Introduction to The Institute for Foreign Policy and Strategic Studies

09:00 19/04/2020

History of Development and Contributions of the Institute for Foreign Policy and Strategic Studies
  1. History and Organizational structure of the Institute
The Institute for Foreign Policy and Strategic Studies (IFPSS) was officially established in pursuant to the Prime Minister’s Decision No. 82/2008/QD-TTg dated 23 June 2008 providing the functions, duties, responsibilities and organizational structures of the Diplomatic Academy under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA). The Institute has been built on the basis of Research Divisions of the former Institute for International Relations (1987-2008), which was previously named the Institute of International Relations (1977-1987).The establishment of the Institute for Foreign Policy and Strategic Studies was to respond to the increasing needs of research and Track II diplomacy activities. It is, in that context, the leadership of the Ministry decided to assign the Institute to be under the auspices of the Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam. The coming into being of the IFPSS is an important step to level up the position of the Academy’s research and ensure quality policy consultation and formulation for MOFA as well as contribute to the training of officials and dissemination of information to the public. Building on former research divisions along the geographical areas of the Southeast Asia, Northeast Asia, Europe and America, the Institute consists of three (3) Centers classified by fields of research, including: i) Center for Major Powers Studies; ii) Center for Security and Development; and iii) Center for Regional and Foreign Policy Studies.Besides these Centers, the Institute also set up “Research Groups” by specific subjects, namely, i) China; ii) America; iii) East Sea; and iv) History of Vietnamese Foreign Policy Research. The parallel maintenance of the mechanisms of the centers and research groups has enabled the Institute to have covered critical areas of studies. This way of organizing research has resulted in, among other things, a growing contigent of staffs who become fine experts with in-depth knowledge. Researchers of high quality are key to promoting professional interaction, exchange and cooperation with researchers from the same and different fields in and outside the country.
  1. The process of development and contributions of the Institute
During the early days, capitalizing on former research divisions under the leadership of the first Director General of the Institute, Dr. Dang Dinh Quy, the IFPSS made encouraging achievements, which lays an important foundation for further development of the Institute. Regarding the structural organization, the Institute continuously consolidate working processes and procedures for each Center, Research Groups and researchers, making the academic works more professional and systematic. As a result, the Institute successfully conducted numerous projects, including four long-term research programs relating to the U.S, ASEAN, East Sea, and Diplomatic History. Particularly, the Institute took on the role of a focal point for research at MOFA. For example, a group of researchers greatly contributed to the national-level project on “The World Development Trends by 2020 and Orientations for Vietnam’s Foreign Policy Strategy” that provided both strategic and practical policy recommendations for MOFA’s diplomatic work. As for the Ministry’s tasks (track I diplomacy), the Institute’s leaders and researchers have actively and directly participated in policy-making discusisson groups; collecting information and constructing in-depth reports to the leadership; organizing conferences and seminars for expert opinions. In track II diplomacy, the Institute has maintained and expanded well its network of relationships and dialogues with more than 80 policy research organizations and institutes in the region and around the world, thereby promoting further the prestige of the Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam.Right from the beginning, the leadership of the Institute paid special attention to forming and developing an in-depth research team on the East Sea. Without hesitation to face challenges, the team contributed actively to this process, including collecting information, documents, and maps from inside and outside of the country, translating and standardizing the translation of technical terms, and organizing international and national seminars and conferences. Extensive research work on the East Sea topic has been systematically and scientifically carried out. Growing out of the East Sea Research Group, a Centre for East Sea Studies was established in 2011, which was separated from the Institute of Foreign Policy and Strategic Studies later on in 2012, becoming the independent Institute for East Sea Studies.After this reconfiguration, the IFPSS continues to step up its efforts to make quality contributions to the enterprise of foreign policy and international relations. In addition to traditional research areas focusing on foreign policy and foreign affairs of China, the U.S and ASEAN, the Institute expanded the scope of its research to include in-depth studies on domestic affairs of major powers and impacts on their foreign policy making processes and implementation. During this period, two new emerging research topics were given priority to, namely the impact of the US-China strategic competition on the world and region; and non-traditional security issues, especially the water security in the Mekong Delta.After the 11th National Party Congress in 2011, under the guidelines of comprehensive international integration, the Institute organized a series of research activities and seminars with Ministries, line agencies, localities, and experts throughout the country to collect opinions and assessments, contributing to the drafting of the Politburo’s Resolution No.22-NQ/TW on International Integration. At the same time, the Institute contributed significantly to the conduct of the national-level scientific project on “International integration and issues for Vietnam”, which lays the scientic foundation for the formulation of Vietnam’s Overall Strategy for International Integration by 