Business Forum Magazine respectfully introduces an article by Party General Secretary To Lam titled "Youth - pillar of nation's future".
General Secretary To Lam presents flowers to congratulate the 9th Central Committee of the Viet Nam Youth Union - Photo: VGP
"On March 26th this year, the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union celebrates its 95th anniversary of establishment, growth, and contributions. Looking back on that glorious journey, we are even more proud of the traditions of generations of Vietnamese youth. Throughout the periods of struggle for national independence, defense of the Fatherland, and national construction and development, youth have always been the vanguard force, leading the way, undeterred by difficulties and hardships, and ready to dedicate themselves to the revolutionary cause. Under the glorious banner of the Party, guided by beloved Uncle Ho and generations of revolutionaries, our youth have written many beautiful pages of history with lofty ideals, patriotism, and a desire to contribute."
Throughout every stage of the revolution, youth have always been the vanguard force, playing a core role. Even in the years leading up to the founding of the Party, the Vietnamese youth played a particularly important role. Through the Vietnam Revolutionary Youth League and its predecessor organizations, many patriotic young people quickly absorbed revolutionary theory, propagated Marxism-Leninism, built bases, trained organizations, prepared cadres, and created the political and ideological foundation for the birth of the Communist Party of Vietnam. Many of the Party's pioneering leaders held important positions from a young age. In the resistance wars, the youth were the most important group."fight to the death"to"The Fatherland is determined to survive."They were present in the trenches, on the front lines, in the rear areas, on construction sites, and in vibrant movements such as"Dad is ready.""Three responsibilities""The Year of Volunteers"In particular, the Youth Volunteer Force has become a shining symbol of revolutionary heroism, making an extremely important contribution to the victory of the national liberation cause. As the country embarked on the process of reform, youth continued to be a force quick to embrace new ideas, daring to think and act, leading the way in learning, scientific research, labor, production, business, and international integration.
Today, we live in an era where national strength is increasingly measured by creative capacity, scientific and technological level, quality of human resources, and the ability to adapt to major global changes. Competitiveness among economies no longer relies primarily on resources or investment capital, but increasingly depends on knowledge, technology, management models, and new added value. In the context of a rapidly changing, complex, and unpredictable world, the need to build an independent and self-reliant economy and enhance the country's strategic autonomy has become more urgent than ever. Therefore, innovation is no longer the sole concern of a few industries or businesses, but must become the shared development spirit of the entire country, at every level, in every sector, every locality, every agency, every unit, and every citizen, especially the younger generation. Deeply aware of this, our Party has issued Resolution No. 57 on breakthroughs in the development of science, technology, innovation, and national digital transformation, identifying these as important driving forces for rapid and sustainable national development, enhancing the competitiveness of the economy, and strengthening the potential and strategic self-reliance of the nation in the new era.
We are delighted to witness an increasing number of Vietnamese youth demonstrating their intellect and capabilities in many fields: from science, information technology, artificial intelligence, biotechnology, and automation to innovative entrepreneurship, high-tech agriculture, the digital economy, education, healthcare, the environment, and culture. In many localities, despite difficult conditions, many youth members and young people persevere in exploring initiatives in their work, in digital transformation, in serving the community, building new rural areas and civilized cities, and preserving and promoting national cultural values. This shows that innovation is not something far-fetched. It can begin in a modern laboratory, but it can also start from a small idea aimed at solving practical problems for people, businesses, localities, and the country.
Innovation is not just about high technology or large-scale investment projects. First and foremost, it's about the ability to recognize inefficiencies and find ways to improve them; it's about daring to question, experiment, and change for the common good; it's about transforming ideas into solutions, knowledge into productivity, and initiatives into value. A young person successfully researching a new technology is an example of innovation; an engineer improving a production line to save materials and increase productivity is an example of innovation; a young doctor, teacher, or official applying technology to better serve the people is also an example of innovation. Wherever there is a desire to excel and a spirit of doing better for the community, there is innovation.
Therefore, the innovative careers of young people are not limited to a few trendy fields but encompass many aspects of national life. In their studies, young people need to cultivate critical thinking, systems thinking, lifelong learning abilities, master foreign languages, digital skills, and scientific research methods. In their work, they must value discipline, respect processes, but not accept ruts or be complacent with what has already been achieved. In production and business, they need to boldly apply technology, improve management quality, enhance productivity, and build Vietnamese brands through quality and innovation. In the public sector, young people need to contribute to building a modern, transparent, effective, and efficient administration. In culture, society, environment, national defense, and security, young people must also proactively introduce new solutions into practice, preserve identity, and protect the Fatherland in both the physical and digital spaces.
