As Vietnam marks 51 years since reunification, the conversation around reconciliation, development, and national vision is being placed within a broader context - one in which countries are confronting profound shifts of the modern era.
On the occasion of Vietnam commemorating the 51st anniversary of national reunification (April 30, 1975 - April 30, 2026), VietNamNet had a conversation with Michael S. Dukakis, former Governor of Massachusetts, the US, offering reflections on reconciliation, development, and the role of nations in a new era - especially as the world is entering the age of technology and artificial intelligence.
Fifty-one years after reunification, Vietnam is entering a new stage of development. How do you see this new phase?
Michael S. Dukakis: I see Vietnam’s new journey with great respect and high expectations.
Fifty-one years is long enough for a nation not only to heal the wounds of war, but also to prepare for a larger vision of the future. What stands out today is that Vietnam is no longer speaking merely of recovery or development in conventional terms. It is moving toward a new phase with higher aspirations, greater confidence, and a more strategic outlook.
Professor Michael S. Dukakis, former Governor of the state of Massachusetts, the US.
I believe this is a very important moment. A country entering a new phase does not only need growth - it needs a clear understanding of what it wants to become in 20, 30, or even 50 years. Vietnam today appears to be asking exactly that question. And to me, that is the mark of a mature nation.
In a world being reshaped by technology, geopolitics, and strategic competition, Vietnam has an opportunity to rise not only as a fast-growing economy, but as a country that can play an increasingly important role in shaping the future of the region and Asia more broadly.
In his speech marking the 50th anniversary of reunification, Party General Secretary and State President To Lam emphasized the spirit of “closing the past, respecting differences, and looking toward the future.” From your perspective, what does this message mean for Vietnam’s reconciliation and development?
I think it is a deeply thoughtful, mature, and strategically meaningful message.
Every nation that has gone through war, division, or major upheaval must confront a difficult question: how to honor the past without being held back by it. In my view, the spirit of “closing the past, respecting differences, and looking toward the future” is a powerful answer.
When a nation can close the past with confidence, respect differences with maturity, and move toward the future with a shared spirit, it can go further and stand more firmly.
Sustainable development requires deep social reconciliation - accepting history without being trapped in it; acknowledging differences without allowing them to divide; and working toward a common future that rises above past disagreements.
From my perspective, this is not only a message about reconciliation. It is also a message about development. No country can enter a major development phase if its energy continues to be consumed by old divisions.
Vietnam is speaking about a “new development era” with institutional reform, digital transformation, and high growth targets. Is this a real turning point?
Professor Michael S. Dukakis: I see Vietnam’s new journey with respect and high expectations.
I think it could be a real turning point - if Vietnam can translate aspiration into deep reform and effective execution.
Any country can set ambitious goals. But a true turning point only comes when change happens not at the level of slogans, but at the level of institutions, governance, public capacity, human capital, and the real functioning of the economy.
What I find encouraging is a growing recognition in Vietnam that future growth cannot rely solely on low-cost labor or expanding investment under the old model. A new development era, if taken seriously, must be anchored in institutional reform, digital transformation, science and technology, innovation, and above all, a more capable state apparatus.
If Vietnam succeeds in this, it will not just be a turning point in growth. It could be a turning point in the quality of development and national standing.
From your experience leading Massachusetts, what matters most for sustainable growth: institutional quality, fiscal discipline, or governance capacity? What can Vietnam learn?
All three are important, but if I had to choose one, I would say governance capacity grounded in strong institutions.
Fiscal discipline is essential. No economy can remain healthy if public finances are out of control. But fiscal discipline alone does not create sustainable growth. What does is a government that understands its priorities, implements policies effectively, and builds trust with society and the private sector.
What people call the “Massachusetts Miracle” was not the result of a single policy. It came from aligning education, investment, technology, public governance, and fiscal discipline into a unified direction.
Vietnam can draw an important lesson: sustainable growth does not come from isolated decisions, but from an institutional system that coordinates long-term vision, execution capacity, and accountability. When institutions are strong, governance is effective, and fiscal policy is anchored in a sound strategy, growth gains a deeper foundation.
In the US development journey, the private sector plays a major role. What should Vietnam do to make it a true growth engine?
The most important thing is to create an environment where the private sector can grow based on trust, transparency, predictability, and fair competition.