2020, Vision to 2030 which was approved by the Prime Minister on January 7, 2016.In September 2015, in response to the fast-changing regional and global political environment, the Institute underwent an internal restructuring which gave birth to: (i) Centre for Major Powers studies, focusing on the U.S, China, US-China relations and Vietnam’s relationship thereof; (ii) Centre for Regional and Foreign Policy Studies, focusing on development trends of Southeast Asia, ASEAN and related mechanisms, other Southeast Asian countries and Vietnam’s relations with these countries; and (iii) Centre for Security and Development, focusing on issues related to international integration, international economics and non-traditional security issues, especially the Mekong water security.In 2016, in preparation for Vietnam’s hosting of APEC 2017, the Academy established the APEC Research Center, under the Institute, to support APEC 2017 activities in Vietnam. The APEC Research Center is an ad-hoc and flexible grouping under the management of the Center for Security and Development. In 2017, within the framework of the Second APEC Senior Officials’ Meeting (SOM 2), the Institute successfully organized the APEC Study Centers Consortium Conference (ASCCC), which attracted a large number of participants from APEC research centers and universities in the Asia-Pacific region, Vietnamese research institutes and many international organizations.In 2017, the Institute established the Center for Mekong studies to coordinate research and Track II diplomacy activities in Vietnam within the framework of the Mekong-Lancang Cooperation Mechanism (MLC).During the year 2016-2019 period, researchers of the Institute carried out a total of 67 research projects, out of which 26 was completed in 2019. Furthermore, hundreds of research papers, both national and international, were published, including articles on ISI, Scopus, Web of Science magazines and proceedings. Especially, the Institute also participated in the national-level scientific project on “Vietnam’s Multi-lateral Diplomacy: Current situations, problems and solutions”. This is an important project aimed at providing recommendations for Vietnam’s multi-lateral diplomacy strategy in general and Vietnam’s participation in international organizations and multilateral fora in particular.Since the beginning of 2019, the Institute has carried out many activities to serve MOFA’s key diplomatic tasks such as preparing for Vietnam’s ASEAN chairmanship in 2020 and non-permanent member of the UN Security Council in 2020-2021. The virtual Center for ASEAN studies was formed late 2019.Since its establishment, the Institute has strived to become Vietnam’s top think-tank in the international relations and foreign policy fields, driven by four primary guidelines, including: (i) Aligning the Institute’s research with MOFA’s policy consultation, policymaking and implementation; (ii) Materializing research outcomes in teaching and knowledge dissemination; (iii) Meeting national and international integration indexes; and (iv) Expanding the network of Track II diplomacy.The Institute has had the honor to receive MOFA leaders’ guidance, such as those by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Pham Binh Minh and Former Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Pham Gia Khiem. It was the latter who was determined to establish the Institute with a clear vision that MOFA needs to have an Institute on the same echelon with other research institutes of the Ministry of National Defense and Ministry of Public Security, and other strategic research institutes in the region. The Institute is also fortunate to inherit the fine research traditions and follow in the footsteps of the renowned predecessors such as Luu Doan Huynh, Duong Danh Dy, Chu Cong Phung, Nguyen Phuong Binh, and the later generation of researchers such as Deputy Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son, Professor Nguyen Vu Tung, Dr. Hoang Anh Tuan, Dr. Le Linh Lan, Dr. Dang Dinh Quy, Dr. Le Hai Binh and Dr. Le Dinh Tinh. Besides, it can’t help mentioning the contribution and the professional supervision of the high-calibre advisors being veteran diplomats such as Ambassadors Nguyen Van Tho, Hoang Nhu Ly, Nguyen Duy Hung, Nguyen Tam Chien, Nguyen Phu Binh, Le Cong Phung, and Nguyen Nguyet Nga.In the upcoming time, the Institute will continue to focus its work on long-term and fundamental issues in the areas of foreign policy and stategic studies which aims to promote Vietnam’s national interests in light of this era of many great transformations. To this end, the Institute seeks to incessantly build its research capacity and improve its researchers’ critical thinking skills. As a principal research arm of the Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam and MOFA, the Institute is to meet the increasing demands of foreign policy and strategic studies by high-level leaders, the leadership of MOFA, the professional and general audience.
The Institute for Foreign Policy and Strategic StudiesAddress: Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam, Library Buiding, 4th-5th FloorPhone: 024.38344540 – Ext: 1218 or  024.62763143The Institute LeadershipDr. Le Dinh Tinh, Director-GeneralPhone:  024 627 63 149Email: tinhdl@dav.edu.vnAssoc. Prof. Dr. Tran Viet Thai, Deputy Director-GeneralPhone: 024 627 63 186Email: tranvietthai@dav.edu.vnAssoc. Prof. Dr. Dang Cam Tu, Deputy Director-GeneralPhone: 024 627 63 145Email: dangcamtu@dav.edu.vnDr. To Minh Thu, Deputy Director-GeneralPhone: 024 627 63 152Email: tominhthu@dav.edu.vnCenter for Security and DevelopmentAddress: Diplomatic Academy Of Vietnam, Library Buiding, of 5th floorDr. Chu Minh Thao, Deputy DirectorPhone: 024 627 63 151Email: thaocm@dav.edu.vnCenter for Regional and Foreign Policy Studies.Address: Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam, Library Buiding, on 4th-5th FloorDr. Nguyen Thi Bich Ngoc, DirectorPhone: 024 627 63 153Email: nbichngoc@dav.edu.vnCentre for Major Power StudiesAddress: Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam, Library Buiding, on 4th-5th FloorAssoc. Prof. Dr. Tran Viet Thai, Deputy Director General, Director of the CenterPhone:  024 627 63 186Email: tranvietthai@dav.edu.vn

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