Matching the destination of the applied university

After more than 13 years of operation, up to now, the University has been shaped as a multi-field and multi-disciplinary university, developing in terms of scale, quality and training efficiency; meeting the learning needs of the people, the industrialization requirements of the locality and the whole country; initially affirming the prestige and brand of a young university in Binh Duong. On the other hand, being established in the context of Vietnam's higher education entering a period of comprehensive renovation for international integration, at the same time, implementing Resolution No. 29-NQ/TW dated November 04, 2013 of the 8^th Conference of the 11^th Party Central Committee on fundamental and comprehensive renovation to meet the requirements of the country's industrialization and modernization, TDMU found its own way to create vitality and affirm the value of the University. One of the important breakthroughs that make a difference for TDMU is the development of a curriculum associated with social needs.

Vietnamese education is aiming to be learner-centered, helping learners approach active learning, so the fact that training institutions find new directions to develop curriculum will be a breakthrough, thereby affirming the training quality of the University. With TDMU, right from the early years of its establishment, the University has built a curriculum oriented to an applied university. But how does the curriculum satisfy learners' needs and meet the requirements of today's society? That question is concretized by the University by approaching the development of the Outcome-based education (OBE) curriculum, ensuring the comprehensive development of knowledge - skills - autonomy and responsibility for learners through expected learning outcomes. Expected learning outcomes reflect stakeholder requirements (both internal - learners and external - employers), meeting the requirements of the Viet Nam National Qualifications Framework for higher education and compatible with programs in the same major of countries in the region. Program activities include: program design, development, implementation, evaluation, and improvement. All these activities are operated in accordance with the PDCA (Plan - Do - Check - Act) procedure, ensuring that the training activities at the University meet the stakeholder requirements and the expected output standards.

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In addition, the University always identifies the construction of the Output standards as one of the important stages in the chain of curriculum design activities. Therefore, since 2012, TDMU has boldly changed the direction to develop the curriculum under the CDIO (Conceive Design Implement Operate) initiative, meeting AUN-QA (Asean University Network - Quality Assurance) standards.

Not only designing the curriculum under the CDIO initiative in the engineering majors, but also in 2014, all blocks of training programs of the University completed the curriculum under the CDIO initiative. With those new steps, in 2015, the University became a member of the world CDIO organization. This is one of the factors contributing to the University affirming the training quality for society. Not only focusing on changing and developing the curriculum to catch up the trend of the times, the University also strengthens the teaching of social skills, improves the output standards of informatics and foreign languages for learners, and invests in facilities, etc. to synchronize quality improvement, help learners assert themselves and have more job opportunities after graduation.

Upholding training quality and focusing on learners' capabilities

Facing the challenge of social needs, TDMU always upholds the training quality and focuses on learners' capabilities. Therefore, every year, the curriculum is always updated and supplemented with practical modules, accompanied by new versions of the detailed outline so that the curriculum knowledge meets the ongoing reality. In 2017, after meeting the national quality accreditation standards, through the DACUM (Developing a Curriculum) meetings, from the employer feedback, the University strengthened the practical capacity of students in the learning process. The first basis for this improvement process is the Document No. 30/DHTDM-DTDH dated January 05, 2018, of the Rector of Thu Dau Mot University on the implementation of the regular university curriculum for the 2017 and 2018 enrollments. The university directs all majors to ensure that the structure of practice hours is at least achieving 40% of the total knowledge volume of the course. The training process is implemented through: (1) teaching theory; (2) teaching on models and simulations; (3) practical exercises, internships at workshops and laboratories; (4) applied/practical exercises outside of the University.

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With the desire to empower the student's capacity and achieve high quality in teaching, when developing the curriculum, the University designs and allocates practice hours from the first year to the last year of the course. The curriculum shows openness, helping students understand specialized and interdisciplinary knowledge. Thereby, creating opportunities for students to choose their favorite professions again after finishing the first year, and convenient in registering for fundamental courses as well as favorable for students who want to study further and have many career options.  In addition to ensuring connectivity and interdisciplinary, the curriculum development of the TDMU also ensures the professional knowledge and skills to train a team of young intellectuals who are capable and qualified their career after graduation, provide learners with opportunities for lifelong learning.​​

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In order to update and develop the curriculum to ensure the connection with the output standards with teaching-learning activities and assessment according to the OBE-based principle, the University focuses on teaching and assessment methods from a learning-centered perspective, which plays an important role in implementing the university's educational philosophy to create motivation and initiative in learning for students; encourage students to take an active role in creating the learning process and teachers to be flexible in their plans for class; activities of experiential learning and community service learning are also closely connected by the University, helping students improve the quality of learning knowledge, skills as well as self-control capacity, sense of social responsibility and moral values.

