Party General Secretary and State President Tô Lâm presents a statue of President Hồ Chí Minh to Vietnam National University, Hanoi. — VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI — As the country enters a new era, the demand for rapid and sustainable development requires Vietnam National University, Hanoi (VNU) to step up its efforts, act more decisively, and deliver more pronounced breakthroughs, so as to truly live up to the stature and mission of a national university, Party General Secretary and State President Tô Lâm has said.

The leader made the remarks at a ceremony marking the university’s 120th anniversary (May 16, 1906 – 2026) in Hà Nội on May 16.

The event was also attended by Phạm Minh Chính, former member of the Politburo and former Prime Minister, along with Politburo members Trịnh Văn Quyết, secretary of the Party Central Committee and head of its Commission for Information, Education and Mass Mobilisation; Nguyễn Thanh Nghị, secretary of the Party Central Committee and head of its Commission for Policies and Strategies; and Trần Đức Thắng, secretary of the Hà Nội Party Committee, among other officials.

General Secretary and President Lâm asked the university to continually reflect on itself in light of its national responsibility and the nation’s aspiration for advancement.

In an era in which a country’s destiny is increasingly shaped by knowledge, science, technology, innovation, and human capital quality, the university must rise even further, becoming a leading academic pillar, a major hub of innovation, and a pioneering force in Việt Nam’s higher education system; while also serving as a distinguished and reputable representative of Vietnamese intellect on the international stage, he said.

The VNU must strive to become a modern, elite, multidisciplinary university, operating under an innovation-driven model and possessing the capacity to lead the nation, the leader continued.

Endorsing the university’s targets of ranking among the top 100 universities in Asia by 2030 and within the top 300 globally by 2035, he also proposed that several priority disciplines should be placed among the world’s top 100.

To realise that vision, he said, VNU needs a modern educational philosophy, advanced governance, and an open academic environment. It should urgently complete the Hòa Lạc university urban area in a green, smart, and modern direction, ensuring seamless integration with the Hòa Lạc Hi-Tech Park, thereby forming a leading national ecosystem for education, research, technology, and innovation.

General Secretary and President Lâm called on the university to serve as a pioneer that dares to lead, experiment, and pave the way for new models in education, science, technology, innovation, and digital transformation, thereby providing practical evidence for the Party and the State to further refine development policies in the new era.

VNU must become a hub connecting knowledge with development, further strengthening linkages between academia, the State, businesses, localities, and society. It should proactively develop major commissioned research programmes, policy advisory initiatives, and innovation projects serving national priorities, while enhancing cooperation with ministries and agencies, Hà Nội and other localities, technology enterprises, research institutes, and international expert networks, he said.

Each staff member, lecturer, and student of the university must have a profound awareness that they are contributing to representing Việt Nam’s intellect, culture, and dignity in all academic, diplomatic, and international exchange activities, the leader stressed.

From this institution have emerged many outstanding leaders, as well as numerous leading scientists, artists, writers, and intellectuals, he said, urging VNU to coordinate with relevant agencies to study and propose to the Politburo and the Government breakthrough mechanisms and policies for the development of the university in particular, and Việt Nam’s higher education system in general.

In particular, priority should be given to removing bottlenecks in institutions, governance, finance, human resources, university autonomy, academic freedom, and investment in basic sciences and strategic technologies. This, he noted, would enable the university to develop in line with its stature, while also creating strong momentum for innovation across Việt Nam’s higher education system in the new era.

On this occasion, General Secretary and President Lâm presented the First-Class Labour Order to the university in recognition of its outstanding contributions to the training of high-quality human resources, talent development, scientific research, knowledge transfer, and innovation. — VNA/VNS