A future for a rising generation.
We are pleased to present the article "The Future for a Generation to Flourish" by General Secretary To Lam.
Throughout the history of nation-building and national defense, youth – the younger generation – have always held a crucial position, considered the pillar determining the prosperity of the nation. In every revolutionary period, from the time the Party took leadership to the present day, youth have always been the pioneering force, playing a core role, from the struggle for independence and national reunification to the process of economic and social reform and development. It can be said that the history of our Party, from its inception to the present, has always been marked by the clear role of the outstanding and excellent generations of young people of the nation. The first General Secretaries, the brilliant leaders of the Party, and the great intellectuals of Vietnam all held important positions while still young.
In the current new era, the role of youth is becoming increasingly important. Youth are the pillar for leading the country into a new era, the primary resource for building and developing new productive forces, and the pioneering force in new fields. Youth are the future masters of the country, a crucial factor in building national values, cultural values, family values, and the standards of Vietnamese humanity.
Achievements and challenges
The maturity, sustainability, and even the destiny of the nation depend greatly on the youth and the younger generation. In the sacred wars of national resistance against imperialism and foreign invaders to gain independence, freedom, and protect the sacred sovereignty and territory of the Fatherland, millions of young people dedicated their youth to the cause of "fighting to the death for the Fatherland." The history of the nation will forever remember the generations of young people who went to war "with hearts full of hope for the future" with the spirit of "steadfastness greater than the Truong Son mountain range," and "We will not return until the enemy is defeated." In combat, in building and defending the country, we always see the image of "Youth Ready in Three Ways," "Women Responsible in Three Ways," "Five Volunteers," "Wherever there is a need, youth are there; wherever there is difficulty, youth are there," "Youth leading the way in the cause of industrialization and modernization of the country," and "Vietnamese Youth - Dare to think, dare to act, dare to take responsibility"... In recent years, the young generation of Vietnam has achieved many important accomplishments in the fields of academia, sports, and culture, contributing to affirming the country's position on the international stage. Vietnamese youth have continuously won prestigious awards in international competitions in Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, Informatics, scientific and technical innovation, and art… These successes demonstrate the intelligence and strong competitiveness of Vietnamese youth in a globalized environment. In the field of sports, young people are also consistently achieving proud milestones at regional and world tournaments, clearly demonstrating their physical strength and tenacious competitive spirit.
Culturally, the younger generation has been playing a crucial role in preserving, conserving, and promoting national cultural identity. In the context of international integration, many traditional Vietnamese cultural values have been widely promoted worldwide through the tireless efforts of young people in international cultural exchange activities and diverse and creative cultural and artistic programs.
However, alongside these achievements, we are also facing many major challenges. While the quality of Vietnam's human resources has improved, it still lags significantly behind developed countries, particularly in terms of creativity, labor productivity, practical skills, and foreign language proficiency. Although Vietnam is currently among the 34 largest economies in the world, our labor productivity ranks 117th out of 181 countries/territories surveyed, equivalent to only 11.4% of Singapore's and 35.4% of Malaysia's, not to mention other developed countries.
In recent years, along with economic development, Vietnam has achieved significant progress in improving the quality of life, education, and healthcare for its people. However, when considering the physical health, overall well-being, and average height of young people, a clear gap still exists compared to other countries in the region and developed countries worldwide. The average height of Vietnamese men in the most recent survey (2020) was 168.1 cm, and that of women was 156.2 cm, lower than that of regional countries such as Thailand, South Korea, and Japan. The current life expectancy of Vietnamese people is 74.5 years, 5-10 years lower than in Japan, South Korea, and Germany. The rate of stunting in Vietnam (19.6%) is also much higher than in developed countries like Japan or Singapore, indicating that nutritional issues from childhood still have a long-term impact on the physical health of young people. In high-performance sports competitions, Vietnam may achieve good results in skill-based disciplines but struggles to compete in those requiring strength and endurance.
Another challenge is that Vietnam is currently entering the final stage of its demographic dividend while population aging is occurring at a very rapid pace. In 2011, the proportion of people aged 60 and over accounted for over 10% of the total population; by 2022, this proportion had increased to approximately 12.8%, equivalent to about 12.5 million elderly people. It is projected that by 2036, the proportion of elderly people will reach 20%, meaning Vietnam will enter the aging population stage. As the population ages, the labor force decreases, the number of dependents increases, leading to an increasingly heavy financial burden on the working-age population. The healthcare system will also face increasing pressure as the demand for elderly care rises. This poses a significant challenge to sustainable development strategy planning to effectively utilize the young workforce before entering the aging population stage.