Initial achievements of the TDMU's curriculum development

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In the current development of science and technology, education cannot train people who can only do one thing or only know how to operate work like a robot. The University's responsibility in the training process is to focus on training vocational skills so that learners have enough knowledge when embarking on practical work, avoiding the case that employers have to "re-train". Vocational skills training must also be gradually upgraded to an international level, in order to provide students with all the elements of knowledge, skills, foreign languages, informatics, etc., to work abroad and integrate with the region under UNESCO's four educational pillars: learning to know, learning to be, learning to live together, and learning to do.

Thus, in order to achieve the goal and meet the output standards associated with social needs, TDMU has boldly chosen its development direction in line with the province's need to identify and step by step affirm the brand. The decisiveness and breakthrough in curriculum development over time have brought considerable results. Especially, from the DACUM seminars, the University boldly develops the Curriculum in the direction of increasing practice in the training process, enhancing skills, personal and professional qualities resulting to motivate the University to improve training activities by meeting the increasing demands of the labor market. More importantly, after graduation, being confident with the knowledge and skills acquired in the University, students are ready to serve society and affirm their own values, contributing to the construction of Binh Duong into a smart city in the near future.

PhD. Nguyen Quoc Cuong

Rector of Thu Dau Mot University

Translated by Thanh Tam

People and businesses are the focus of digital transformation

To develop the digital economy and society, digital government is implemented on the basis of inheriting and promoting the results achieved in building e-government and the Binh Duong Smart City. People and businesses have been focused on digital transformation for the benefit of people and businesses, with a focus on providing essential services to people and businesses. 

Digital government creates transparency in governmental operations, ensures fairness and standards in state management, and builds the way to serve people and businesses to access advanced and available digital platforms to carry out work, reduce travel costs, increase business productivity, and maximize convenience to make people satisfied. As a result, people are encouraged to participate in the operation of state agencies in order to jointly create values, benefits, satisfaction, trust, and consensus in society, while also contributing to administrative reform, improving government service quality, and bringing convenience in accessing administrative procedures of local government. At the same time, contribute to changing working methods, operational methods, and working tools to make digital transformation faster and better.

​The functional forces have integrated health insurance cards and various documents into the electronic identification application at the provincial general hospital

Over the past time, Binh Duong has issued many documents and regulations to create a legal corridor to speed up the process of applying information technology as well as build e-government toward digital government. Up to now, Binh Duong has achieved encouraging results in building e-government and digital government. Specifically:

All levels of government in the province have issued documents to implement the central and provincial governments' digital transformation guidelines and regulations, gradually perfecting the legal framework and contributing to the completion of assigned tasks. 

An intranet system has been set up in all Party and State agencies from provincial to communal levels with more than 184 connection points via a dedicated broadband data line; an official mail system with more than 8,000 accounts created and used; and a document management and processing system implemented in more than 270 agencies and units with many officials and civil servants regularly using it, smoothly connecting with the central and local governments.

The provincial one-stop electronic system and online public service portal are continuously upgraded to better serve people and businesses and are connected to the national public service portal. The 1022 hotline receives and responds to people's complaints and sends them to relevant agencies and units for the coordination of outpatient emergencies and many other essential areas of life that people care about. In addition, State agencies' internal information technology applications have been implemented according to the Binh Duong provincial E-Government Architecture, version 2.0.

The province has established a Tier-3 model data center, which is secure, safe, and ready for providing e-government and digital government services. Shared systems and specialized information systems have gradually realized components of the provincial e-government architecture with the local data connection axis (LGSP, Local Government Service Platform), which serves as a synchronous data connection between components within the provincial e-government as well as a connection with e-government systems of ministries and branches. A number of shared databases have been built and formed, such as the database of legal documents, the database of civil servants, the land database, the GIS urban planning database, the enterprise database, etc.

