Consolidating governance and public sector leadership through a study mission to Australia

The Vietnam Australia Centre (VAC) is working with partners to promote people to people and institutional linkages between Australia and Vietnam, a key part of the bilateral relations. A recent highlight was the study mission to Australia for 17 Vietnamese leaders and managers who exchanged knowledge and experience on governance and public sector leadership with Australian counterparts. Delegation members were from the Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics, the Office of Government, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the Commission for External Relations of the Communist Party of Vietnam.

The delegation met bilateral and multilateral sections of the Australian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade

In Canberra and Sydney, the delegation discussed governance mechanisms and administration in Australia through sessions about public sector leadership experience and public policy initiatives, developing networks and partnerships with different Australian organisations.

The Sustainable Sydney 2030-2050 transformative vision briefing

Ms Do Thi Thanh Binh, Head of the Training Department at the Office of the Government said: “the Office of Government is one of the five VAC foundational partners, I am excited to participate in this program to gain more knowledge and understanding about the country, culture, and people of Australia. We learned more about Australia’s training and upskilling programs for officials to apply them in Vietnam.”

The delegation explored the development of Australia at the National Museum

The delegation and their counterparts discussed the unique challenges faced by public sector leaders in their roles. Together they’ve explored initiatives for the sustainable development of public administration and how to apply in a Vietnamese context.

Mr Nguyen Thanh Diep, Director-General of the Department of Middle East and Africa at the External Relations Commission, said, “This study mission gave me a lot of useful knowledge that I can apply to my work. I’ve improved my capacity to give advice on many issues such as ethnic groups, digital transformation in public services, and especially cultural diversity, which are currently being promoted by Vietnam.”

An interactive experience at the University of Technology Sydney’s (UTS) Immersive data Arena

The Vietnamese officials had the opportunity to observe a lively parliamentary sitting session at the Australian Parliament House in Canberra and question time at the New South Wales Parliament in Sydney. They met the first ever Vietnamese-born Member of Parliament (MP) in the Australia’s House of Representatives, Ms Dai Le MP, who shared details of an MP’s job and how Parliament runs in Australia.

Outside the Australian Parliament House.

In Canberra, it was an unforgettable reunion for many officials in the delegation with Mr Craig Chittick OAM, former Australian Ambassador to Vietnam who now serves as First Assistant Secretary, International Division, Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. They also met with Ms Michelle Chan, Deputy Secretary, Southeast Asia and Global Partners Group, in the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Ms Karen Lanyon, former Australian Consul-General in Ho Chi Minh city. At the event, Vietnamese Ambassador to Australia Nguyen Tat Thanh, highly appreciated that connections between Vietnamese and Australian counterparts extend beyond their tenures in both countries.

Delegates met with Mr Craig Chittick OAM, former Australian Ambassador to Vietnam (3^rd from L) and Vietnamese Ambassador to Australia Nguyen Tat Thanh (3^rd from R).

Through different activities, the VAC draws on Australian expertise to support Vietnam’s future leadership, while enabling the two countries to pursue solutions to shared national and regional challenges. The centre has brought together influential Vietnamese and Australian government officials and academics to support the capacity development of future leaders of Vietnam and inform strategic policy.

The delegation in Sydney

Video Recap: Highlights of VAC Study Mission