The 4th Training in Japan for National Leaders

From June 29 to July 10, 2025, a total of 13 government and party leaders, including five Vice Ministers and eight Director-Generals, participated in a 12-day training program held in Tokyo, Toyama, and Kanazawa prefectures.

The training was organized by the National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies (GRIPS), the Japanese partner organization.

Vietnam is currently undergoing rapid administrative reforms on a scale even greater than that experienced in Japan in the 2000s, known as the "Heisei Great Mergers." The training participants, who serve as leaders at the central and local levels, are dealing with various new challenges every day in such circumstance. To help address these challenges, the training provided many examples of experiences that Japan has faced and overcome under themes such as "Political and Administrative Systems," "Administrative Reform and Good Governance," "Local Government Systems and Central-local Relations," "Leadership Management," and "Theory and Practice of Knowledge-creating Leadership."

Currently, the promotion of digital transformation (DX) is positioned as one of Vietnam’s most important policy priorities in driving administrative reform. During their visit to the Digital Agency, participants learned about how DX is being promoted within Japanese public administration. They were particularly surprised to discover that data management in Japan is not centralized under a single organization, but is instead handled in a decentralized manner, which leads to stronger security.

Furthermore, the participants explored a range of key policy topics such as "Global Warming and Decarbonization Policy," "Japan's Experience with Infrastructure," "Security in Asia," and "International Order and International Cooperation in the Indo-Pacific." These sessions helped them cultivate a broader, international, and more holistic perspective for the future national leaders.

During a three-day site visit in Japanese local areas, the participants learned about Toyama City's compact city as well as smart city concepts and practices. As Vietnam is expected to face similar challenges related to an aging population and declining birthrate in the near future, this visit provided valuable insights and hints to address such challenges. In Kanazawa, they also had the opportunity to visit and interact with three companies operating businesses in Vietnam.

In the post-program questionnaire, several participants shared specific feedback, such as, "I was able to gain a clear understanding of how Japan has tackled and approached administrative reform. What I learned during this training will be very useful in my future work." We look forward to seeing how the leaders apply these lessons and continue to make meaningful contributions in the future.