More opportunities for overseas Vietnamese to connect and strengthen Vietnam - New Zealand Relations

The State visit to New Zealand by Party General Secretary and President To Lam is expected to provide fresh momentum for Vietnam and New Zealand to expand cooperation in education and training, joint research and innovation, while creating more opportunities for the Vietnamese community to play a deeper role in connecting and promoting bilateral relations.

Ms. Nguyen Lam Giang, Head of Southeast and East Asia External Relations at the University of Waikato and Co-Chair of the Vietnamese Knowledge Network in New Zealand (VKNZ), made the remarks to Nhan Dan newspaper on the occasion of Party General Secretary and President To Lam's State visit to New Zealand from 12 to 14 August, at the invitation of New Zealand Governor-General Cindy Kiro.

Fresh momentum for expanded cooperation in education, training and joint research

As a Vietnamese national living and working in New Zealand, Ms. Nguyen Lam Giang described To Lam's State visit as particularly significant and historic.

It is the first State visit to New Zealand by a Vietnamese Party General Secretary and President in both capacities, and also the first visit by a key Vietnamese leader to New Zealand since the two countries upgraded their relationship to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. This reflects the special importance both sides attach to the relationship, as well as increasingly deep political trust between the two countries.

"I think what is even more important is that the visit comes at a particularly meaningful time, when Vietnam-New Zealand relations are entering a new stage of development with considerable potential and room for cooperation. Education and training, as well as science and technology, remain foundational areas. These are not only fields that bring direct benefits to the two countries, but also create long-term connections among people, younger generations, universities and academic communities in both countries", Nguyen Lam Giang said.

She expressed hope that the State visit would generate new momentum for Vietnam and New Zealand to expand programmes in education, training partnerships, joint research and innovation, while creating more opportunities for the Vietnamese community in New Zealand to become more deeply involved in connecting and promoting bilateral relations.

From the perspective of a Vietnamese professional working in education in New Zealand, she believes this is a favourable time to turn the two countries' cooperation potential into concrete programmes, projects and outcomes, contributing both to the development of high-quality human resources in Vietnam and to deeper friendship and people-to-people ties between the two countries.

According to Ms. Nguyen Lam Giang, Party Secretary General and President To Lam's decision to meet with the Vietnamese community in New Zealand during the State visit carries profound significance for overseas Vietnamese.

The meeting takes place immediately after the Politburo issued Resolution No. 23-NQ/TW on 2 August 2026 on overseas Vietnamese affairs, giving it even greater significance as a concrete continuation linking policy and everyday life within the community.

"For Vietnamese people living, studying and working far from home, having the opportunity to meet and speak directly with the country's highest Party and State leader is hugely encouraging. More importantly, it demonstrates the Party and State's attention, willingness to listen to and support overseas Vietnamese, affirming that wherever they live, overseas Vietnamese remain an inseparable part of the Vietnamese national community", she stressed.

Ms. Nguyen Lam Giang said she was particularly encouraged by the spirit of Resolution No. 23-NQ/TW, under which overseas Vietnamese are not viewed merely as beneficiaries of policy but are increasingly recognised as an important national resource, especially in terms of knowledge, science and technology, and management experience.

For the Vietnamese community in New Zealand, she said this represents a major source of potential. There are many Vietnamese scientists, lecturers, experts, entrepreneurs and people with practical experience living in the country. With appropriate mechanisms to connect and mobilise these resources, she believes the overseas Vietnamese community can make even more practical contributions to national development.

According to Nguyen Lam Giang, Resolution No. 23-NQ/TW provides both a policy foundation and an important source of confidence for overseas Vietnamese to integrate successfully into their host countries while preserving their identity, maintaining close ties with the homeland and strengthening their role as a bridge between Vietnam and the world.

In particular, as Vietnam and New Zealand have upgraded their relationship to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, the Vietnamese community in New Zealand can serve as an effective bridge, helping translate government-level commitments into concrete cooperation in education, research, the economy, innovation and people-to-people exchanges.

An important knowledge and human resources bridge for deeper Viet Nam-New Zealand relations

As Co-Chair of the Vietnamese Knowledge Network in New Zealand, Ms. Nguyen Lam Giang said the organisation was established in July 2026 to connect and mobilise the intellectual resources of the Vietnamese community, strengthen community bonds, promote people-to-people cooperation and bilateral relations, and contribute to the shared development of Vietnam and New Zealand.

She described the establishment of the Vietnamese Knowledge Network in New Zealand as a practical and timely initiative, particularly as Vietnam places increasing importance on knowledge, science and technology and high-quality human resources in its development process.

The network provides a platform to connect and mobilise Vietnamese intellectual resources in New Zealand. It aims not only to bring together scientists, academics, lecturers, experts and entrepreneurs, but also to connect more broadly with Vietnamese people studying and working in New Zealand who have practical experience.

Through this network, members can share New Zealand's knowledge and experience with Vietnam while also bringing Viet Nam's practical needs and challenges to Vietnamese experts and professionals in New Zealand.

The Vietnamese Knowledge Network in New Zealand can also make a direct contribution to deepening the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between Vietnam and New Zealand.

New Zealand has a well-regarded higher education, research and innovation system, while Vietnam has substantial needs in human resource development, digital transformation, science and technology, innovation and research capacity.

"The Vietnamese intellectual community in New Zealand occupies a particularly strong position because we understand Vietnam while also having experience and networks in New Zealand. This gives us an advantage in serving as a bridge for joint research programmes, academic exchanges, training partnerships, knowledge transfer and cooperation among universities, research institutions and businesses in the two countries", Nguyen Lam Giang said.

She believes the establishment and operation of the Vietnamese Knowledge Network in New Zealand will help connect younger generations, particularly Vietnamese students and early-career researchers in New Zealand, with established experts, academics and entrepreneurs, creating a long-term ecosystem connecting different generations.

From a broader perspective, she said the network represents a concrete effort to put the spirit of Politburo Resolution No. 23-NQ/TW on overseas Vietnamese affairs into practice, turning the diaspora's intellectual resources into concrete connections, initiatives and projects for the homeland.

If this is done well, the Vietnamese Knowledge Network in New Zealand will not only benefit the Vietnamese community but could also become an important bridge for knowledge and human resources, helping deepen the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between Vietnam and New Zealand and deliver concrete, long-term results.