Overseas Vietnamese Elites Want Investment in Fatherland

Mr. Tran Quang Hoan, vice dean of the Committee for Overseas Vietnamese, said Vietnam now has about nearly three million Vietnamese people living abroad, of whom 10-15 per cent are intellectuals with university diplomas or above. They are mostly living in developed countries, with the US being the largest with around 150,000 people, followed by France with 40,000 people, Australia with 7,000 people, Eastern Europe and Russia with 4,000 people, Canada with 2,000 people, Belgium and Germany with about 500 people, the UK with 100 people and Japan with 80 people. What should Vietnam do to call for more contributions from overseas Vietnamese intellectuals to the construction of their fatherland? The answer can be sought at a specialised seminar recently held by the Committee for Overseas Vietnamese in the Vietnamese capital of Hanoi.

 

According to statistics of the Committee for Overseas Vietnamese, Vietnam has over 300,000 intellectuals living and working abroad. However, each year the country welcomes only over 200 overseas Vietnamese participating in several projects here. Overseas Vietnamese are working in all fields of science such as informatics, telecommunication, electronics, physics, economics, natural science, finance, accountancy, banking, stock exchange, medicine, biology, agriculture, culture and education. According to Mr. Hoan, overseas Vietnamese intellectuals are very nationalistic and patriotic and want to contribute their efforts and knowledge to the fatherland. Actually, potentials and abilities of Vietnamese intellectuals abroad and experts haven’t brought into full play and they are simply unaware of policies of Vietnamese Government about their contributions to the development of the country. Some of them even, to some extent, feel uneasy although the ruling Communist Party of Vietnam and the Vietnamese Government always treasure Vietnamese intellectuals abroad and consider them an integral part of the country. Besides, overseas Vietnamese intellectuals also have to keep the laws and profession regulations in the country they are living in. Therefore, their decision to return home also depends on other countries.

 

Although Vietnam shows great interest in contributions from overseas Vietnamese intellectuals it has no full legal framework and policies regarding this. Ratified policies are normally incomplete. Apart from the voluntary Overseas Vietnam Association, Vietnam has no other official institutions for overseas Vietnamese intellectuals to get information about the country and contribute their ideas to the development of the country. Many overseas Vietnamese intellectuals want to contribute their knowledge and fervour to the country but they don’t know what is in need in the country and how they can contribute.

 

Many young Vietnamese intellectuals are pursued by foreign firms even when they are at school. Many of them have set up their own companies or worked for foreign firms. But all of them share the same wish that they want to work in the fatherland. So, what should Vietnam do to call overseas Vietnamese intellectuals? According to Mr. Hoan, Vietnam, first of all, needs to have favourable and easy procedures and documents for them to work in the country. Vietnam has to provide official information about its economic situations for overseas Vietnamese intellectuals. “We will set up an official organisation for them to contact and raise their voices. Then, we will create favourable conditions for young intellectuals to return the fatherland to work, especially accomodation, working conditions and salaries. We need a clear mechanism and incentive to make them feel at ease when working in the country,” he added.

 

According to a close source, the Committee for Overseas Vietnamese will cooperate with competent agencies to initiate a project about this issue to pave the way for overseas Vietnamese intellectuals to return to work for the country. Followings are ideas of experts.

 

 

Our policies are really unattractive to overseas Vietnamese, especially scientists and technologists. State scientific agencies must depend on the State funds while domestic scientists are bound by salary mechanisms. Their cooperation is just aimed at the exchange of information, and seeking sponsorships and scholarships, not aimed at creating high value products. Therefore, overseas Vietnamese intellectuals feel demoralised while working in the country. They know that cooperation is too superficial, that they are not making something worthwhile to contribute to everyday life or for the market.

 

When Vietnam had economic embargoes imposed, overseas Vietnamese intellectuals were bridges that brought materials, techniques, and scientific achievements into the country. They were also intermediaries who helped Vietnam and other countries to do scientific research. Latest technologies in agriculture such as manufacturing bread from sweet potatoes, deodorising soya milk, and manufacturing environmentally friendly pesticides and fertilisers were contributed to by overseas Vietnamese intellectuals.