{"id":76121,"date":"2025-07-30T00:00:02","date_gmt":"2025-07-30T00:00:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sms-bridges.com\/staging\/?p=76121"},"modified":"2025-09-25T05:32:32","modified_gmt":"2025-09-25T05:32:32","slug":"supporting-vietnams-people-centered-development","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sms-bridges.com\/staging\/supporting-vietnams-people-centered-development\/","title":{"rendered":"Supporting Vietnam’s \u2018people-centered\u2019 development"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The Vietnam Pavilion at Osaka Expo continues to attract many visitors with the theme; \u2018An Inclusive Society Where People Are Centered\u2019.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Yosuke Kobayashi<\/strong>, Chief Representative of JICA\u2019s Vietnam Office | Photo: JICA<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Very much in line with the theme of the Pavilion, Yosuke Kobayashi, Chief Representative of JICA\u2019s Vietnam Office, provides Bridges with an overview of JICA’s operations in Vietnam.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

JICA has worked closely with the Vietnamese government to support its social and economic development in a wide array of sectors through technical and financial cooperation, especially since Japan resumed its ODA in 1992.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As an organization whose mission focuses on human security and quality growth, we have always placed Vietnamese people at the center of our cooperation – not only as beneficiaries, but as active creators of progress, equity, and sustainability – as the Commissioner General of Viet Nam at EXPO 2025 Osaka, Kansai, Japan notes in her message:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

EXPO 2025 Osaka, Kansai, Japan | Vi\u1ec7t Nam EXPO<\/a><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Our cooperation has supported and will continue to support human resources and infrastructure development necessary for Vietnamese people to accelerate their reforms and realize their goal of turning the country into a high-income country by 2045.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Areas of Mutual Interest<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

When Japanese Prime Minister Ishiba Shigeru met Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh in Hanoi in April this year, they agreed to study the possibility of cooperation in areas of mutual interest such as semiconductors, artificial intelligence (AI), strategic infrastructure, disaster prevention, among others. Our recent work and plans in some of these areas include the following:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Semiconductors<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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A lecturer and students during lecture at a lab of Vietnam Japan University \u2013 Technical cooperation project for Enhancement of Education, Research and University Management Capacity at Vietnam Japan University | Photo: Vietnam Japan University<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n

As part of the national strategic project to enhance the development of “Vietnam-Japan University,” we are supporting the University introduce a new bachelor’s course on semiconductors from the new school year this fall.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This support will contribute to Vietnam’s goal of training 50,000 semiconductor specialists by 2030. JICA is also working closely with stakeholders to prepare a loan project for construction of a new campus for the university to lay the foundation for its future development.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Artificial Intelligence<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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An exhibition area of real-world AI solutions across various sectors at the launching ceremony of \u201cVietnam AI Economy 2025\u201d report organized by JICA, the National Innovation Centre (NIC), and the Boston Consulting Group (BCG) | Photo: JICA<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n

We are partnering with the National Innovation Center and the Hanoi University of Science and Technology for research and human resources development on AI. As for the former, we are currently implementing an AI Startup Accelerator Program Pilot, with an aim to validate that structured and context-specific support can meaningfully accelerate the development of AI startups and foster deeper integration into both domestic and global innovation ecosystems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Strategic Infrastructure<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Panoramic view of Ho Chi Minh City urban railway line 1 – Ho Chi Minh City Urban Railway Construction Project (Ben Thanh – Suoi Tien Section (Line 1) | Photo: JICA<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n

On December 22, Ho Chi Minh City\u2019s Urban Metro Line No. 1 (Ben Thanh – Suoi Tien section), funded by our loan, officially commenced operation. Together with the infrastructure development, we have been involved in the establishment and the strengthening of the metro operator, Ho Chi Minh City Urban Railway Company No 1 (HURC1) since 2011. Japanese technology and know-hows have been fully utilized in both infrastructure and human resources development in collaboration with various Japanese businesses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

By June 2025, the line had been used by more than 10 million people. The city has been recently expanded to include the former Binh Duong and the former Ba Ria Vung Tau. How we can potentially support the extension of the railway line to improvement of access from Binh Duong to the city is a matter of our great interest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In Hanoi, we are now preparing our project on Hanoi Urban Metro Line No.2 (Nam Thang Long – Tran Hung Dao Section), while also studying the potential for support to extension of the line. We have worked on the upgrading of the Noi Bai Airport and the access to the city center therefrom in the past, and we are especially interested in exploring further cooperation in this area.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Disaster prevention<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Panoramic view of Vietnam\u2019s first Sabo dam supported by JICA in Nam Pam, Muong La, Son La Province \u2013 Project for strengthening the capacity to cope with and minimize damages caused by flash floods and landslides for the Northern mountainous region | Photo: JICA<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n

The northern mountainous regions are prone to flash flood and landslides, and we are now conducting a project to strengthen their capacity for adapting the early warning systems to cope with and minimize damages caused by such disasters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A Sabo dam is one of the most effective structural countermeasures, and a pilot dam was constructed in Son La Province in April this year under the project, not only to protect the residents in the area as direct beneficiaries but also to serve as a reference for formulation of a technical standard for designing Sabo facilities by the Vietnamese Government.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The standard will help the Government construct other Sabo dams in the high-risk areas in the coming years. We are also preparing new projects for infrastructure development to help the Northern provinces respond effectively to climate change and its impacts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

JICA Vietnam: Supporting Vietnam’s Reform Efforts<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Vietnam is now pushing forward drastic reforms with a long-term goal of becoming a high-income country by 2045. The four pillars of reforms are:<\/p>\n\n\n\n