Enhancing Collaboration between Vietnam and Singapore in Leadership Development at the Highest Level
The VSIP network is undergoing a transformation, moving towards the VSIP 2.0 model, emphasising high-tech and green development. Meanwhile, in the realm of leadership capacity-building, Vietnamese officials are benefiting from a special programme at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy in Singapore. Although the exact name "Potential Leaders' Programme" may not be found, related leadership development activities and partnerships reflect the broader context of this initiative.
The programme, while not explicitly named, shares similar objectives with the Modern and Effective National Governance Programme for Emerging Leaders (MENGPEL), a collaboration between the Chandler Academy of Governance and Vietnam's National Academy of Public Administration (NAPA). This programme aims to strengthen public sector capabilities among Vietnamese officials, particularly at national and provincial levels, and enhance their governance skills, including policy design, implementation, and leadership.
The initiative contributes significantly to Vietnam’s development goals by fostering leadership that supports modern, effective, and responsive governance. It equips emerging leaders with the tools to tackle complex policy challenges and adapt to evolving public sector demands.
Successful completion of the programme by senior Vietnamese public sector leaders signals strong engagement and uptake of the programme’s curriculum. It develops a cadre of leaders capable of contributing to the modernization and strengthening of Vietnam’s public institutions. The programme also strengthens partnerships between Singaporean and Vietnamese governance training institutes, fostering ongoing leadership development.
The programme aligns with Vietnam’s strategic goal of boosting its governance quality and productivity as it strives to achieve advanced economic status by 2045, promoting innovation, digital transformation, and effective public administration.
Through interactive sessions with Singaporean leaders, academics, and experts, along with site visits, participants gain a deeper and more holistic understanding of Singapore's development trajectory. Ong Toon Hui, Vice Dean and Executive Director of the Institute for Governance and Leadership at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, stated that the programme aims to build trust and advance the comprehensive strategic partnership between Singapore and Vietnam by sharing insights into how Singapore addresses national development challenges.
The VSIP network, an important economic partnership, has expanded to 20 parks across 14 provinces and cities. The partnership between the Hò̀ Chí Minh National Academy of Politics and the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy serves as a model of high-level training cooperation. The VSIP network has attracted nearly 1,000 projects and created close to 300,000 jobs.
The course was officially launched on July 14, and the third course of the Potential Leaders' Programme is currently taking place in Singapore from July 14 to 18. A new Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed in March 2025, reinforcing the collaboration between the two academies.
Bilateral trade between Vietnam and Singapore stood at SGD6.57 billion ($5.12 billion USD) in the first two months of 2025, marking a 27% year-on-year increase. Over 150,000 Singaporean visitors arrived in Vietnam and more than 310,000 Vietnamese tourists traveled to Singapore by 2025, significantly contributing to tourism and economic links. As of January 2025, Singapore remains a top economic partner for Vietnam, with total registered investment capital reaching approximately US$84.14 billion from 3,951 projects.
The programme is not only about academic enrichment but also about building mutual trust and strengthening bilateral ties. It is designed to facilitate the exchange of advanced knowledge and practical governance insights from Singapore. The new MoU prioritizes the training of senior and strategic-level officials, focusing on policy development, public administration, and Singapore's holistic development experiences. It also promotes academic exchange, joint policy research, and the development of a high-caliber workforce.
Security and defense cooperation is a high priority in the Vietnam-Singapore partnership. The 2022 defense cooperation agreement supports practical engagements such as policy dialogue, naval and air force collaboration, search and rescue missions, officer training, young officer exchanges, and joint efforts to combat transnational crimes and cybersecurity threats.
The programme is aimed at Vietnamese officials and is organised by the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, the Temasek Foundation, and the Hò̀ Chí Minh National Academy of Politics. Singapore remains an important aviation hub for Vietnam, with commercial air services fully restored.
In summary, while the exact title "Potential Leaders' Programme" is not explicitly detailed in the search results, the Modern and Effective National Governance Programme for Emerging Leaders (MENGPEL) at Lee Kuan Yew School's partner institutions represents the essence of such leadership initiatives for Vietnamese officials, focusing on capacity building, governance modernization, and fostering high-impact public sector leadership. These efforts are pivotal in helping Vietnam realize its governance and economic development aspirations in the years ahead.
- The Potential Leaders' Programme, although not explicitly named, shares similar objectives with the Modern and Effective National Governance Programme for Emerging Leaders (MENGPEL), a collaboration focused on enhancing the governance skills of Vietnamese officials.
- The programme equips emerging leaders with tools to address complex policy challenges and adapt to evolving public sector demands, aligning with Vietnam’s strategic goal of boosting governance quality.
- Successful completion of the programme by senior Vietnamese public sector leaders supports modern, effective, and responsive governance development in Vietnam.
- The programme also develops a cadre of leaders capable of contributing to the modernization and strengthening of Vietnam’s public institutions, strengthening partnerships between Singaporean and Vietnamese governance training institutes.
- The programme's curriculum addresses various aspects of personal growth, online education, and learning, as well as public administration, policy development, and Singapore's holistic development experiences.
- In addition to academic enrichment, the initiative aims to facilitate the exchange of advanced knowledge and practical governance insights from Singapore, fostering mutual trust and strengthening bilateral ties between the two countries.
- The partnership between Singapore and Vietnam also supports security and defense cooperation, including policy dialogue, naval and air force collaboration, officer training, young officer exchanges, and joint efforts to combat transnational crimes and cybersecurity threats.
- The programme is organized by the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, the Temasek Foundation, and the Hò̀ Chí Minh National Academy of Politics, with Singapore remaining a crucial aviation hub for Vietnam, facilitating commercial air services between the two countries.
