At the request of the Central Committee of Organization and Personnel (CCOP) of the Communist Party of Vietnam, GRIPS conducted its sixth ten-day training program for Vice-Ministerial Level Officials of the Vietnamese Government from April 10 to April 19, 2017. This year GRIPS welcomed 19 trainees selected by the Program 165 Monitoring Office.

During the program, participants attended lectures given by: the program director, Senior Prof. Masahiro Horie (Director of the Executive Development Center for Global Leadership);  GRIPS faculty members including Professor Emeritus Takashi Shiraishi, Vice-President Prof. Tetsushi Sonobe, Academic Fellow Prof. Shigeru Morichi (Professor Emeritus), Prof. Tateo Arimoto, and Prof. Hideshi Tokuchi (Senior Fellow, GRIPS Alliance); and Prof. Tran Van Tho of Waseda University.

The participants studied a wide range of subjects related to policy making enhancement and leadership, including: the strategic relationship between Japan and Vietnam; modernization and development strategy; science and technology policy; transportation policy; Japan’s national security policy; civil service systems and personnel management; policy making, implementation and evaluation; administrative reform; and leadership. The Vietnamese participants actively asked questions and entered into discussion with the professors.

In addition to the lectures, several site visits and meetings in Tokyo and Ehime Prefecture were organized with the support of the hosting organizations and facilities.

In Tokyo, the participants visited the Bank of Japan to learn about the Japanese financial and economic system. In addition, they explored the Currency Museum and enjoyed a tour of the Bank of Japan building, designated as a nationally important cultural property.

The participants also visited the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications. After a courtesy call on Mr. Sasajima, the Vice-Minister for Policy Coordination, they attended lectures entitled, “Evaluation and Inspection” and “Administrative Counselling” by the Administrative Evaluation Bureau, and “Administrative Complaint Review” by the Administrative Management Bureau. Actual cases were cited in the explanation, and the participants asked many questions about the ministry’s efforts.

The delegation took a two-day field trip to Matsuyama City and Imabari City in Ehime Prefecture. Through the cooperation of the JETRO Ehime Industrial Internationalization Center, the delegation visited the Matsuyama Chamber of Commerce, the Ehime Prefectural Government, Imabari Shipbuilding Co., Ltd., and Texport-Imabari. They were warmly welcomed everywhere and had a many beneficial experiences, including a courtesy visit to Toshifumi Joko, Vice-Governor of Ehime Prefecture, during which they were briefed on a number of industries.

They also visited Matsuyama Castle, bright with cherry blossoms, and the historical architecture of Dogo Onsen (hotspring). The participants had excellent opportunities to learn about Japan at a variety of sites.

On the final day of the training program, the participants reviewed the content of the intensive ten-day program and returned home with their certificates of course completion.