GRIPS conducted a ten-day training program for Local Leaders of Vietnamese Government from July 1 to 10, 2019. Selected twenty executives of local governments have attended the program.

The core topics were Local Governance, Economic Development and Leadership which are the crucial issues for Vietnamese officials.

During the program, participants attended lectures given by: the program director, Prof. Hirofumi Takada, Professor Emeritus. Masahiro Horie (Director of the Executive Development Center for Global Leadership), GRIPS faculty members including President Prof. Akihiko Tanaka, Vice-President Prof. Tetsushi Sonobe; as well as Prof. Hikaru Kobayashi of Tokyo University and Prof. Masahiro Onishi of Taisho University.

Participants studied a wide range of subjects including local government system, decentralization, and allocation of functions, local government finance, local public service system in Japan. As well as these topics, market mechanism and factors influencing mobilization and allocation of resources, reform and innovation: experience in the world and Japan, good governance, ethics management and anti-corruption measure, international relations under globalization, performance appraisal and salary system of public officers, environmental policy of Japan and leadership were covered. After each session, the Vietnamese participants actively asked questions and had meaningful discussion with the professors.

In addition to the lectures, several site visits and meetings in Tokyo and Gunma Prefecture were arranged with the support of the hosting organizations. In Tokyo, participants visited the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications. They attended briefings entitled “Ministry of internal affairs and communications initiatives of regional revitalization” by the Regional Vitalization Group, Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications. Actual cases were cited in the explanation, and the participants asked many questions about the ministry’s efforts.

The delegation took a three-day field trip to Gunma Prefecture with Prof. Takada whose specialty is local governance. Through the cooperation of Gunma Prefecture, Maebashi City, and JETRO Gunma, the delegation could study how local government and other organizations are supporting the development of their economy and make the best use of traditional resources. Particularly, they also had an opportunity to visit Koganei Seiki Co, Ltd. where as many as 39 Vietnamese are working as technical experts. The participants were warmly welcomed by people of Gunma and had excellent opportunities to learn about Japan at a variety of sites.

On the final day of the training program, each participant reviewed the content of the intensive ten-day program and presented how they would reflect lessons learned in their work after returning home.

※This program was organized by GRIPS and JICE with the support of Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).