part in a seminar with French experts on digitising and integrating artificial intelligence (AI) in public administration in Hà Nội on Saturday.

The seminar is an extension of the working visit by a delegation of French experts specialising in data, AI and digital technology to Việt Nam’s Government Office from October 5 to 9, which is part of the e-Government cooperation project between the French and Vietnamese governments.

Held at the Hồ Chí Minh National Academy of Politics, the event aimed to enhance the digital capabilities of leaders and managers within Việt Nam’s State administrative and political systems, equip them with modern governance thinking, and encourage them to adopt a human-centric approach to public service design and to leverage AI and digital technology.

French experts shared experiences and methods to redesign administrative processes and eliminate cumbersome, redundant procedures through the application of data and AI. 

The core objective was to help Việt Nam build a digital government system that operates transparently, swiftly and efficiently to serve the public.

Speaking at the ceremony, Dr Đậu Hương Nam, director of the academy’s Department of International Relations, stressed the critical role of public servants in the national digital transformation process.

“Digital transformation and AI are, first and foremost, a matter of transforming leadership thinking and the adaptability of the workforce. Leaders need not be technology experts, but they must understand technology and recognise both opportunities and risks to make sound decisions aligned with the political and social context,” he said.

He added that developing science, technology, innovation, and digital transformation is a major strategic policy and direction of the Party and the State, which was clearly expressed in the Politburo’s Resolution No. 57.

“This places a direct requirement on leaders and managers to understand and utilise data and technology, while simultaneously upholding their sense of responsibility and steadfastness in every decision they make,” he said, adding that digital skills training for public servants has been taking place at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Justice and other State agencies.

He thanked the French experts for their support and expressed his appreciation of the training. 

“France is a nation with extensive experience and valuable insights in public administration, public services and AI,” he said. “Today presents an opportunity for us to adopt France's valuable expertise while tailoring it to Việt Nam’s specific institutional framework, conditions, and requirements, with a particular focus on governance, data security, and human factors.”

Representatives from the Hồ Chí Minh National Academy of Politics, the French delegation and French Embassy in Việt Nam at the seminar.

Eric Soulier, Counsellor for Cooperation and Cultural Action at the French Embassy in Việt Nam, also emphasised the role of the leaders and managers within Việt Nam's central ministries and local government agencies as the ‘key drivers’ of the digital transformation process, who will ultimately enable the institutions to serve the public better and bring government services closer to citizens and businesses.

He highlighted the positive outcomes in the legal and judicial sectors and the digital transformation process between Việt Nam and France in the last three years, and expressed his hope for more practical exchanges.

“The cooperative relationship between the two countries will only be effective and dynamic if we maintain regular exchanges,” he said.

“I hope that, in the near future, French experts will further ramp up their efforts to support projects focused on digital transformation and the modernisation of Việt Nam's State administrative system.” — VNS