Online video conferencing connects 4 levels (from central to provincial, district, and commune levels) with 120 bridge points. Thanks to the synchronous connection on a large scale with no limitation in space or time, the implementation of online video systems has saved a large amount of state budget expenditure, contributing to the effective direction and control of Party committees and authorities at all levels and gradually building e-government and modern administration.

Binh Duong province has built the Intelligent Operation Center (IOC) and put it into operation. This is an important core foundation system, as well as a model, that contributes to better direction and control in order to improve the quality of service to people and businesses, increase the operational efficiency of state agencies, and promote long-term socio-economic development. .

Taking efforts to implement important solutions

The province is striving to implement important solutions in order to continue to promote the achievements obtained and well implement the goals and tasks set out in the application of information technology in the operations of state agencies, building e-government towards digital government in the coming time. 

Firstly, focusing on promoting communication, raising awareness, developing digital skills, developing human resources, increasing interaction with people and businesses, and promoting and raising the quality of activities associated with fostering and promoting the role of the community digital technology team

Secondly, through state agencies' electronic information portal and the system for handling administrative procedures, information and online public services of state agencies are provided in a network environment. By merging the online public service portal with the provincial electronic one-stop information system, it becomes an information system for handling administrative procedures in Binh Duong Province, providing 100% of online public services, focusing on popular and essential public services, and increasing the number of online processed applications using electronic forms with digital signatures and non-cash payments. Apply digitization to receiving results of administrative procedures, reuse results, and have people only submit once. Each citizen has a personal data warehouse to store personal documents. Putting into effect Decision No. 766/QD-TTg in 2022 on the approval of a set of indicators for directing, controlling, and assessing the quality of serving people and businesses in the implementation of administrative procedures and public services in real time on the electronic environment, with five groups of indicators. 

​​Implementing a model of medical examination and treatments points ussing Citizen identification cards wwith chips to replace Insurance cards

Thirdly, effectively implementing, integrating, and exploiting Project 06 to serve digital transformation; connecting and sharing digital data managed by state agencies, electronic identification and authentication on the basis of a national database on the population; and using the VNeID app to create digital identities for transactions in the electronic and digital environment. Take priority over standardizing the criteria "enough, right, clean, alive" and connecting existing databases, first of all the province's database on enterprises, the province's database on officials and public servants, etc.

Fourthly, complying with e-government architecture (version 2.0), smoothly connecting the LGSP axis, National Data Exchange Platform (NDXP), and forming Single Sign-On (SSO) and multi-factor login for connecting information systems; deploying the general administration platform and shared working platform; and digitizing records and storing electronic documents of state agencies.

Fifthly, expanding the existing IOC, adding features of analysis and forecasting, and deploying district-level IOC, commune-level COC, and specialized OCs; Creating a centralized data warehouse; developing forms of digital information and data through the construction of shared databases for the province; building and perfecting the platform; sharing and integrating the province's data; and creating an open data portal serving people and businesses.

Sixth, completing the Binh Duong Digital App, also known as the Digital Government App, in order to connect and provide the best services to people and businesses, improve transparency, and improve interaction between the government and the people.

Seventhly, strengthening network information security by establishing a Security Operations Center (SOC) and forming Security Information and Event Management (SIEM); Ensure the safety of the information system by level; Inspect and evaluate information security; regularly make reports.

Eighthly, promulgating the Plan for improving the digital transformation index in the operation of departments, agencies, sectors, districts, towns, and cities and the DTI evaluation and scoring system in order that the provincial agencies and units self-evaluate and strive for the development of digital government in particular and digital transformation in general.

The ultimate goal of building e-government towards Binh Duong digital government is to better serve people and businesses, as evidenced by the outstanding achievements mentioned above and the continued effective implementation of solutions in the coming time. All-level authorities and branches have made great efforts to best perform the functions and tasks of each branch and each unit and actively build friendly government to serve the people, in which facilities are the foundation and "one-stop" cadres are the key factor serving the people, under the drastic direction and management of the Provincial Party Committee and People's Committee. 

