Minister Nguyen Manh Hung
Vietnamese agriculture is our grandparents, our parents, Vietnamese history, Vietnamese culture, and our birthplace. We all come from our hometowns. If we do not remember our roots, we will not know how to develop Vietnamese agriculture. A nation, a country that wants to go far must know how to preserve its roots. If the Vietnam Academy of Agriculture (Academy) wants to go far, it must seek the roots of Vietnamese agriculture.
Vietnam's agriculture is at the forefront of innovation, that is Contract 10; creating the success of innovation; helping Vietnam escape poverty, becoming a middle-income country; creating inspiration and confidence to continue the innovation process. Innovation in Science , Technology/Innovation/Digital Transformation (S&T/DI/CD) is inspired by Contract 10. Therefore, it can be said that Contract 10 is for S&T with the spirit of managing goals instead of managing processes, giving initiative to the doer, letting the doer enjoy a part of the results created.
If agriculture is just rice, agriculture will stop. But if agriculture is processing, agriculture becomes industry. If agriculture is also medicine, agriculture has gone to another space. If agriculture is to improve human health, the space of agriculture is almost limitless. If agriculture is tourism , a lifestyle, agriculture will have a different life. If agriculture is the study of life, not only human life but also the life of plants, then agriculture is all-encompassing. Developing an industry is first to expand its definition. Expanding the definition is to expand the space, expanding the space is to create new challenges. And new challenges are the first core for the emergence of talented people, the emergence of scientists.
If Vietnam wants to become rich, it must rely on science and technology/innovation/industrial complex. To do so, those who work in science and technology/innovation/industrial complex must be rich. Scientists must aim to enrich the country and thereby become rich themselves. Scientists do not become rich because of preferential policies on academic titles and degrees, but because they enjoy the results they create for the economy. - society (KT-XH). If scientists of the Academy only rely on research fees, they will never get rich. They must commercialize research results, this is the main source of money for scientists to get rich. When the Academy's research revenue from orders from businesses, the State, and commercialization of research results accounts for 60-70% of the Academy's total revenue (revenue from tuition fees accounts for only 30%), then the Academy will truly be a research university, truly standing on the ground. Only when businesses use the Academy's research results to create products, selling revenue 5-10 times higher than research costs, then the Academy will truly create an impact on economic growth, and research costs will be effective. The State will base on the impact on the Academy's socio-economic development to continue providing research funding. The Ministry of Science and Technology will monitor the entire life cycle of a research project, from the beginning of the research to the creation of economic impact. The Academy itself must also do this to know whether it is creating value for the economy and society.
The State has a policy of building universities, especially large universities, into centers for science, technology and innovation research. The State focuses on building leading research universities, on par with the region and the world. The Vietnam Academy of Agriculture must be a key national center for science, technology and innovation in agriculture.
Vietnam National Academy of Agriculture has been 70 years old, a long journey, with many great contributions to the country. In the new era, Vietnam needs to grow rapidly, green transformation, digital transformation, quality development, master strategic technologies, become a developed country with high income, the Academy should have a new development strategy in line with the trend of the times and the development orientations of the Party and the State. This will be a new page for the Academy.
Innovations in science and technology/innovation/industry transformation
About Science and Technology
Science and technology include science (KH) and technology (CN). KH is to obtain knowledge from Heaven, to find what is already available in Heaven, not to create. CN is to create tools based on Heaven's knowledge, which is created by humans, not what is already available in Heaven. So, science and technology are different, requiring different approaches and ways of doing things. KH is to find what is already available in Heaven and Earth, the secrets of Heaven and Earth. CN is to create something new that does not exist in Heaven and Earth. Therefore, developing technology is the space of humans, the creativity here is limitless. If the Academy wants to be sustainable, it must go on both legs: science and technology.
About the world context. Science and technology are developing faster than ever. Many breakthrough technologies, for example, Precise genes, changing the game, destroying old systems and thinking, changing the way of development and competition. Industrial competition becomes the main competitive front, will change the global order. Without self-reliance in technology, there will be dependence and very little profit. Science and technology contribute to creating independence and autonomy for a country. Vietnam is an independent country, autonomous in agriculture, so it must be independent and autonomous in agricultural science and technology. Does the Academy consider itself the core of this work? And if so, what should be done, when high-quality breeds, special breeds of aquatic products, dairy cows, and beef cattle are still dependent?
Only when science and technology flourishes can a nation prosper. Only when science and technology is strong can a nation be strong. Science and technology is not for the sake of science and technology but for the prosperity of the nation, contributing to humanity. A country that wants to become a powerful country must be a science and technology powerful country. A country that wants to become a developed country must be a country with developed science and technology. If Vietnamese agriculture wants to develop sustainably and become a powerful country in agriculture, agricultural science and technology must be among the powerful countries. The Agricultural Academy must be the core of this process, among the global leaders in agricultural science and technology.
