Last Thursday (March 14th, 2024), the Faculty of Economics & Rural Development (FERD) had the honor of welcoming Professor John H. Barnett from Emporia State University, USA, along with his wife, to visit and collaborate with the Department's leaders and share research findings with faculty members and students. As an American who has devoted considerable attention to Vietnam, Professor John H. Barnett has had numerous research works on the history and economy of Vietnam from Doi Moi (economic reform period) until now. Always being concerned about the aftermath of the war in Vietnam, Prof. Barnett began researching on Vietnam in 1994, with his first research work "Sino-Vietnamese Relations, 1990 – 1992". This was followed by the research work "Theory of Sino-Vietnamese Military Relations, 1975-1995" conducted in 1998. Particularly, his doctoral dissertation topic was "Vietnam's Agricultural Reform Policy, 1982-2004: the role of provincial administrative units," defended in 2007, has been highly regarded by scientists worldwide for its objectivity and practical application.
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| Prof. Barnett H. Barnett from Emporia State University of Kansas, USA. |
In 2015, Prof. Barnett visited Vietnam and taught at Vietnam National University of Agriculture (VNUA) for 4 months under the sponsorship of Fullbright. During this time, he lectured and collaborated with students and faculty members of the FERD on various engaging topics such as Vietnam's agriculture during the reform period, the differences in market-oriented economy between Vietnam and socialist-oriented countries, and comprehensive economic reforms in Vietnam, etc.
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| Prof. Barnett and VNUA students in 2015 |
During this recent visit to Vietnam, Prof. Barnett continued his collaboration with VNUA and FERD. Witnessing the changes of the university, as well as the quality of faculty and students within FERD, Prof. Barnett felt deeply moved and proud of Vietnam's efforts, resilience, and strength.
At the academic exchange session between Prof. Barnett and FERD, he shared on a new topic, "Blue Economy in Southeast Asia: Indonesia, Thailand, and Vietnam 2015 – 2022." This is a research project by Prof. Barnett and Dr. Nguyen Huu Khanh – a former lecturer of FERD.
During the seminar, Prof. Barnett described and compared the Blue Economy in three Southeast Asian countries: Indonesia, Thailand, and Vietnam. He introduced the "Blue Economy" as economic activities related to the sea and ocean. One of the advantages for economic development that Vietnam, as well as many Southeast Asian countries, have yet to fully exploit. The research results indicate that Vietnam has made significant progress in issuing policies related to the blue economy, especially maritime transportation. Meanwhile, Thailand focuses more on addressing marine ecosystems and human welfare in marine economic exploitation. As for Indonesia, the government has identified the Blue Economy as an important economic and political strategy to assert its position in Southeast Asia.
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| Prof. Barnett shared research results with lecturers and students of FERD, March 2024 |
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| Prof. Barnett, Mrs. Barnett, and lecturers and students of FERD |
Before concluding his presentation, Prof. Barnett received many intriguing questions from the faculty members of FERD, emphasizing that this field needs more attention from the government, the public, and scientists. The meeting between Prof. Barnett and the faculty members and students of FERD ended well, with the discussion also expanding to opportunities for student and faculty exchanges between VNUA in general, FERD in particular, and Emporia State University in the United States in the future.
News and photos by: Đồng Thanh Mai – Faculty of Economics & Rural Development