Upon her reappointment as the President of Vietnam National University of Agriculture (VNUA), Prof. Dr. Nguyen Thi Lan affirmed her commitment to working closely with the university's leaders to prioritize tangible outcomes as the measure of success and to continue building VNUA into a leading center for education, research, and innovation.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Environment's announcement of leadership appointments at VNUA not only marked the consolidation of the university's leadership in accordance with government regulations but also ushered in expectations for a new phase of development at one of the nation's leading higher education institutions in the fields of agriculture and environmental sciences. As Vietnam's agricultural sector transitions from a production-oriented approach to an agricultural economy driven by science and technology, innovation, and digital transformation, strengthening VNUA's leadership team was of strategic importance for its long-term development.

Under Decision No. 2025/QĐ-BNNMT, dated May 28, 2026, issued by the Minister of Agriculture and Environment, Prof. Dr. Nguyen Thi Lan was reappointed as VNUA’s President. In addition, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Vu Ngoc Huyen and Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Cong Tiep were reappointed as Vice Presidents under Decisions No. 2021/QD-BNNMT and No. 2015/QĐ-BNNMT, respectively. The tenure of the appointments was for a five-year term, effective from the date on which the decisions took effect.

At the conference announcing the Minister of Agriculture and Environment's decisions on personnel appointments, VNUA also announced the appointment of several leaders following the restructuring and consolidation of its organizational system. Dr. Nguyen Quoc Oanh was appointed the Principal of the School of Training and Capacity Building for Agriculture and Environment Officials, while Dr. Vu Anh Tai was appointed Vice Principal. Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Quoc Hung was appointed Director of the Fruit and Vegetable Research Institute. Assoc. Prof. Dr. Dang Van Dong, Dr. Nguyen Van Dung, and Assoc. Prof. Dr. Hoang Thi Le Hang were appointed Deputy Directors of the Institute. In addition, Mr. Tran Duc Tuan, M.Sc., was appointed Director of the Center for Machinery and Equipment Inspection.

Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Environment Nguyen Quoc Tri presents the reappointment decision to Prof. Dr. Nguyen Thi Lan, President of Vietnam National University of Agriculture. (Photo: Quang Khanh)

The simultaneous appointment of leaders under the authority of the Ministry, together with key managerial positions within VNUA, reflected a comprehensive and coordinated approach to leadership development. This provided a solid foundation for VNUA to further advance university autonomy, strengthen institutional governance, and accelerate the achievement of its strategic development goals in the new phase.

Speaking at the conference, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Environment Nguyen Quoc Tri emphasized that VNUA was one of the country's key national universities, with nearly 70 years of history and development. He noted that the university had established itself as one of Vietnam's leading centers for higher education, scientific research, technology transfer, and innovation in the fields of agriculture and environmental sciences.

According to the Deputy Minister, Vietnam was entering a new era of development in which science, technology, innovation, and digital transformation had become key drivers of economic growth. At the same time, the agricultural sector was undergoing a profound transformation toward greener, more circular, modern, and sustainable development. These emerging demands required higher education institutions to continuously innovate in their governance models, enhance the quality of education, and strengthen their research capabilities.

Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Environment Nguyen Quoc Tri delivers remarks assigning key tasks at the conference announcing the Minister of Agriculture and Environment's personnel appointment decisions. (Photo: Quang Khanh)

 “VNUA must not only maintain its position as one of Vietnam's leading universities, but also nurture the ambition of becoming a modern research university with international competitiveness, steadily advancing toward regional excellence and approaching the standards of the world's leading universities in the fields of agriculture and environmental sciences,” Deputy Minister Nguyen Quoc Tri emphasized.

This vision reflected the global trend in higher education, where universities were expected not only to provide high-quality education but also to serve as hubs of knowledge creation, applied research, and technology transfer that would drive socio-economic development. In the agricultural sector, this role was becoming increasingly significant as countries confront the challenges of climate change while striving to ensure food security, promote a circular economy, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and build a green and sustainable agricultural system—objectives that had become national strategic priorities.

To realize this vision, the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment called on VNUA to continue modernizing its university governance, enhancing the quality of education, and making science, technology, and innovation the pillars of its development strategy. The Ministry also encouraged the university to expand its collaboration with businesses, local authorities, and international partners in order to increase the impact of its research, promote technology transfer, and strengthen its competitiveness.

Addressing the newly appointed leadership team, Deputy Minister Nguyen Quoc Tri emphasized that greater responsibility accompanied higher positions. He stressed that the trust placed in university leaders had to be demonstrated through tangible achievements, a strong sense of responsibility, exemplary conduct, integrity, and the courage to innovate, take decisive action, and be accountable for the outcomes. He noted that these qualities were essential for the leaders of higher education institutions as university autonomy continued to advance.

Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Environment Nguyen Quoc Tri presents the reappointment decisions to Assoc. Prof. Dr. Vu Ngoc Huyen (right) and Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Cong Tiep as VNUA’s Vice Presidents. (Photo: Duong Trieu)

Speaking after receiving the reappointment decision, Prof. Dr. Nguyen Thi Lan expressed her deep appreciation for the trust placed in her by the leadership of the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment, emphasizing that the reappointment was not only a great honor but also a profound responsibility to the entire university.

She noted that her first thoughts were not of personal achievements or position, but of VNUA's nearly 70-year journey of growth and development, and the enduring contributions made by generations of leaders, scientists, faculty members, staff, employees, and hundreds of thousands of alumni.

“For us, today is a moment to express gratitude rather than to speak about ourselves, to embrace responsibility rather than to celebrate honor. The trust placed in us is not a source of pride, but a constant reminder that we must strive even harder every day,” Prof. Dr. Nguyen Thi Lan shared.

One of the key messages in the President's remarks upon assuming office was her strong emphasis on governance driven by tangible results. She noted that VNUA's Executive Board had received an overwhelming vote of confidence during the leadership consolidation process, a mandate that carried an even greater responsibility in the new term.

“What our university community expects is not promises, but concrete actions; not what is said today, but what is accomplished throughout the entire term.”

This message clearly reflected a modern approach to university governance, one that measured success by tangible outcomes rather than by strategic commitments alone. It was also aligned with contemporary trends in higher education governance, where the quality of education, the impact of research, the effectiveness of technology transfer, and contributions to society were regarded as the most meaningful indicators of institutional performance.

According to Prof. Dr. Nguyen Thi Lan, as Vietnam was striving to become a developed nation by 2045, universities had to go beyond their traditional role of imparting knowledge. They were expected to generate new knowledge, identify and nurture talented individuals, and translate scientific achievements into practical solutions that directly contributed to the country's development.

Prof. Dr. Nguyen Thi Lan, VNUA’s President, presents appointment decisions to the leaders of the School of Training and Capacity Building for Agriculture and Environment Officials. (Photo: Duong Trieu)

In line with this vision, VNUA would continue to prioritize the education and training of high-quality human resources while advancing scientific research, innovation, and technology transfer to support the development of a modern, green, and sustainable agricultural sector. Research activities would be further aligned with the needs of businesses, local communities, and agricultural production in order to enhance practical application and create greater value for the industry.

“A university is defined not primarily by its size or ranking, but by the quality of its graduates, the knowledge it creates, and the meaningful contributions it makes to the nation,” Prof. Dr. Nguyen Thi Lan emphasized.

During the new term, VNUA would continue to focus on enhancing the quality of education and training, strengthening scientific research and technology transfer, expanding international cooperation, and fostering closer collaboration with businesses, research institutes, and the agricultural production sector. These strategic priorities were regarded as the key pillars for reinforcing the university's position as Vietnam's leading institution for agricultural education and research.

In addition, building an academic environment that was democratic, inclusive, and innovation-driven had been identified as a long-term priority. An open and collaborative working environment that encouraged creativity would enable faculty members and researchers to fully realize their potential, generate impactful research, and further strengthen the university's innovation ecosystem.

Addressing staff members from the newly merged units, Prof. Dr. Nguyen Thi Lan extended a warm welcome and affirmed that they would become an invaluable source of strength, bringing together intellectual capacity, professional expertise, and development potential. She expressed the confidence that integrating high-quality human resources from different specialized units would create new momentum for the university's education, research, and technology transfer activities in the years to come.

Concluding her remarks, the President reaffirmed that VNUA's Executive Board would continue to uphold the values of openness, unity, innovation, and accountability. She emphasized that the leadership team would demonstrate its commitment through concrete achievements, thereby honoring the trust placed in it by the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment, the university community, and society at large.

With nearly 70 years of history and development, a distinguished community of scholars and scientists, and an ever-expanding network of partnerships, VNUA was well positioned to embark on a new phase of growth. The recent consolidation of its leadership team represented not only an important organizational milestone but also the beginning of a new journey to create lasting value. Guided by a shared vision and renewed commitment, VNUA was moving closer to its goal of becoming a modern research university with international competitiveness, making increasingly meaningful contributions to the development of a green, smart, and sustainable agricultural sector in Vietnam.

 

Pham Hung

Vietnam Huong Sac Magazine (https://tapchivietnamhuongsac.vn/)