National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man speaks at the 2024 Outstanding Intellectuals Honoring Ceremony. (Photo: Quang Duy)

On the morning of August 28, in Hanoi, the Vietnam Union of Science and Technology Associations (VUSTA) held a ceremony to honor outstanding science and technology (S&T) intellectuals in 2024. This is the 5th time the ceremony has been held, demonstrating the Party and State's recognition of the contributions of Vietnamese intellectuals.

Promoting the creativity of the scientific and technological intellectual team

Speaking at the ceremony, Politburo member and National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man acknowledged and highly appreciated the efforts and outstanding results achieved by the Vietnam Union of Science and Technology Associations and the team of science and technology intellectuals, especially praising the 135 outstanding science and technology intellectuals who were honored.

National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man emphasized that our ancestors always valued talents and intellectuals, considering talents as the vital energy of the nation. When the vital energy is prosperous, the country is strong, when the vital energy is weak, the country is weak.

Right from the founding of the country, beloved President Ho Chi Minh said: "The country needs to be built, and construction requires talented people". The 2013 Constitution of our country stipulates: "The Socialist Republic of Vietnam is owned by the people; all state power belongs to the people, the foundation of which is the alliance between the working class, the peasantry and the intelligentsia".

Resolution No. 45-NQ/TW dated November 24, 2023 of the 13th Party Central Committee affirmed: The intellectual team is "a special resource in the development of knowledge economy, industrialization, modernization, international integration... an important factor in improving people's knowledge, training human resources, nurturing talents, enhancing national intelligence and strength, making great contributions to the cause of innovation, building and defending the Fatherland".

National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man acknowledged that since its establishment, the Vietnam Union of Science and Technology Associations and the team of intellectuals in science and technology have carried out many rich and practical activities, making efforts to innovate and diversify forms of gathering intellectuals; actively responding to patriotic emulation movements; providing social advice and criticism to contribute to building a clean and strong Party and political system; participating in law-making, contributing to many draft laws and supervisory activities of the National Assembly and the Vietnam Fatherland Front.

It can be affirmed that the Vietnam Union of Science and Technology Associations has gradually demonstrated its role as a nucleus to unite and promote the creativity of domestic and foreign scientific and technological intellectuals, contributing to promoting the development of national scientific and technological potential, making important contributions to socio-economic development, ensuring national defense and security.

Many scientists have been honored by the Party and State as Labor Heroes such as: Professor Tran Dai Nghia, Professor Luong Dinh Cua, Professor Bui Huy Dap, Professor Academician Vu Tuyen Hoang... and many other scientists have been awarded many noble medals and orders from the Party, State and internationally.

"The Party and State always respect and trust the team of science and technology intellectuals. Every victory of the Vietnamese revolution cannot be achieved without the contribution of intellectuals. This is a very valuable contribution, worthy of respect and pride," the National Assembly Chairman emphasized.

According to National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man, globalization helps our country's science and technology gradually integrate and exchange with international science and technology, creating favorable conditions for learning, exchanging experiences, and absorbing international science and technology achievements to serve the country's development; however, it also poses many new challenges.

That is the strong penetration of foreign science and technology products into the domestic market, creating fierce competition, giving rise to new disputes related to intellectual property, copyright, trademarks, geographical indications, and industrial designs.

In addition, there is an urgent need for a legal corridor, institutions, policies, scientific staff and major scientific centers in our country. In that context, it is required that the country's intellectuals have new awareness, scientific thinking associated with practical and effective solutions to make science and technology a driving force for national development.

National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man and Secretary General of the National Assembly, Head of the National Assembly Office Bui Van Cuong presented symbols and flowers to honor outstanding science and technology intellectuals in 2024. (Photo: Hoang Giang)

"The Party and State always care about and put their trust in the country's intellectuals; building a strong, comprehensive and sustainably developing intellectual team is the responsibility of the Party, the State, and the entire political and social system," affirmed National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man.

At the same time, the National Assembly Chairman believes that the Vietnam Union of Science and Technology Associations, with its tradition of solidarity and promoting the achieved results, will continue to be the nucleus to gather, unite and promote the creativity of a large number of domestic and foreign scientific and technological intellectuals, actively contributing to building a clean and strong Party and State; further promoting the role of a member of the Vietnam Fatherland Front in social supervision and criticism; promoting and improving the quality of patriotic emulation movements, actively contributing to socio-economic development, ensuring national defense, security, foreign affairs and preventing and combating corruption and negativity.

National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man also hopes that the outstanding intellectuals honored today will be shining examples, spreading inspiration in their units, organizations, the entire team and society, worthy of the trust and hope of the Party, State and People.

Dr. Phan Xuan Dung speaks at the Honoring Ceremony. (Source: Quochoi)

The task assigned to the country's scientific and technological intellectuals is enormous.

Speaking at the honoring ceremony, Dr. Phan Xuan Dung, President of the Vietnam Union of Science and Technology Associations, once again emphasized that "throughout the history of building and defending the country, our ancestors always respected talented people and intellectuals, considering talented people as the vital energy of the nation".

In the context of globalization and the development trend of science and technology, of the 4th Industrial Revolution, our Party's viewpoint on national development is "to be equal to and based on science and technology", "development of science and technology is the top national policy, playing a key role in the country's socio-economic development". Accordingly, the task assigned to the country's science and technology intellectuals is enormous.

Imbued with Uncle Ho's teaching "As a part of the revolutionary force, intellectuals have the duty to compete to serve the Fatherland and the People", the Vietnamese team of S&T intellectuals always carries revolutionary enthusiasm and the desire to rise up, making S&T the driving force and the top national policy for national development; national development must rely on and be based on S&T.

After more than 40 years of operation with the goal of gathering a team of scientific intellectuals, throughout the journey of building and developing the Vietnam Union of Science and Technology Associations, there have been many examples of creativity and scientific and technological research by Vietnamese intellectuals and overseas Vietnamese, contributing to the cause of building and developing the country's economy and society.

From 2015 to present, the Vietnam Union of Science and Technology Associations has organized 5 times to honor 577 outstanding scientists and technologists (including the number of honoring ceremonies on August 28, 2024). This is an activity to recognize, encourage and support the scientific intellectuals who have made many contributions to the country's economic development in each field that the individual scientist works in.

The activity of honoring outstanding S&T intellectuals is considered a form of patriotic emulation, with great humanitarian significance, demonstrating the Party and State's concern, respect and treatment of intellectuals, and at the same time encouraging and recognizing individuals with many outstanding contributions to the cause of socio-economic development, national defense and security protection of the country in general and the development of the Vietnam Union of Science and Technology Associations in particular. This activity has contributed to raising awareness of all levels, sectors and the whole society about the position and role of the S&T intellectual team and the great contributions of the Vietnam Union of Science and Technology Associations system to the cause of national construction and development.

Through the previous 4 times of organization, the Vietnam Union of Friendship Organizations has honored 452 people and this 5th time honoring honors 135 outstanding intellectuals.