However, genuine creativity cannot be separated from life ideals, ethics, and civic responsibility. Young people must dare to think, dare to act, and dare to experiment with new things; but this does not mean being arbitrary, hasty, chasing trends, or seeking fleeting fame. Innovation must be linked to serving the Fatherland, serving the people, complying with the law, respecting ethics, culture, community interests, and national interests. An initiative is only truly valuable when it makes life better, society more civilized, people better served, and the country stronger, more independent, and more self-reliant. The more technologically skilled and quick to adapt to new things young people are, the more they must uphold their ideals, political integrity, social responsibility, and patriotism. This is what ensures that innovation is on the right track and develops healthily and sustainably.I hope that Vietnamese youth today will always remember: Patriotism in the new era is not only expressed through emotions, but must also be expressed through knowledge, the ability to act, the spirit of conquering new heights in science and technology, and the will to master the future of the country. Success begins with a spirit of continuous learning, continuous improvement, and constantly setting higher standards for oneself. There is no sustainable success without serious work; no great achievements without persistent accumulation; no true accomplishments based solely on luck or fleeting inspiration. The path to success requires both talent and discipline, both passion and depth, both great aspirations and humility, a willingness to learn.The nation needs its youth to possess a spirit of lifelong learning. In a rapidly changing world, today's knowledge can quickly become outdated if we stop. Therefore, learning should not be limited to school or the early years of life, but must become a permanent quality. Vietnamese youth need to proactively update their knowledge, improve their digital skills, technological abilities, foreign language skills, international cooperation skills, and the ability to work in a multidisciplinary and multicultural environment. But learning is not just for getting a job or for career advancement; it is also about broadening horizons, enhancing the capacity to contribute, so that when the country needs them, each young person has the necessary qualifications and courage to take on more difficult and significant tasks. A nation strong in innovation must first and foremost be a nation with young people eager to learn and a favorable environment to transform knowledge into action.Young people also need to strongly cultivate an entrepreneurial spirit, but this must be based on intellect, business ethics, and a desire to create new value for society. Entrepreneurship is not just about personal success, but also about solving community problems, creating jobs for others, and contributing to enhancing the self-reliance of the economy. I hope that young Vietnamese entrepreneurs will not only dream of building large businesses, but also build ethical businesses; not only seek profit, but also aim for sustainable value; not only compete on price, but on technology, quality, management, and reputation. The country urgently needs young scientists who dare to venture into new fields, young engineers who conquer core technologies, young farmers who practice smart agriculture, young civil servants who strongly reform public service processes, young artists who create valuable works, and young soldiers who master modern technology, contributing to the firm protection of the Fatherland.In summary, today's youth can offer the following guiding principles for action:"Self-reliance and resilience - Pioneering innovation - Aspiration to contribute - Mastering the future."To achieve this, expectations cannot be placed solely on the shoulders of young people; the entire political system and society must act together. The State needs to continue improving institutions, removing barriers, creating a transparent and favorable legal environment for innovation, encouraging experimentation, and protecting those who dare to think, dare to act, and dare to innovate for the common good. Educational institutions must strongly innovate teaching and learning methods, focusing on developing independent thinking, problem-solving skills, collaboration skills, and practical application. Research institutes, universities, and businesses need to strengthen their connections, forming an interconnected chain from research to application, from idea to product, from laboratory to market. When institutions are open, the environment is favorable, and social trust is strengthened, the creativity of young people will be unleashed and developed more powerfully.The Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union must continue to innovate its content and methods of operation, truly being a companion of young people, a common home to gather, encourage, discover, nurture, and support young talents. The youth movement must become an environment for the younger generation to mature in ideals, ethics, abilities, and responsibility; and at the same time, a place to discover new factors, good models, effective methods, and exemplary role models. When well organized and guided in the right direction, young people can make practical contributions to the country and the community.I propose that Party committees, government agencies, the Fatherland Front, political and social organizations, the business community, intellectuals, artists, teachers, scientists, and the entire population continue to pay deeper attention to the development of the younger generation. It is necessary to listen to the voices of young people, respect their sound ideas, and accompany them in their studies, scientific research, entrepreneurship, and career development. A country that wants to develop rapidly and sustainably cannot do without faith in its youth. But that faith should not be just words; it must be demonstrated through mechanisms, policies, resources, a favorable environment, along with the exemplary guidance and leadership of previous generations.On the occasion of the 95th anniversary of the founding of the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union, we hope that today's Vietnamese youth will continue to uphold the glorious tradition, cultivate aspirations for contribution, enrich their intellect, hone their character, cultivate their ethics, enhance their capacity for innovation, master science and technology and digital transformation, and bravely venture into new fields, challenging tasks, and unprecedented endeavors. With this belief, we have reason to expect that the young generation of Vietnam will continue to write glorious chapters in the nation's history using the language of today's era: the language of knowledge, creativity, responsibility, and unwavering aspiration for progress.
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