Vietnam's modernization must be based on the modernization of science and technology as a foundation. High-quality development must be based on science and technology. Double-digit development must be based on science and technology. Therefore, science and technology are the foundation of the nation.
On the path of science and technology development
The path to develop Vietnam's science and technology includes: 1- Science and technology aimed at socio-economic development, solving major national problems; 2- Comprehensive industrialization to create new land for science and technology/innovation; 3- Innovation for all people to develop science and technology; 4- Science and technology focusing on mastering strategic technologies; 5- Linking science and technology with industry, with industrial innovation, supporting the development of production capacity; 6- Talent is the core; 7- Innovation in the science and technology management system.
The S&T institution must be continuously reformed to stimulate the proactiveness, positivity and creativity of scientists and engineers, aiming at mastering technology, self-reliance and self-reliance in S&T. Restructuring the S&T system, restructuring the spending structures, improving the innovation capacity of subjects and individuals in S&T activities. Eliminating barriers to thinking and mechanisms for S&T. Giving more autonomy to organizations and individuals doing S&T research. Building institutions to become competitive advantages in S&T. Allocating enough national resources so that S&T truly becomes a driving force for development (2-3% of the state budget for S&T/Innovation). The decisive role of the market in allocating resources for S&T, while taking advantage of the role of the State to stimulate positivity in the stages of research, production and training. The revised Law on S&T reflects these orientations.
1- Science and technology aim at the ultimate result of improving national competitiveness, increasing labor productivity, contributing to economic growth, improving people's quality of life, and improving national governance capacity.
2- Science and technology aims to solve major national problems: Double-digit growth, streamlining the apparatus, high-quality growth, solving environmental pollution, strengthening the potential to protect the Fatherland, becoming a developed country with high income by 2045.
3- Science and technology aims to promote innovation in the context of digital transformation. Digital transformation is used as an environment for science and technology development. AI must become a new tool for research. The Ministry of Science and Technology can support the Academy with some AI accounts for research, such as Elicit, 500 USD/year is a high-level account.
4- Persistently follow the path of innovation. Consider innovation and industrialization as the biggest characteristics of science and technology development in this period. Innovation and industrialization are easier to do than science and technology, but they are decisive in the development of Vietnam. Innovation and industrialization are also intermediate steps to master science and technology. The Law on Science and Technology was amended to the Law on Science, Technology and Innovation, placing innovation on par with science and technology to emphasize the application aspect of science and technology. A science and technology powerhouse must pass through a powerhouse of innovation. Science and technology research organizations must be linked with innovation organizations. Science and technology is finding seeds, but planting in which land and taking care of them until harvest is the job of innovation. If science and technology is broken and cannot be connected with innovation, it will fail. The research of the Academy must be more oriented towards application and innovation. The Academy must become an innovation center, gathering researchers, businesses, universities, technology brokers, investors, banks, science and technology funds, technology innovation funds, venture capital funds, and connecting to the global innovation network. The new Science and Technology Law emphasizes the role of technology brokers, because it understands that scientists are often reluctant to do business, and allows brokers to enjoy up to 20% of the commercialization results of research results, this is the Israeli model that we can learn from. The Ministry of Science and Technology will support the Academy to build an innovation center in 2025.
5- Science and technology aims to master Vietnam's strategic technologies. Towards self-reliance, autonomy and self-reliance in science and technology. Strategic technology must lead to strategic products and strategic industries. Because only when it becomes an industry will its impact on the economy be large enough. Therefore, science and technology must aim at strategic products and strategic industries. The way we master core technology is to go from mastering products, mastering product design, integrating into commercial products. This is the intermediate stage to mastering technology. The Government has issued a list of 11 groups of strategic technologies and strategic products. Biomedical technology and strategic agricultural products are all on this list. The Ministry of Science and Technology is looking for reputable science and technology organizations to place orders and assign tasks. Immediately after today's working session, relevant agencies of the Ministry of Science and Technology will have to clarify with the Academy the tasks that the Academy will receive in 2025, which strategic technologies, which strategic products, and which industries.
6- Science and technology contribute 1% to the country's GDP growth. Shift from the mindset of researching for intermediate results (articles, reports) to researching to change practice. Changing practice can be changing a perception, not necessarily applying technology. Science and technology tasks must be linked to the specific needs of the industry, locality, and enterprise, have applicable outputs, and have receiving partners. Science and technology does not only go from Heaven to Earth, but mainly from Earth to Heaven. Take practice as the land for science and technology development, from the needs of practice, set out problems for science and technology. Go from national strategy to strategic products, from strategic products to strategic technology, and then to strategic basic research. The Academy should set a goal of how much % it will contribute to the growth of Vietnamese agriculture.
