Many young people, including students, shared their opinions at a dialogue between the city's leaders and youth groups held on March 28. — Photo ttbc-hcm.gov.vn

HCM CITY — HCM City stands ready to support young people in realising their ambitions to contribute to the city's development, municipal People's Committee Chairman Nguyễn Văn Được said at a dialogue between the city's leaders and youth groups held on March 28.

He said the city has a special role and holds a unique position as an international trade gateway, the economic locomotive, and a major contributor to the national budget.

It is also a place where many resolutions on piloting new policies and mechanisms, especially those related to the market economy, are implemented.

The city is home to rich, high-quality human resources with a large number of experts, scientists, intellectuals, and a strong community of entrepreneurs.

The city's key focuses are a green and digital development strategy and the construction of a multi-purpose high-tech centre consisting of an innovation startup centre, a big data centre, and a centre for artificial intelligence (AI).

“This strategy for the short term and long term aims to leverage and maximize the potential of its special human resources for the city’s development,” he said.

He expects to listen to the thoughts, aspirations, proposals, dreams, and ambitions of the youth in order to better respond to the city's special resources and help the city's leadership understand and support young people in carrying out their duties more effectively and efficiently.

HCM City People's Committee Chairman Nguyễn Văn Được speaks at a dialogue between the city's leaders and youth groups held on March 28. — Photo ttbc-hcm.gov.vn

At the event, young people, including students, shared their opinions on breakthroughs in the development of science and technology, mechanisms and policies to attract high-quality human resources, and cultural projects for people in general and young people in particular.

Nguyễn Thanh Bình, head of the HCM City Young Scientists Club, proposed that the city should establish a mechanism for placing orders for groundbreaking research projects, allowing businesses and scientists to directly participate in solving problems.

“Such an ordering system would be highly practical, enabling science and technology (S&T) funding to address the city's urgent issues,” he said.

He also suggested the city should develop a research centre for AI, equipped with modern machinery and devices to support scientists in conducting research and offering initiatives for the city's development.

Lê Thanh Long, a delegate from the HCM City University of Technology, emphasised the significance of Resolution 57 of the Politburo on breakthrough development in science, technology, innovation, and national digital transformation, which will remove many obstacles for scientists.

He proposed the city should implement scholarship programmes for students, lecturers, and young scientists, along with financial support policies such as tuition waivers and research funding.

“These would create favourable conditions for talented individuals to pursue academic and research careers.”

The city should also encourage the establishment of investment funds to support the development of high-application scientific and technological products, he said.

In addition, there should be stronger collaboration between universities, research institutes, and businesses, with mechanisms for tight connections to bring research results into practical applications, while also creating more job opportunities for young scientists.

“This cooperation could be implemented through internships, joint research projects, and support for startup innovation in the S&T sector,” he added.

In response, Võ Minh Thành, deputy director of the city’s Department of Science and Technology, said the city is actively and seriously implementing Resolution 57, focusing on solutions related to human resources, finance, and IT infrastructure.

The city has issued several schemes and policies to attract high-quality human resources, especially in science and technology, including financial support for students to engage in startups and research.

It also plans to increase total budget expenditure on S&T activities to three per cent.

Notably, the city is building a multi-purpose high-tech centre, integrating an AI centre, big data centre, semiconductor chip centre, and more, all aimed at promoting innovation, enhancing competitiveness, and shifting the economy towards high-tech development.

Concerned about policies to attract and retain young talent, Nguyễn Trúc Phương, secretary of the Youth Union at Tân Phú District Hospital, asked what plans and policies the city has to retain young doctors at grassroots healthcare facilities, particularly regarding housing, special allowances, and opportunities for professional development.

In response, Nguyễn Anh Dũng, deputy director of the city’s Department of Health, acknowledged the contributions of youth union members and young doctors in developing grassroots healthcare and providing primary health care for residents.

“Certain specialised fields currently receive tuition coverage and training support, such as psychiatry, emergency resuscitation, forensic medicine, infectious diseases, and pathology,” he said.

Moreover, the city’s healthcare sector is developing a proposal to foster young medical talents, tied to the development of a young leadership team in the sector, including specific policies to support post-graduate training for resident doctors.

The department has also surveyed training needs at medical schools in the city to align training programmes and propose tuition support policies, aiming to develop human resources for the healthcare system, from grassroots to specialised levels, he said. — VNS