Mr. Nguyen Huu Yen

Deputy Director of Department of Information and Communication

Translated by Lam Dang​

​In 1997, Binh Duong was separated from Song Be province with the population of 670,000 people. In the initial phase of a newly re-established province full of difficulties, choosing the right direction and appropriate development model played a very important role for the province. By responding to the industrialization-modernization policy of the Central Government, the province launched a policy of "rolling out the red carpet" to welcome investors and talents, develop human resources for the provincial reconstruction and renewal. The creative thinking, drastic direction and of provincial leader generations along with their effective and timely decisions found out and opened the "right source" for Binh Duong to accelerate its growth and create breakthrough for its development.

 ​​​​​​​Viet Nam – Singapore Industrial Park

Singaporean Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat​ and Binh Duong leaders visiting VSIP model.

The first highlight was Vietnam - Singapore Industrial Park (VSIP) founding - a new type of industrial park, an important development initiative from the cooperation between Viet Nam – Singapore governments which was opened in 1996 and put into operation in 1997. This industrial park laid an important foundation for the socio-economic development of Binh Duong province. Up to now, Binh Duong province has three VSIP projects (VSIP I, VSIP II, VSIP III) attracting nearly 600 investors from more than 22 countries and territories with a total investment capital of over 8.6 billion US dollars, creating jobs for 150,000 workers.

Located on an area of 1,000 hectares, VSIP III marks a new important milestone in shifting to the smarter and more sustainable development strategy. VSIP III is designed to integrate smart technology in its operation from the energy consumption, water use, waste to transport and security management issues. Currently, many big projects of popular international groups such as: Project of LEGO Group with more than 1 billion USD, Pandora Group project of 100 million USD were registered and more than 40 domestic and foreign corporations and companies are interested and exploring their investment opportunities in VSIP III.

​​Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh at the VSIP III Opening ceremony

Permanent Deputy Prime Minister Pham Binh Minh at the Opening ceremony of Lego manufacturing

After 25 years of establishment and development, as late of 2022, Binh Duong economic scale reached 408,861 billion dongs, a 104.3 times compared to the one in 1997, ranked the third nationwide, after Ho Chi Minh City and Ha Noi capital, in which, agricult​ure increased by 112.2 time and particularly industry increased 140.6 time in comparison with figures of 1997.

The province ranked the first in term of GRDP per capita, the second in term of FDI attraction (after Ho Chi Minh city), the third in term of total domestic revenue and in terms of the rate of deductions paid to the National budget (only after Ho Chi Minh City and Ha Noi Capital). With these achievements, Binh Duong becomes the first locality of Viet Nam attaining the highest GRDP per capita, 7,000 US dollars per year.

That development process has helped Binh Duong initially constructed a relatively uniformly urban and transport technical infrastructure system which can be accomplished through the early completion of major segments of the Ring Road 3 and Ring Road 4 connecting directly to the provincial main roads such as My Phuoc - Tan Van - Bau Bang liking to seaports and international airports. Parallelly, Binh Duong province have pushed up the renovation and completion of its key projects including expanding National Highway 13 project, section from Vinh Phu (Thuan An city) to Le Hong Phong intersection (Thu Dau Mot city) with a length of 12.7 km, contributing to relieve traffic pressure on the route; Bac Tan Uyen - Phu Giao - Bau Bang road connecting the districts of Bac Tan Uyen, Phu Giao and Bau Bang and Dong Phu district (Binh Phuoc province) aiming to shorten travel time and reduce freight costs…

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Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh surveying the Ho Chi Minh City- Thu Dau Mot – Chon Thanh Expressway expected to empower development of Binh Duong province and the region.

​Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh surveying manufacturing construction at Expanded Bau Bang Industrial Park.

​​Provincial Leaders survey the National Highway 13 expansion project and the tunnel projects at Phuoc Kien intersection and Cho Dinh intersection

Expanded High Way 13 project​

In the context of the boom 4th Industrial Revolution, since 2016, Binh Duong province has implemented the "Binh Duong Smart City" Project by focussing on transforming its economy into innovative and creative digital orientation. Therefore, a digital and innovation ecosystem is being strongly developed in Binh Duong, such as: Intelligent Operations Center (IOC), EIU Campus Becamex Business Incubator, Fablab, Advanced Manufacturing Center, World Trade Center (WTC)… with the goal of building and developing Binh Duong into a "smarter" and more livable city. In 2021, Binh Duong was honored TOP 7 Intelligent Community Forum (ICF) with typical smart city development strategies in the world.