7- Measure the final results of science and technology, measure the impact of science and technology on economic growth, on national competitiveness, on people's quality of life. If the output results can be measured, there is no need to worry about spending, no need to worry about increased input costs. The Academy must monitor and measure how the research results of the Academy are applied, how much new revenue is created, how much added value is created for agriculture, for the economy, how much new exports are created, how much income farmers using the research results of the Academy increase, how much % is contributed to the growth of the agricultural sector, how much % is contributed to the growth of the added value of the agricultural sector. These figures will be an important basis for the Ministry of Science and Technology to continue to allocate research funding to the Academy.
8- Transfer all basic research to universities. This is where the best and most abundant human resources are, namely professors, teachers, graduate students, and students. The research and development force at universities is basically forever young. The State has policies and mechanisms to build higher education institutions into centers of science, technology, and innovation. The Academy is both a university and a research institute. Therefore, the Academy should receive more basic research and applied research, because this is still the root of science and technology. If the general ratio of scientific research/technology development expenditure of the whole country is 10/90, that of the Agricultural Academy should be 20/80 or 30/70.
9- Basic research should also aim at application. Establish a mechanism to evaluate scientific tasks according to 3 groups: 1- Serving public policy. 2- Business application. 3- Improving basic knowledge. Each group has different criteria. The Ministry of Science and Technology will issue these evaluation criteria. Note that articles are necessary to confirm academic qualifications, but should not be the only criteria to evaluate scientific research, especially when the public budget needs to be directed towards solving national, industry and local problems, contributing to socio-economic development.
Focus, avoid spreading
Restructure science and technology programs. Eliminate formalities, eliminate dispersion, focus on less but more. We are currently funding too much (over 40 national programs) but the effectiveness is unclear. We must restructure to less than 10 programs. Stick to strategic technologies, key areas that Vietnam needs and has the capacity to restructure. The funding should be larger (not just a few billion, but also tens of billions, hundreds of billions and more). The Academy should be the same, focusing on large programs.
About scientists and researchers
A scientist is not only someone who has an article, a scientific title, a degree or an award, but also someone who has a patent that can be applied in practice to create high value for economic growth, or to improve basic knowledge. New knowledge and new solutions discovered (theories, models, algorithms, technologies, or policies) must have a practical impact through the application of research results to products, technologies, policies or social solutions. Researchers are allocated costs, own research results to commercialize, can use research results to establish businesses, form joint ventures, and partnerships, and benefit from commercializing research results. At least 30% of the commercialization results of the Academy must be shared with the research group. If scientists and technologists commercialize research results, their income will be exempted or reduced from personal income tax. This is a mechanism to enrich the country, and we will also become richer.
Talented people in science and technology will appear if there are three conditions: first, there is a difficult, big, challenging task, if done, it will create great value; second, there are working conditions, modern labs, and a research budget; third, the person doing the work gets to enjoy a portion of the results. Great work will create great people.
About CDS
Comprehensive digital transformation of science and technology activities and science and technology management. Building a digital platform to manage the entire life cycle of science and technology tasks. Research institutions must use this platform to manage research topics using the state budget. The Ministry of Science and Technology builds this platform and the Academy can share it. Digital transformation, comprehensive AI transformation of the Academy, from training to research, should be the focus of the Academy. The way to do it is to choose a digital technology enterprise as a strategic partner. The Ministry of Science and Technology will support how to orient digital transformation.
On international cooperation
Science and technology are global and contemporary. Cooperate to develop national science and technology and contribute to world science and technology. Cooperation in science and technology is always mutually beneficial, based on the advantages of both parties to cooperate. Most of Vietnam's big problems are global problems, solving Vietnamese problems is solving global problems, contributing to the world. Vietnam no longer begs, there must be something Vietnam brings out, something Vietnam brings back. Science and technology is a global network. The more networks, the more science and technology develops. The Academy must build a national and global science and technology network. If there are big problems, working conditions, and budget, scientists and global elites can be mobilized to solve Vietnamese problems.
To go a long way in science and technology, one must have a long-term vision, look far and wide, and plan globally, but focus on the core. The Academy of Agriculture must plan this vision, it is like a guiding star for the Academy./.
Nguyen Manh Hung
Minister of Science and Technology
Source: https://mst.gov.vn/doi-moi-sang-tao-va-lam-chu-cong-nghe-chien-luoc-la-con-duong-tat-yeu-de-nong-nghiep-viet-nam-phat-trien-ben-vung-hien-dai-197250625160440193.htm
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