In the context of increasingly strong globalization, the cultural identity of the Vietnamese nation faces a significant risk of erosion. While global cultural exchange and integration bring many economic and social benefits, they also create major challenges in preserving and promoting traditional cultural values. Foreign cultural trends, if not received with discernment and selectivity, can obscure, or even erode, the inherent beauty of national culture. One of the clearest manifestations of this problem is the change in the lifestyle and thinking of young people. Many young people today readily accept new, modern values from outside while paying little attention to the traditional values of their nation. The widespread use of international media, social networks, and entertainment has led many young people to increasingly distance themselves from the distinctive cultural values of their nation, such as traditional art forms, folk festivals, traditional cuisine, and even the moral values and spirit of community solidarity that are unique to the Vietnamese people. Social evils and crime rates among young people are becoming increasingly complex and are infiltrating the lives of a significant portion of youth, weakening the nation's lineage.
In a volatile world
The world is entering an unprecedented era of technological and scientific breakthroughs. The rapid and powerful development of artificial intelligence, biotechnology, big data, and automation is rapidly and strongly shaping how we work, live, and communicate globally. This requires each country, including Vietnam, to carefully prepare a young generation that meets stringent human resource standards for integration and sustainable development.
Intellectually, today's young generation in Vietnam needs more than ever creativity, critical thinking, and the ability to quickly adapt to technological changes. Young people must be trained to become pioneers in mastering new technologies, possessing the capacity to research, develop, and apply the most advanced achievements in practice. At the same time, the younger generation needs a global mindset, international communication skills, and superior foreign language abilities to proactively integrate into the international environment and compete fairly and effectively with their peers worldwide.
However, intelligence alone is not enough. Physical health and strong character are also indispensable conditions for the younger generation to adapt and thrive in an increasingly fierce global competition. A physically healthy youth generation will ensure a high-quality workforce, contributing to the building and protection of the country. Therefore, physical education needs to be given more attention, combined with the development of a public health system and modern sports facilities to improve overall health and enhance the stature of Vietnamese people.
In the process of deep international integration, the younger generation also needs to be educated and nurtured to always preserve and promote the national cultural identity. Culture plays a crucial spiritual foundation in the comprehensive development of Vietnamese youth. Culture not only helps shape national identity but also serves as an important soft power, helping Vietnam affirm its position and image on the international stage. At the same time, good moral qualities, profound humanistic spirit, and a high sense of social responsibility must be regularly cultivated to build a generation of young people with sufficient capacity and character to contribute positively to the overall development of society and the world.
In reality, developed countries, world and regional powers all prioritize the development of comprehensive education, physical fitness enhancement, and the preservation and promotion of national culture to create a high-quality workforce that meets the requirements of sustainable development. We need to learn from and flexibly apply these international lessons to build an outstanding generation of young people, ensuring the country's steady development in the new era.
Facing new opportunities for the country.
After 80 years of nation-building, 50 years of complete national reunification, and nearly 40 years of implementing reforms, our country is entering a breakthrough phase in development, opening up opportunities but also facing unprecedented challenges. The country is integrating more deeply into the global economy, confronting profound changes from breakthroughs in science and technology and global fluctuations.
Looking towards 2045, the momentous occasion marking the 100th anniversary of the nation's founding, we have set a strategic goal of becoming a developed, high-income country. To achieve this, Vietnam needs a young generation that is not only intellectually outstanding but also physically superior, rich in cultural identity, capable of competing and standing shoulder-to-shoulder with the world's leading nations, and affirming the country's position on the international stage.
The consistent viewpoint of our Party and State is to take people as the foundation for sustainable development, because people are both the ultimate goal and the main driving force behind social development. Socio-economic development must aim to satisfy the increasingly higher spiritual and material needs of the people. Human development has become a central and strategic issue that determines the success of the country. Therefore, youth work is a vital issue for the nation, one of the factors determining the success or failure of the revolution, and a crucial task for the entire political system and society. Investing in and developing the younger generation has become a top strategic priority in the new era. Building and nurturing a strong, intelligent, and civilized generation of young people is the solid foundation for Vietnam to continuously strive forward, becoming a developed nation, a symbol of national aspirations, strength, and will.
Orientation for the development of the new human being towards 2045
The period from 2025 to 2045 is just 20 years away. Children born during this time will be the youth of the new generation, the future leaders of a prosperous and developed Vietnam. To move towards 2045 with a vision of a comprehensively developed Vietnam, the orientation of human development, especially for the younger generation, has become a strategic priority. First and foremost, strong investment in education and training is needed to develop intellect and knowledge. The education system must undergo profound reforms, focusing on developing creative skills, STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics), foreign languages, digital skills, and modern technology. Intellectual education must go hand in hand with cultural, moral, and aesthetic education to form well-rounded individuals. Simultaneously, promoting self-learning, lifelong learning, and building a comprehensive learning society is also a key task. To build an elite workforce, we also need special policies to attract young talents returning from abroad, creating a globally competitive workforce.
