From 1 June 2009, VDF has moved to the new office. Our new address is: 10th Floor, Southern Bank Office Building, 27 Hang Bai Street, Hanoi. The phone numbers and the fax number remain unchanged.

VDF- JARI-JETRO Workshop on "Motorcycle/Automobile Fuel Quality Improvement Project for Vietnam"

 On 15 January, 2010, VDF, JARI and JETRO co-organized a workshop on "Motorcycle/Automobile Fuel Quality Improvement Project for Vietnam" at Hilton Hanoi Opera Hotel. Participants included policy makers, researchers, and practitioners from VDF, JARI, JAMA, VAMA, VR, MOIT, Petrolimex, PetroVietnam. A four-hour workshop discussed (i) results of fuel quality analysis in Vietnam and Japan, (ii) estimation of total automotive emission, (iii) health effects of air pollution, (iv) biofuel and (v) recommendations for fuel quality regulation system in Vietnam. JARI experts demonstrated the cross check result of fuel quality in Vietnam and explained the WHO international formulas for estimating the amount of emissions and DALY coefficient. A question was raised as to the rigidity of formulas. If internationally common coefficients are used to estimate the amount of pollution per each car, truck or motorbike, pollution is simply proportional to traffic volume and policy impact cannot be evaluated. In addition, characteristics of Vietnam's vehicle stock cannot be reflected. Some participants doubted the reliability of data on fuel quality in Vietnam. Multiple factors such as time of taking sample, location of gas station, quality of analyzing equipment, capacity of human skill etc. must be considered when interpreting the cross check results. Details of cost estimates of DALY and policy directions for fuel quality improvement were provided and discussed.

Workshop on "Financial Market Supervision in Vietnam - Real Status & Problems"

On 14 January 2010, VDF’s research group in the frame of VDF_NFSC cooperation held the workshop on “Financial market supervision in Vietnam_Real status and Problems”. Mrs Nguyen Thi Minh Hue (VDF researcher) and Mr Tong Quang Huy (VDF’s collaborator) represent the group to presented 5 contents: (1) Current model of Vietnam’s financial market supervision; (2) Agencies involved in supervising Vietnam’s financial markets; (3) Supervised objects; (4) Current supervision methods and (5) Major problems. Experts from Banking Supervisory Agency (State Bank of Vietnam), Market Supervision Department (State Security Commission), Insurance Supervision Department (Ministry of Finance), National Financial Supervisory Commission and others gave their comments on the fact of each financial sector supervision as well as the cooperation mechanism among related organizations in financial market supervision. This discussion have been the first step for the research group to draw the real picture of financial market supervision system as well as its problems, and then in the next step, the research group continue to work out the priorities of problems and invite comments from foreign experts to solve these problems. slideE   slideV

Workshop on "Risk Management of Commercial Bank in Vietnam"

On 17th December, 2009 Dr Pham Tien Thanh, Head of Market and Operational Risk Management Department of Vietinbank, one of the leading commercial banks in Vietnam made a presentation on “Risk Management of Commercial Bank in Vietnam”. Participants from SBV, domestic and foreign commercial banks, security companies and NEU discussed enthusiastically on international model of risk management and current situation of risk management of commercial banks in Vietnam. Questions raised relating to liquidity risk and interest risk, especially in the case of the change in monetary policy of Vietnam in recent time. International standard and experiences in risk management from US banks were also paid attention. Besides, some arguments focused on policy risk which should be the key element contributes to the total risk in banking in Vietnam. SlideE SlideV

Joint Workshop on Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) in Hoi An, Vietnam

On 10 December 2009, VDF together with LMPA Component - DANIDA, WWF Vietnam, IUCN Vietnam and MCD Vietnam participated in the Vietnam Section of the 5th ICRE East Asia Regional Workshop on “Vietnam MPAs: A Joint of International MPA network” as facilitator and secretary of the Section. From academic side, VDF researchers, Ms. Le Ha Thanh and Ms. Vu Thi Hoai Thu contributed a presentation on “Payment for Environment Services in Vietnam: From Theory to Practice” and developed a fact sheet showing Vietnam's efforts on MPAs. A four-hour workshop discussed three main themes, including (1) management effectiveness of MPAs, (2) sustainable financing in MPAs and (3) sustainable livelihoods in MPAs. Participants included East Asia and Vietnam policy makers, researchers, and practitioners. This is an annual workshop initiated by ICRI (International Coral Reef Initiative) in collaboration with Japanese Ministry of Environment and Vietnam Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development. The next workshop will be held in Thailand in 2010. paper slideE

GDN Medal Award 2009 Short-list

A research paper on the impacts of international remittances on household welfare in Vietnam by Dr. Giang  Thanh Long has been short-listed as one of the top five papers for the Global Development Network (GDN) Medal Award for Research on Development 2009. He will go to Prague, Czech Republic during 14-18 January 2010 to defend the research. First or second award will be announced by a board of reviewers after the presentation.

Report on Vietnam's social protection system in Indonesia and Korea

On 20-21 Nov. 2009, Dr. Giang Thanh Long participated and made presentation on the social protection system of Vietnam at the workshop “Social Protection in Asia: Current State and Challenges”, held by the Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia (ERIA) in Jakarta, Indonesia. In his report, Dr. Long provided an overview on the development of the social protection system in Vietnam, particularly since Doi moi, and its relation with economic growth. Then, on 25-26 Nov. 2009, Dr. Long made another presentation on the Vietnamese pension scheme in the workshop “Developing Asia’s Pension Systems: Overview and Reform Directions”, jointly organized by the ADB and OECD. He made a brief view about opportunities and challenges of the current scheme under swift socio-economic changes, particularly demographic changes toward an aging population from the next decade.

Report on aging population at National Assembly Office

On 9 Nov. 2009, Dr. Giang Thanh Long made a presentation on aging issues in Vietnam to the National Assembly members at the National Assembly’s Committee for Social Affairs. In his presentation, Dr. Long emphasized that aging was a great social achievement for Vietnam, but it also would pose a number of policy challenges due to changing living arrangements, types and causes of illness, accessibility to pension and social assistance schemes. Finally, Dr. Long presented some policy proposals, so as to provide healthy and financially-sound aging life for old-age persons in Vietnam.

Demographic bonus and proactive industrial policy

On 30 Oct. 2009 at UNDP Hanoi, Dr. Giang Thanh Long (VDF/NEU) and Prof. Kenichi Ohno (VDF/GRIPS) discussed how VN should take advantage of increasing working age population for robust growth into the future. Dr. Long explained VN's population dynamics while Prof. Ohno proposed proactive industrial policy to avoid the "middle income trap." From both perspectives, improving the quality of human capital was the key. On the same day Prof. Ohno also talked on the same theme at the FTU-VJCC organized conference on Supporting Industry Promotion: Experiences of Japan and Some Asian Countries.  slide1  slide2