According to Dr. Dinh Thanh Huong, even offering hundreds of thousands of dollars per year may not be enough to bring top Vietnamese experts home - especially when there’s more than one or two involved.
Continuing her conversation with VietNamNet, Dr. Huong emphasized that attracting top talent to work in Vietnam requires more than just fixed salaries and bonuses. There must also be a framework allowing scientists and experts to seek their own funding and resources - and be properly rewarded for the outcomes they deliver.
She noted that “there are many different reasons why top scientists choose whether to return or not,” but a few fundamental factors stand out.
These include an environment that fosters integration and enables them to reach their full potential - from legal frameworks and policies to workplace culture and quality of life with green spaces and good living conditions.
Government ministries are currently drafting special incentive policies to attract overseas Vietnamese talent - especially in artificial intelligence, semiconductors, digital transformation, and clean energy. What should authorities prioritize to make this effort truly effective?
When attracting intellectuals and experts, we must consider different levels - based on age, position, and financial status.
Some people are at a stage in life where they’re financially secure, well-positioned, and deeply committed to giving back to Vietnam. They may even spend their own money to contribute. These individuals aren’t focused on salary or bonuses, but on having meaningful problems to solve, a strong environment to work in, and recognition for their contributions.
At another level, there are talented individuals who need more financial stability, attractive compensation packages, and meaningful roles. Here, “role” doesn’t necessarily mean a high-ranking title. Many scientists prefer pure research, but in Vietnam, holding a strong position is often necessary to lead effectively. That status gives them the strength to solve big national problems.
Salary and benefits are especially important for those who still have young children to raise or extended families to support. These people need a baseline that allows them to maintain an above-average standard of living and ensure their children have access to quality education and healthcare.
And to be fair, many things in Vietnam are expensive - real estate, for example. Salary alone doesn’t let you buy a home here. Yet as we always say, “you must settle down before you can focus.”
But beyond all that, I want to emphasize the importance of recognizing people’s contributions. And of creating an environment where they can truly flourish in their work and research, with scientific freedom.
General Secretary To Lam presents a gift to Dr. Dinh Thanh Huong, Executive Director of Knowledge and Projects at AVSE Global, during a meeting with distinguished overseas Vietnamese scholars in Paris, October 2024. Photo: Minh Nhat
When it comes to salary and bonuses, can you offer some specific suggestions?
Vietnam must create a new mechanism if we haven’t already made significant reforms. But we have to be realistic - government agencies and state-owned corporations cannot afford to pay massive salaries to top scientists.
Minister-level salaries are only a few dozen million dong per month. That’s far below what many Vietnamese experts abroad are earning. I personally know some who make millions of dollars annually. There’s no way to bridge that income gap directly.
Some argue that Vietnam’s cost of living is lower, so paying just one-fifth of foreign salaries would suffice. But even a few hundred thousand dollars per year is hard to fund in Vietnam - especially for more than one or two individuals.
And again, many essential expenses in Vietnam - like housing - are very high. Not everyone can afford to buy a home on salary alone. Yet as we say, housing comes first.
That’s why I believe we need policies offering housing at preferential rates or building dedicated zones for scientists, with land support from the state. This would allow experts to rent or buy in decent conditions.
Not every top expert has to move to Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City. They can go to other tech-hungry regions like Da Nang. Those areas should be encouraged to offer housing incentives for experts.
As for salaries and bonuses, beyond fixed packages, we must create mechanisms allowing experts to raise their own funds and be rewarded accordingly. For example, they should share ownership and profit if their inventions are commercialized.
Or when they secure large international projects, they should have the right to access and manage those funds. Some scientists are deeply embedded in global networks, widely respected, and in demand. Others are paid well to collaborate internationally.
Vietnam must enable funding from private and international sources, so that scientists and experts can essentially “pay themselves” through the value they generate.
Dr. Dinh Thanh Huong makes 5–6 work trips to Vietnam each year.
What are AVSE Global and its members doing to support Vietnam’s development?
Personally, I now spend half my time working for Vietnam. That includes weekends, vacation days, early mornings, late nights - even during lunch breaks. And I’m not the only one. Many members of AVSE Global do the same.
People often ask how we can maintain such intensity for more than a decade. But we’re still going, passionately committed to every project and program.
More broadly, we’re building connections between Vietnamese, overseas Vietnamese, and international experts - and bringing them to Vietnam. For example, at our R&D forum this July, two speakers were ranked among the world’s top 50 thinkers.
We also continue advising local governments eager to grow. Many have contacted us to request experts in specific fields. We’re always happy to help.
For national priorities like energy or architecture, we can connect professionals, recommend candidates, or even propose ourselves for key roles.
AVSE Global members are deeply committed to giving back. We already work a lot for Vietnam and find it incredibly fulfilling. If needed, we’re ready to dedicate even more time - because better outcomes would inspire many of us to return for good.
Vietnamnet.vn
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