Alongside intellectual education, a strategy to improve the health and physical fitness of Vietnamese people is crucial. The systematic and effective development of school sports should be encouraged to enhance the stature of Vietnamese people. We need to set a specific goal by 2045: the average height of Vietnamese youth should reach a level comparable to that of developed countries in the region. To realize this goal, promoting universal healthcare and building modern sports infrastructure are urgent requirements. We also need to aim for an increase in the number of high-achieving athletes, striving to win medals at major tournaments such as the Asian Games and the Olympics, not only in skill-based sports but also in those requiring exceptional physical strength and stamina.
Culture is an indispensable element in human development strategies. We need to continue investing in preserving and promoting the value of cultural and artistic heritage, while simultaneously innovating and modernizing to suit the times. The goal is to build Vietnamese people rich in national identity: patriotic, compassionate, creative, and integrated without being assimilated. Promoting the cultural industry and making culture a driving force for the national economy and soft power also needs to be emphasized.
In our population development strategy, we need to maintain a balanced population structure, effectively utilizing the current demographic dividend before entering the aging population phase. Population quality needs to be improved through comprehensive health, nutrition, and education programs. Policies supporting young families, encouraging replacement fertility rates, and providing comprehensive healthcare for children should be implemented in a coordinated manner.
Cultivating moral qualities, ideals, and a desire to contribute among young people is especially important. We need to create an environment for young people to actively participate in digital transformation, the green economy, and national cultural projects, while encouraging them to integrate deeply into the international community. Through this, young people will not only absorb the best of the world but also spread the unique cultural values of Vietnam internationally.
To realize these grand goals, the Party and State will invest strongly and comprehensively in resources to create the best conditions for the development of the younger generation, especially the "Generation of Aspiring." Education, training, sports, culture, and population policy will be top priorities in the national strategy. Every policy and action program aims to improve the quality of life and international competitiveness of Vietnam's young generation. The Party and State will continue to build and implement mechanisms and policies that create a favorable environment and conditions for youth to develop healthily, comprehensively, and harmoniously in terms of morality, intellect, physical fitness, and aesthetics.
It is necessary to research and develop specific and appropriate policy groups to promote the pioneering role of youth in labor and production, participation in the Fourth Industrial Revolution, leading in research and application of technology, national digital transformation, entrepreneurship, and innovation; actively participating in the implementation of socio-economic development projects, ensuring national defense and security, and international integration.
At the same time, it is necessary to strengthen solutions for building a high-quality young workforce; review, amend, and supplement key national policies for young talents; and implement breakthrough policies on education, career guidance, vocational training, employment, housing, and cultural and sports facilities for youth. Specific solutions should be identified to prevent, combat, and reduce youth crime rates; a comprehensive set of youth statistics should be implemented; and criteria for the development of Vietnamese youth at the provincial level should be developed.
The Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union needs to continue innovating and improving the quality, effectiveness, content, and methods of its activities, aligning them with the development goals of the locality and the country, and enhancing the material and spiritual lives of the people; prioritizing depth and practical effectiveness, ensuring broad and deep access to all strata of youth. The Youth Union should promote the spirit of dedication and the pioneering role of youth in socio-economic development, ensuring national defense and security, international integration; developing science and technology, innovative entrepreneurship, and digital transformation; protecting the Party's ideological foundation, combating erroneous and hostile viewpoints; and participating in preventing, combating, and reducing the crime rate among youth.
Besides support from the Party and State and socio-political organizations, the companionship and cooperation from families, schools, and the business community are key and indispensable factors in the development journey of young people. Families play a fundamental role, schools are where intellect and character are nurtured, while organizations and businesses provide an ideal environment for young people to demonstrate their creativity, hone their skills, and accumulate practical experience.
Above all, it is the youth who will ultimately determine the success of these goals and visions. Every young Vietnamese person needs to proactively study, train, and constantly strive to prove themselves. The younger generation needs to confidently step out into the world, carrying with them a wealth of knowledge, physical health, and a soul rich in Vietnamese cultural identity. At the same time, they must cultivate themselves to become global citizens with a Vietnamese spirit, contributing to building and protecting the Fatherland.
With that vision, the 100th anniversary of the founding of the nation will be a significant milestone that our country looks forward to with pride and expectation. Over the next 20 years towards that milestone, we share a common aspiration: to build a generation of Vietnamese youth who are courageous, progressive, intellectually outstanding, physically superior, and deeply rooted in cultural identity, capable of confidently standing shoulder to shoulder with international peers, contributing to the nation's rise to strength and development.