Could we start with your personal story? When did you decide to stay overseas, and what kept you there until now?

More than 20 years ago, I went to France on a scholarship from the International Organisation of La Francophonie, with the mindset of going to explore the world and learn.

At first, I wasn’t especially determined to study abroad. But my university principal at the time - former Vice President Nguyen Thi Doan, who also directly supervised my French thesis - told me: you must go, you must learn, and you must see what the world is doing. Thanks to her encouragement, I set off. Even now, she still reminds me of that moment when we meet.

At that time, I chose to study financial markets, thinking it would surely develop in Vietnam. But in the early 2000s, that field was still very new.

I didn’t consciously plan whether to stay or return. I simply stayed because the opportunities abroad kept growing - opportunities to learn more, experience new environments, new methods, larger projects, and new knowledge that constantly sparked my curiosity.

Then life just carried me forward. Later I had a family, children, and schools abroad - all of which made staying feel natural, as people often say: “life pushes you forward.”

But I’ve been fortunate to return to Vietnam often - on average 5 to 6 trips per year for the past 10 years.

We run numerous projects in Vietnam through AVSE Global, a non-profit organization, working on meaningful problems - from consulting for provinces to reporting at the national level, organizing 15 conferences and forums a year, connecting knowledge networks, and offering advanced training programs.

How do you see General Secretary To Lam’s directive to bring back at least 100 top experts to work in Vietnam? What is the greatest benefit of this approach?

I support it 200%. I strongly agree with the General Secretary’s directive.

This approach has been implemented successfully in many countries - for example, South Korea. They’ve brought back leading scholars in education and science to reform their own systems.

I once had dinner with a former French minister of Korean descent. She said South Korea is still expanding its network of "elite citizens" around the world, identifying promising young people abroad who might hold key positions in 5–10 years, then inviting them to return or collaborate remotely.

Attracting 100 leading experts to Vietnam is like inviting 100 trailblazing swallows - it will bring many more into the spring of science and technology in our country.

Previously, Vietnam has issued several policies to attract talent: Decree 140/2017/ND-CP for top university graduates and young scientists, Decree 179/2024/ND-CP to recruit gifted individuals into Party, State, and social organizations. There’s also Politburo Resolution 36 (2004) and Conclusion 12 (2021), affirming the crucial role of overseas Vietnamese, including intellectuals, experts, and businesspeople.

Yet the outcomes haven’t met expectations. In your view, where is the root of the problem?

There are many reasons why top scientists decide whether or not to return. But most need an environment that supports smooth integration and helps them reach their full potential - from legal systems, policy support, and working conditions to everyday life, green spaces, and overall quality of living.

These issues have been mentioned before, but perhaps without sufficient breakthroughs - or with good policies but weak implementation.

On top of that, Vietnam still lags behind developed countries in terms of technology and expertise. As a developing nation, we’re not yet on par with the US - or even closer countries like Japan or Singapore.

In science and technology, foreign experts have access to big, exciting problems - challenges that high-level professionals thrive on. I know the child of a major corporation's chairman, a likely heir to a business empire, who chose instead to pursue global experience at a multinational giant - because of the complexity and scale of the work.

One person tried to launch a startup in Vietnam for six months, then returned to the US. He said that just six months away left him feeling behind, because everything abroad was changing so fast.

So making a shift to a different environment is not always an easy decision.

Ngan Anh