Within the framework of research cooperation between Vietnam National University of Agriculture (VNUA) and Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz University Hannover, Germany, on the project “Poverty Dynamics and Sustainable Development: A Long-term Panel Project in Thailand and Vietnam” (TVSEP project), a seminar titled "TVSEP Project and Data Utilization" was held on February 27, 2025, between the TVSEP project team and the leadership and staff of Ha Tinh University.
Representing the project were Prof. Dr. Ulrike Grote and Prof. Dr. Trung Thanh Nguyen from Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz University Hannover, and Dr. Truong Lam Do from Vietnam National University of Agriculture. On the Ha Tinh University side, participants included Dr. Ho Thi Nga, Vice President; department leaders; and researchers and lecturers from the Faculties of Agriculture and Environment, Economics and Business Management, Pedagogy, and Engineering – Technology.
In her opening remarks, Dr. Ho Thi Nga, Vice President of Ha Tinh University, clearly stated that the purpose of the working session was to share information about the project to support the university’s faculty and researchers in both teaching and scientific research.
Following her speech, Prof. Dr. Ulrike Grote, Head of the TVSEP project, introduced the project and its dataset, which has been surveyed over 10 waves from 2007 to 2024. The dataset includes household surveys, migrant surveys, and village head surveys conducted in three provinces in Vietnam - Dak Lak, Thua Thien Hue, and Ha Tinh - and three provinces in Thailand - Nakhon Phanom, Ubon Ratchathani, and Buri Ram.
In Vietnam, the project initially surveyed 2,200 households and 220 village heads in 2007, with follow-up surveys conducted in 2008, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2017, 2019, 2022, 2024, and with another planned for 2026. The migration surveys were conducted in Hanoi, Da Nang, and Ho Chi Minh City with migrants from the households included in the main household dataset. Migration survey data were collected in 2011, 2018, 2021, and are planned again for 2025.
The household survey dataset covers a wide range of information including demographics, health, education, shocks, risks, agriculture, land, livestock, fishing and hunting, hired labor, investment, assets, expenditures, and household living conditions. All datasets are provided free of charge for research and educational purposes at the website: https://www.tvsep.de/en/.
To date, more than 130 scientific articles have been published using the dataset in renowned journals such as World Development, Ecological Economics, Agricultural Economics, and others. In addition, Prof. Dr. Trung Thanh Nguyen introduced a recently published study based on Thai household survey data titled "Internet Use, Natural Resource Extraction, and Poverty Reduction in Rural Thailand," published in Ecological Economics in 2022.
After the presentations, an engaging discussion was held between the TVSEP researchers and the faculty of Ha Tinh University. Through this exchange, the researchers and lecturers gained a deeper understanding of the dataset and expressed strong interest in applying it in their teaching and academic research.
At the end of the seminar, Dr. Ho Thi Nga expressed her sincere appreciation for the valuable insights shared by the TVSEP professors and reaffirmed the university’s desire for continued collaboration. The project team also thanked the university leadership and faculty for their warm welcome and hospitality, and expressed hopes for future joint research.
Finally, gifts were exchanged, and commemorative photos were taken.
Picture from event
Truong Lam Do, Vietnam National University of Agriculture