Youth key to nation’s future: Party chief

General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee To Lam has underscored the vital role played by young people in shaping the nation’s future in an article written the occasion of the 95th founding anniversary of the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union (March 26, 1931 – 2026).

The following is a translation of the article:

YOUTH AND THE NATION’S FUTURE

To Lam

General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee

March 26 this year marks the 95th anniversary of the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union’s establishment, development, and contributions. Looking back on this proud journey, we take even greater pride in the tradition of generations of Vietnamese youth. Throughout the periods of struggle for national independence, defence, construction, and development, young people have always been a vanguard force, undeterred by hardship and ready to dedicate themselves to the revolutionary cause. Under the glorious flag of the Party, guided by beloved President Ho Chi Minh and generations of revolutionaries, the Vietnamese youth have written many remarkable chapters of history with noble ideals, patriotism, and an aspiration to contribute.

At every stage of the revolution, youth have consistently been a pioneering and core force. Even in the years leading up to the founding of the Party, Vietnamese youth played a particularly important role. Through the Vietnamese Revolutionary Youth League and its predecessor organisations, many patriotic young people quickly absorbed revolutionary theory, disseminated Marxism–Leninism, built grassroots networks, strengthened organisational capacity, trained cadres, and laid the political and ideological foundation for the birth of the Communist Party of Vietnam. Veteran Party leaders all assumed important responsibilities from a young age. During the resistance wars, youth formed the generation "determined to brave death for the survival of the Fatherland,"present at the front lines, in fire zones, in the great rear, on construction sites, and in vibrant movements such as “Ba san sang” (three readinesses), “Ba dam dang (three responsibilities), and “Nam xung phong” (five volunteerisms). In particular, the youth volunteer force became a shining symbol of revolutionary heroism, making crucial contributions to the victory of the national liberation cause. When the country embarked on the Doi moi (renewal) process, young people continued to be a dynamic force in embracing new ideas, daring to think and act, and taking the lead in study, scientific research, production, business, and international integration.

Today, we are living in an era in which national strength is increasingly measured by innovation capacity, scientific and technological capability, the quality of human resources, and the adaptability to major global changes. Competitiveness among economies is no longer based primarily on natural resources or capital investment, but is increasingly driven by knowledge, technology, governance models, and new added values. In a world marked by rapid, complex, and unpredictable developments, the imperative to build an independent and self-reliant economy and enhance the nation’s strategic autonomy has become more urgent than ever. Therefore, innovation is no longer the domain of a few sectors or enterprises, it must evolve into a shared development ethos across the entire country - at every level, in every sector, locality, agency, organisation, and among all citizens, especially the young generation. Fully recognising this, the Party has issued Resolution No. 57 on breakthroughs in science and technology development, innovation, and national digital transformation, identifying these as key drivers for the nation’s rapid and sustainable development, enhancing economic competitiveness, and promoting the country’s strength and strategic autonomy in the new era.

We are pleased to witness an increasing number of Vietnamese young people affirming their intellect and mettle across diverse fields: from science, information technology, artificial intelligence, biotechnology and automation to innovative start-ups, high-tech agriculture, the digital economy, education, health care, environmental protection and culture. In many localities, despite difficult conditions, youth union members and young people continue to pursue initiatives in production, digital transformation, community service, new-style rural development, civilised urban building, and the preservation and promotion of national cultural values. This demonstrates that innovation is not something distant or abstract. It may begin in modern laboratories, but it can also start from a simple idea aimed at solving practical problems faced by people, businesses, localities and the nation.

Innovation is not limited to high technology or capital-intensive projects. At its core, it is the ability to identify shortcomings and seek better solutions; the courage to question, experiment and embrace changes for the common good; and the capacity to transform ideas into solutions, knowledge into productivity, and initiatives into tangible value. A young researcher successfully developing a new technology represents innovation; an engineer improving a production line to save materials and increase efficiency is also innovation; likewise, a doctor, teacher or young public official applying technology to better serve the people embodies innovation. Wherever there is aspiration to progress and a determination to improve community well-being, innovation exists.

Therefore, youth innovation is not confined to a few fashionable sectors but cover all aspects of national life. In education, young people must cultivate critical thinking, system thinking, lifelong learning capacity, foreign language proficiency, digital skills and scientific research methods. In the workplace, they must value discipline and respect established processes while rejecting complacency and outdated practices. In production and business, they should boldly apply technology, improve governance quality, enhance productivity and build Vietnamese brands grounded in quality and creativity. Within the public sector, young people should contribute to building a modern, transparent, effective and efficient administration. In culture, society, environmental protection, national defence and security, youth must proactively introduce new solutions into practice, preserve national identity and safeguard the Fatherland in both physical and digital spaces.

