Vietnam Leader Proposes Stanford Partnership on AI & Leadership

Vietnam’s Party General Secretary and State President To Lam has proposed a strategic partnership with Stanford University focused on leadership development, artificial intelligence, innovation and research collaboration.

The proposal was made during a meeting with Professor Sarah Anne Soule, Dean of the Stanford Graduate School of Business, held in New York on September 21. The discussion took place as part of the Vietnamese leader’s working trip to attend the high-level General Debate of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly and conduct bilateral activities in the United States.

General Secretary and President Lam highly valued Stanford University and its Graduate School of Business as leading global institutions that connect knowledge, technology, businesses and talent. He expressed particular interest in Stanford’s priorities in education, leadership capacity building and artificial intelligence. As AI advances rapidly, he stressed, core human capabilities such as creative thinking, judgment and decision-making are becoming increasingly critical to national competitiveness and long-term development.

Vietnam is entering a new phase of development with the clear goal of achieving fast and sustainable growth and becoming a high-income developed country by 2045. The country has identified science, technology, innovation, digital transformation and high-quality human resources as the key drivers of this transformation. According to the Vietnamese leader, the nation needs not only additional resources but, more importantly, the capacity to generate, absorb and convert knowledge, technology and innovation into higher productivity and stronger competitiveness.

General Secretary and President Lam expressed confidence that combining Vietnam’s dynamic economy, development ambitions and innovation opportunities with Stanford’s global knowledge networks, talent pool and research strengths could create an effective model of cooperation between academia and practice, universities and businesses, and technology and people. Such a model, he said, would generate new value and practical benefits for both sides as well as the wider region.

He proposed that the two sides focus on three priority areas of cooperation. The first is leadership capacity development for management officials, business leaders and other relevant groups, with emphasis on modern governance and international connectivity. The second is strengthening innovation capacity and AI expertise. Stanford could share knowledge and experience in artificial intelligence and the digital economy while helping connect Vietnam’s emerging innovation ecosystem with its global network of experts, founders and investors. The third is promoting research and innovation partnerships that would enable Vietnam to become a co-creator of knowledge and new value rather than solely a recipient.

On the same occasion, General Secretary and President Lam informed Dean Soule that Vietnam will host the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum in 2027. He expressed the hope that Stanford would participate as a knowledge partner, contributing to activities related to science, technology, innovation, digital transformation and human resources development.

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He welcomed the signing of a memorandum of understanding between Vietnam’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Stanford Graduate School of Business, as well as the school’s planned visit to Vietnam in early 2027 to begin implementing priority cooperation programmes. He described the MoU as a practical starting point for larger collaborative initiatives with clear objectives and measurable outcomes that serve the interests of both sides.

Professor Sarah Anne Soule spoke highly of Vietnam’s dynamic economic growth and its increasingly important role in the global economy. She agreed with the three priority areas outlined by the Vietnamese leader and affirmed Stanford’s commitment to developing partnerships based on mutual respect and a shared dedication to educational excellence. Such cooperation, she said, will help develop leadership and human resource capabilities, promote mutual understanding and train leaders capable of addressing complex global challenges.

Soule noted that the signing and implementation of the MoU between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Stanford Graduate School of Business will create substantive, meaningful and impactful opportunities that benefit both parties while further strengthening the broader partnership between the United States and Vietnam. She also invited General Secretary and President Lam to visit the Stanford Graduate School of Business at a convenient time. The Vietnamese leader accepted the invitation with pleasure.

In the presence of General Secretary and President To Lam, Vietnam’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Le Hoai Trung and Dean Sarah Anne Soule formally exchanged the memorandum of understanding, marking the official beginning of structured cooperation between the two institutions.

The meeting underscores Vietnam’s determination to elevate its engagement with leading global academic centres as it pursues ambitious national development goals. By linking leadership training, artificial intelligence expertise and joint research with one of the world’s most respected universities, Vietnam aims to accelerate the building of high-quality human capital essential for its transition into a high-income economy by 2045.