The private sector cannot become a strong driver if it operates in uncertainty, if rules change unpredictably, or if success depends more on connections than capability. Strengthening the private sector begins with improving the institutional environment.
Second, the private sector becomes a true engine when it invests in long-term capacity - technology, innovation, human resources, corporate governance, and global competitiveness.
Third, the state must see the private sector not only as a job creator, but as a strategic partner in national modernization. When supported properly, it can become a powerful source of growth, innovation, and national positioning.
Vietnam has strong potential here. But to turn that potential into real momentum, it needs an institutional environment where capable entrepreneurs can grow through talent, creativity, and responsibility.
You and Nguyen Anh Tuan (former VietNamNet's chief editor) recently launched the book America at 250: A Beacon for the AI Age. You mention concepts like “AIWS Trust Infrastructure” and “AIWS Trust Order.” Could you explain these ideas?
Professor Michael S. Dukakis and Mr. Nguyen Anh Tuan.
AIWS Trust Infrastructure is a core idea: if AI is to become the infrastructure of all infrastructures, humanity must build a layer of trust alongside it. In other words, we cannot just make AI more powerful - we must make it more trustworthy.
This infrastructure includes principles, standards, monitoring mechanisms, evaluation systems, transparency, accountability, and safeguards for human rights in the design and use of AI.
AIWS Trust Order is broader - a new order built on trust in the AI era. It is not just technical; it involves institutions, law, international cooperation, public ethics, and political culture.
If the 20th century was shaped by power-based orders, the 21st century should be guided by trust, responsibility, and human dignity.
I would also like to emphasize that Nguyen Anh Tuan’s contribution in this field is remarkable. In my foreword, I wrote that he is one of today’s most creative thinkers on the relationship between AI and democratic governance - and I truly believe that. His work with the Boston Global Forum and AI World Society has opened a new frontier: using AI not to replace democratic values, but to strengthen them.
On the occasion of April 30, what message would you send to young Vietnamese who did not experience war?
I would say this: you have a great opportunity, but also a great responsibility.
You did not endure war like previous generations. But precisely because of that, you are entrusted with a different mission - to build a future worthy of the sacrifices made before you.
Look to the future with confidence, but also with responsibility. A nation entering a new development era will be shaped first and foremost by the quality of its young generation.
Your responsibility is not only personal success. It is also about serious learning, disciplined living, preserving dignity, nurturing creativity, and contributing to a stronger, fairer, more modern Vietnam that engages responsibly with the world.
In the AI era, young Vietnamese should not only be users of technology. You can be creators, shaping how technology serves society and ensuring it remains guided by human values.
In that sense, AI World Society (AIWS) is an idea worth reflecting on. It suggests a path where AI is not just a tool for productivity or competition, but a foundation for a better life, a more trustworthy society, stronger democracy, and a more humane future.
For young people, AIWS is not just a concept. It can be a direction - toward lifelong learning, creativity, responsibility, and deeper connection with community, country, and humanity.
If there is one message I would leave, it is this: look to the future with confidence, but also with responsibility. The trajectory of a nation in a new era will be defined by its young generation.
And I believe Vietnam’s youth have the capacity not only to write a proud new chapter for their country, but also to contribute to building a humane and trustworthy AI-driven society for the future.
On the book America at 250: A Beacon for the AI Age
Michael S. Dukakis: In the foreword of the book I co-authored with Nguyen Anh Tuan, I wrote that he is one of the most creative thinkers today on the relationship between artificial intelligence and democratic governance.
Over many years, through his work with the Boston Global Forum and AI World Society, I have seen a rare capability: not only recognizing the power of technology, but also anticipating a deeper question - how to ensure AI does not weaken democratic values, but instead supports and advances them.
Nguyen Anh Tuan’s journey has been remarkably consistent - from a pioneer of the Internet in Vietnam in 1996, to the architect of AI World Society in 2017, and now a co-architect of AIWS Trusted Order for the America at 250 Conference in 2026. It is a path that stands at the intersection of technology, governance, and human values - always with a forward-looking vision that often sees what others have yet to fully grasp.
This is not just a book looking back at 250 years of America. It seeks to answer a larger question: how can the US, together with democratic nations and responsible thinkers worldwide, lead the future of AI in a way that is humane, trustworthy, and worthy of its history?
Together, we aim to present a vision of an America that honors its past while being ready for its future.
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