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​Central and provincial leaders at the TOP7 Intelligent Community Forum Honoring Event Opening in Binh Duong province

Along with economic development, the social security and welfare are always paid great attention. If at the time of separation of the province in 1997, Binh Duong had nearly 1,000 hungry households, 14,662 poor households, accounting for 12% of the total number of households, then by the end of 2021, the poverty rate had only 0.88% (< 1%). Binh Duong is also the first locality in the country which has no poor households according to the national poverty standards, no household back into poverty. Since 2009, Binh Duong has set up 4 times its own poverty line which is 1.7 to 3 times higher than the national one, detailly 3 time higher in the period 2009 2010; 02 times higher for the period 2011 - 2013; 2.5 times higher for the period 2014 - 2015 and 1.7 times higher for the period 2016 - 2020. In 2022, Binh Duong continued to raise its poverty standard 1.5 times higher than the one of Viet Nam.

Granting Red Cross house to underprivileged households​

After 25 years, Binh Duong health has made a large improvement with a team of skilled doctors and nurses, mastering technological equipment in medical examination and treatment, meeting well the treatment and care capacity for the local people. The province always strives for all people to access to health services at its extensive health network throughout the province. Up to now, Binh Duong province has 03 public hospitals at the provincial level, 09 medical centers at the district level, 19 general clinics, 91 medical stations, and 02 specialized hospitals, in which, several medical facilities are invested on a relatively large scale such as: Binh Duong General Hospital with 1,500 beds, Children's Hospital with 300 beds.

Binh Duong health concentrated to enhance its medical system, improving the quality of preventive health personnel at all levels. The province is also very interested in training current human resources and implementing policies to attract man power from other localities to work long-term in Binh Duong by supporting medical students, training by request, order, etc. Moreover, developing high science and technic is well paid attention by investing medical infrastructure, advanced medical equipment, attracting high quality human resources, training for medical doctors and nurses from both public and private medical units.

 ​​Binh Duong province paying great attention to education infrastructure and equipment’s investment.

Binh Duong affirms that investment in education is to invest for the sustainable development. Consequently, investing on educational infrastructure and equipment are interested to make sure that all school-age children in the province could have access to education, go to school, in a convenient place to study. The province spends annually its budget to invest in education sector   a uniformly and modern education equipment. Besides, the province has also mobilized local resources, especially implemented open policies in socialization to invest and build standardized and modernized schools. As a result, the scale of schools is constantly expanding with many types such as public, semi-public, private schools, professional schools, vocational schools, international standard universities to meet the increasing demand for education and citizen knowledge, training human resources for the province. In 1997, the whole province had only 41 preschools and 169 high schools, by 2015, expanded to 288 preschools, 253 high schools with full equipment to meet the requirements for teaching and learning quality. By 2020, the whole province has built 455 preschools, an increase 2.4 times compared to 2010 and 266 high schools, 33 schools higher than in 2010. Schools have been well built, 79.6% of public schools are solidly upgraded.

Currently, the province is the home of 8 universities, 7 colleges, 16 professional schools and 46 vocational centers, foreign languages, IT centers with their training capacity of over 80,000 students per year serving for the provincial human resources.

​Provincial Party Secretary Nguyen Van Loi and People’s Committee Chairman Vo Van Minh introduced to Prime Minister on Binh Duong New City Master Plan

In term 2020-2025, Binh Duong identified to develop a sustainable Binh Duong province toward a smart, civilized and modern urban, becoming a modern industrial center by 2030

For the plan to 2030 and vision to 2045, Binh Duong aspires to conquer its new height with fast and sustainable development goals which are identified by the Party Congress of Binh Duong province for the term 2020-2025 as "striving to develop a sustainable, Binh Duong province toward a smart, civilized and modern urban, becoming a modern industrial center by 2030 and an innovation urban of the region and the whole Viet Nam."

In order to attain these goals, the province is creating a very open and favorable investment environment, "rolling red carpets to welcomes investors"; implementing administrative reforms, improving digital transformation, building digital government to the modern administration serving to local citizens; improving transport, industrial parks, new urban infrastructure; upgrading the high quality of man power, necessary public services including healthcare, education,…improving the citizen's life to the sustainable development.

