The Ministry of Science and Technology has proposed that the Government allow Viet Kieu experts to hold key positions in state-owned research institutions, and be well-paid for their work, said Deputy Minister Nguyen Quan in an interview with Dat Viet newspaper.

Deputy Minister Nguyen Quan.

Q: What do you think about Viet Kieu as a ‘resource’?

Deputy Minister Quan: The State Committee for Overseas Vietnamese reports that, of three million Viet Kieu, around 400,000 hold university diplomas. Many successful Viet Kieu have assumed significant positions in scientific and training institutions abroad. I would say that the potential of Viet Kieu knowledge is huge, though few Viet Kieu intellectuals yet participate in activities in Vietnam.

Q: Why doesn’t Vietnam attract many Viet Kieu experts?

Quan: Our policies are not attractive enough, and the procedures for recruiting Viet Kieu intellectuals are terribly slow and neither open nor clear. For instance, if a research institution wants to appoint a highly-qualified Viet Kieu scientist as its rector, it must request the opinion of the local Department of Home Affairs and many other agencies.

Moreover, our regulations forbid research institutions from using state funds to pay high salaries to Viet Kieu experts. By this I mean that our administrative system lacks specific regulations and is incomplete.

Working conditions and the work environment in Vietnam are insufficient and backward. The cooperation between research institutes and universities is poor, causing certain difficulties for Viet Kieu.

Q: What have we done to deal with such problems?

Quan: Formalities related to visas and traveling to Vietnam have been simplified for Viet Kieu. The new Law on Nationality also allows Viet Kieu to live abroad but retain Vietnamese nationality, which ensures their rights in Vietnam. The National Assembly has just approved a Law enabling Viet Kieu to buy houses without restriction in Vietnam.

President Nguyen Minh Triet, Deputy PM Nguyen Thien Nhan and Deputy Foreign Minister Nguyen Thanh Son photographed with Viet Kieu businessmen and experts on the occasion of their participation in the Hung Kings’ anniversary.

However, because of administrative barriers, Viet Kieu have so far mainly participated in scientific seminars and conferences, not in research and development activities.

Quan: What are the Ministry of Science and Technology’s proposals to attract Viet Kieu experts?

A: Viet Kieu should be appointed to top positions at research institutes in Vietnam if they are capable in management and qualification. The State can assign scientific research projects to Viet Kieu scientists, even when they work abroad, on the basis of equality with scientists here.

The Ministry has proposed some experimental policies for using scientific and technological experts, including Viet Kieu intellectuals. Under this policy, the salary and income of scientists can be several times higher than the state’s common salary schedule. For Viet Kieu scientists it could be even higher - the pay would be decided by the employing agency, based on their capabilities.

Q: Which are the fields in which you hope Viet Kieu intellectuals will make the greatest contribution?

Quan: We want Viet Kieu experts to focus on hi-tech fields such as bio-technology and automation technology, in materials sciences dealing with nanotechnology and alloys, in information technology, particularly network security, industrial and management software.

Vietnam aims to build its first nuclear power plants and develop space technology but we lack experience and leading experts. If Viet Kieu intellectuals will cooperate and contribute their brains to Vietnam in these areas, they will be greatly honored.

VietNamNet/DV