On some mornings, when people pass by a university lecture hall, they see young eyes fixed on the board. Not every student knows where the road ahead will lead. Yet in those eyes lives something fragile and precious: the belief that one day they can do something useful for their country.
High-quality human resources do not exist only as dry terms in long development strategies. They are real people. They are the young students sitting in classrooms, scientists working quietly in laboratories, engineers focusing on every line of code, and Vietnamese scholars living around the world whose hearts still turn toward their homeland. They do not only need a call to action. They need open doors.
A recent article features insights from Dr. Doan Van Cong of Tra Vinh University. His story shows that the journey of knowledge sometimes resembles a boat sailing across a vast ocean. The boat may travel far and reach many ports around the world. Yet deep down, the person at the helm still hopes to find a harbor to return to, a place where knowledge can anchor and create value.
This story reflects the experience of many Vietnamese intellectuals living abroad. Some do not return home immediately. Instead, they contribute through joint research projects, build international scientific networks, or bring new ideas to students, research institutes, and businesses in Vietnam. In today’s world, knowledge does not stop at geographic borders. What matters is whether we build an open ecosystem where knowledge can connect and grow.
Many countries show a simple truth: development does not begin with natural resources. Development begins with trust in people. When society gives young people opportunities, they create value. When it trusts scientists, they open new research directions. When it welcomes intellectuals, they bring global networks of knowledge with them.
In today’s knowledge economy, high-quality human resources act as the energy of a nation. This energy does not appear overnight. Classrooms nurture it. Good policies support it. A creative environment helps it spread.
Perhaps it is time to rethink the familiar phrase “attracting talent.” Talented people are not birds that stop only where food is abundant. They carry a deep desire to contribute. They need more than a job position. They need space to create, where ideas move freely without heavy administrative barriers. They need a place where people respect differences and treat mistakes as part of discovery rather than failure.
When such an environment grows, talent does not need to be attracted. Talent will naturally find its way there.
History shows a clear pattern in many successful countries. Nations that make strong breakthroughs invest in people over the long term. Education moves ahead. Society respects science. Institutions nurture talent. Every development strategy eventually returns to the same center: people serve as both the heart and the driving force of progress.
Building high-quality human resources resembles planting a forest. Today we plant seeds. Tomorrow young trees appear. Many years later, the forest offers shade to future generations. Each opportunity we give today and each trust we place in people today may grow into great value tomorrow.
Perhaps somewhere in a lecture hall today sits a young student like Dr. Doan Van Cong of Tra Vinh University years ago, quietly studying and quietly nurturing a dream. With opportunity, that dream can become a scientific achievement. With trust, that achievement can serve society. When many such dreams take root, the nation grows stronger.
Author: Le Minh Hoan, Vice Chairman of the National Assembly