​Binh Duong province is focussing on administrative reforms and digital transformation (photo of Intelligent Operation Center -IOC)​

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 Provincial authorities in experiencing the online utilities service at level 3, 4 at Binh Duong Public Administration Center.

Reported by Phuong Chi- Yen Nhi -​​​Translated by Linh Nguyen

​​​The PAPI is a tool for citizens to participate in monitoring the effectiveness of the government in policy implementation at the local level. PAPI measures eight dimensions: participation at local levels; transparency in local decision-making; vertical accountability; control of corruption in the public sector; public administrative procedures; public service delivery; environmental governance; and e-governance.

According to the results announced at the conference to announce the Viet Nam Provincial Governance and Public Administration Performance Index (PAPI) 2021, which took place on the morning of May 10 in Hanoi, Binh Duong reached 47.178 out of 80 points, ranking 2nd out of 63 provinces and cities nationwide.

This result exceeds expectations and is a recognition and encouragement from the people for the political system's efforts, particularly during the fourth COVID-19 epidemic in ​2021 at the competent authority. PAPI index- It is very important not only to collect timely information about what is happening in governance and public administration in general but also to pay attention to what people are experiencing when using the services of the State administration. This not only provides objective information about people's experiences and relationships with local government agencies but also serves as a tool to assess the actual effectiveness of different levels of government by facilitating people's performance of their obligations and rights.

The delegation of Dong Nai province visits and learns about the Binh Duong Smart Operations Monitoring Center​

Going into the analysis of the component indexes, it can be seen that all 8 PAPI content indexes for Binh Duong have increased points compared to 2020. Of which, seven dimensions are ranked in the highest score group, and one content area is in the high average score group. This result shows that Binh Duong has determined the right direction, overcome the bottlenecks existing in the past years, and made a significant impro​vement in the operation of the government towards the administration serving the people.

For the grassroots people participation index, Binh Duong ranked in the highest score group and ranked second in terms of increase in points (after Binh Thuan province). Actively and proactively participating in the political, economic, and social life of the country is a constitutional right of all Vietnamese, especially those aged 18 and over, so that people can take full advantage of their ownership and contribute to improving the efficiency of the implementation of policies and laws in their locality. Over the past time, local governments have innovated in the way policies are implemented, as well as being more open and transparent, implementing better accountability, and responding to increasing demands from the citizens, thereby mobilizing the broad participation of the people, especially the voluntary participation of the people, in the works that the State and the people do together.

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​​Results of assessment of the Binh Duong’s PAPI Index 2021 

In the transparent component index, in 2021, the province ranks first among 63 provinces in this component index (in the two years of 2019 and 2020, Binh Duong has the largest decrease). With the determination to create positive and effective changes in information disclosure and transparency, meeting people's "right to know" about policies directly related to their lives and livelihoods, the authorities diversify forms of information disclosure in 4 contents: access to information; publicly and transparently the list of poor households; publicity and transparency of commune budget; and publicly and transparently the land use plan and land price list in the locality. Special emphasis on content to ensure easier access and timely provision of useful and reliable information to the people; strictly enforce regulations on the publication of land use master plans and plans, ensuring timely updating of compensation price brackets based on market and public opinion. 

In 2021, Binh Duong was also the first province out of 63 cities in this accountability component index. This index consists of three components: the extent and effectiveness of interaction with local authorities; the response to complaints, denunciations, and questions from the public; and access to judicial services. In order to improve accountability to the people, localities have carried out many people-to-people contacts (besides periodic contacts) to grasp and solve many pressing issues of the people earlier, improving public awareness and the trust and confidence of the people in the mechanism of receiving complaints and denunciations from the authorities at all levels.

The remaining component index contents also had a remarkable increase in scores and were evaluated better by the people compared to 2020.​

Efforts to retain achievements

The People's Committee of Binh Duong Province has set out a plan to maintain PAPI results in 2022 and the following years with the expectation of creating a comprehensive "reform" and constantly improving the quality of governance, governance, and management. Public administration of the government apparatus at all levels, especially at the grassroots level, contributes to building a transparent, integrity-driven, effective, efficient, professional, unified administration, improving service quality, and improving the prestige of the government at all levels among the people.