However, genuine innovation cannot be separated from ideals, ethics and civic responsibility. Young people must dare to think, act and experiment with new ideas, but this does not mean acting recklessly, hastily or chasing trends and fleeting fame. Innovation must serve the nation and the people, comply with the law, respect ethical and cultural values, and uphold community and national interests. An initiative truly has value only when it improves people’s lives, promote a civilised society, enhances public service, and makes the nation stronger and more independent and self-reliant. The more technologically capable and globally connected young people become, the more they must uphold ideals, political steadfastness, social responsibility and patriotism, ensuring innovation develops in the right direction and in a healthy and sustainable manner.

I hope that today’s Vietnamese youth will always bear in mind that patriotism in the new era is not only expressed through emotion, but must also be demonstrated through knowledge, capacity for action, a spirit of conquering new heights in science and technology, and the will to shape the nation’s future. Success begins with a spirit of continuous learning and self-improvement, and the readiness to set ever higher standards for oneself. There can be no sustainable success without serious effort; no great achievement without persistent accumulation; and no true accomplishment if one relies solely on luck or fleeting inspiration. The path to success requires both talent and discipline, both enthusiasm and depth, both great ambition and humility, along with a willingness to listen and learn.

The Fatherland calls on the youth to embrace a spirit of lifelong learning. In a rapidly changing world, today’s knowledge can quickly become outdated if we stand still. Therefore, learning must not be confined to schools or the early years of life, but should become a constant quality. Vietnamese youth need to proactively update knowledge, enhance digital skills, technological capabilities, foreign language proficiency, international cooperation, and the ability to work in multidisciplinary and multicultural environments. However, learning is not only for employment or personal advancement; it is also to broaden vision and strengthen the capacity to contribute, so that when the country calls, every young person has the competence and resilience to take on more difficult and greater responsibilities. A nation strong in innovation must first and foremost be one with eager-to-learn young people and an enabling environment that turns knowledge into action.

Young people should also strongly nurture the spirit of entrepreneurship and career building, but this must be entrepreneurship grounded in intellect, business ethics, and the aspiration to create new value for society. Entrepreneurship is not only for personal success, but also to solve community problems, create jobs for others, and contribute to enhancing the economy’s self-reliance. I hope that young Vietnamese entrepreneurs will aspire to build not only large enterprises but also responsible and ethical ones; not only seek profits but also pursue sustainable values; not only compete through low costs, but through technology, quality, governance, and credibility. The country is in great need of young scientists who dare to venture into new fields, young engineers who master core technologies, young farmers who develop smart agriculture, young civil servants who boldly reform administrative procedures, young artists who create works of value, and young soldiers who master modern technologies, thereby contributing to firmly safeguarding the Fatherland.

In summary, today’s youth can adopt the following motto for action: “Resilient and self-strengthening – Pioneering and innovative – Aspiring to contribute – Mastering the future.”

To achieve this, expectations cannot rest solely on the shoulders of young people; the entire political system and society as a whole must act together. The state needs to continue improving institutions, removing barriers, creating a transparent legal environment that facilitates creativity, encourages experimentation, and protects those who dare to think big, act bold, and innovate for the common good. Educational institutions must strongly innovate teaching and learning methods, focus on developing independent thinking, problem-solving abilities, collaboration skills, and practical experience. Research institutes, universities, and businesses need to strengthen connections, forming a seamless chain from research to application, from ideas to products, and from laboratories to the market. When institutions are open, the environment is favourable, and social trust is reinforced, the creativity of the youth will be awakened and fully unleashed.

The Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union must continue to innovate its activities and approaches, truly serving as a companion to young people and a common home that gathers, encourages, identifies, nurtures, and supports young talent. Youth movements must become an environment where the younger generation grows in ideals, ethics, competence, and responsibility, while also serving as a space to discover new talents, effective models, innovative approaches, and exemplary figures. When well organised and properly guided, young people can make meaningful contributions to the nation and the community.

I request Party committees, authorities, the Vietnam Fatherland Front, socio-political organisations, the business community, intellectuals, artists, teachers, scientists, and all people to continue giving deeper attention to the development of the young generation. It is necessary to listen to the voices of youth, respect their sound ideas, and accompany them in learning, scientific research, starting business, and building their careers. A country that wants rapid and sustainable development cannot lack confidence in its youth. But that confidence must go beyond words; it must be reflected through mechanisms, policies, resources, a favourable environment, as well as role modeling, guidance, and the transfer of responsibility from previous generations.

On the occasion of the 95th founding anniversary of the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union, I hope that today’s Vietnamese youth will continue to uphold this glorious tradition, foster aspirations for contribution, enrich their knowledge, strengthen resilience, cultivate ethics, enhance innovation capacity, master science, technology, and digital transformation, and courageously step into new fields, difficult tasks, and unprecedented challenges. With that belief, we have grounds to expect that Vietnam’s youth will continue to write new chapters of the nation’s glorious history in the language of today: the language of knowledge, creativity, responsibility, and the relentless aspiration to rise and excel.