The Provincial National Assembly Delegation surveys the satisfaction of people when they come to proceed administrative procedures at the Provincial Public Administration Center​

The plan specifies the roles and responsibilities of the Party committees and authorities at all levels in contacting and having a dialogue with the people, listening to the people's thoughts and aspirations, and having a method of sharing information suitable to the charact​eristics of each population group. Create favorable conditions for people to approach, exchange, and promptly and effectively respond to difficulties and problems in people's activities and lives. In the coming time, the province will continue to implement synchronous solutions to improve the quality of people's living environment towards sustainable development, improve the quality of essential grassroots public services such as the public sector and education, and improve basic infrastructure to meet the requirements of improving people's quality of life, such as electricity, clean water, traffic, security, and order. At the same time, make more efforts in the e-administration sector; support people to access and fulfill their responsibility to respond to people's feedback and recommendations through the provincial web portal.

​Volunteer youth force supports people to apply online at the Provincial Public Administration Center​

The PAPI index is the only indicator that measures people's perceptions of the effectiveness and quality of policy implementation and public service delivery by local governments. Many content and composition indexes of PAPI depend a lot on the level of interaction of the government with the people. In which the role of people working directly in the neighborhood, such as Hamlet, as grassroots officials is critical. All policies and guidelines of the government must be communicated to the people through the grassroots, neighborhoods, and hamlets. On the other hand, in order for people to pay more attention to and participate in government activities and to feel good about the effectiveness of the government's operations, it is necessary to focus on improving the service quality of the local government, the performance of the Executive Board, and mass organizations in the quarter and hamlet.

​​​People come to proceed administrative procedures at the Public Administration Service Center of Thu Dau Mot City​

Mr. Vo Van Minh, Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee and Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee, requested all levels and sectors maintain the results of the PAPI index in 2021, but not to focus on the rankings but to ensure factual accuracy and strive to improve the component indexes to better meet the needs of serving people and businesses. Through the evaluation criteria, all levels and sectors determine the priority issues to be solved in the immediate, medium, and long term; assign specific tasks to relevant units; and innovate the way to serve the people. In low-scoring content, sectors and levels need to define specific tasks for implementation coordination. Continue to pay attention to administrative reform, improve the quality of public service delivery, and foster the proper service attitude of cadres and civil servants, especially in administrative procedures at the grassroots level that are directly related to the people, such as land, licensing, construction, etc.

In the period from 2016 to 2020, the PAPI index results of Binh Duong province were not appreciated; even after a few years, the results of the province's PAPI index were among the lowest in the country. However, the outstanding promotion in 2021 shows that Binh Duong has cleared the bottleneck, found the answer to the problem of improving the PAPI Index, and contributed to building a professional, modern administration for the sake of the people.​

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Yen Nhi

Translated by Nguyen Dong

​​Vision for sustainable development

Binh Duong province is located in the Southern Key Economic Zone without an airport or seaport, so Binh Duong belongs to the group of provinces and cities that do not have advantages in transporting, importing and exporting goods. However, Binh Duong is located adjacent to Ho Chi Minh City with advantages in terms of airports and seaports. Therefore, through the road traffic system along the North-South axis of Binh Duong, it has created favorable conditions for transporting goods from industrial parks of Binh Duong, Binh Phuoc, Tay Ninh, Central Highlands, industrial parks in the Northwest of Cu Chi - Ho Chi Minh City, to easily connect to seaports, river ports and international airports of Ho Chi Minh City. From there, it shows that the development of Binh Duong's transport infrastructure system is very important, not only to meet the province's transport needs but also to meet the needs of the region's transport.

North Tan Uyen- Phu Giao- Bau Bang route, section through Tan Dinh Commune, North Tan Uyen District

 Determining that importance, over the years, Binh Duong has been proactive in developing the transport system, making a clear difference, taking the initiative in attracting investment and developing the economy. Besides the achievements in socio-economic development, Binh Duong's transport infrastructure development is also considered as a bright spot, and one of the provinces with a good transport infrastructure system of the Southern Key Economic Region and the whole country.​

However, up to now, along with the speed of socio-economic development, Binh Duong's transport infrastructure system is currently facing difficulties and challenges because it cannot keep up with the pace of socio-economic development, the province's arterial roads are currently overloaded at rush hours such as National Highway No.13, My Phuoc - Tan Van road, and DT743 road, etc. The investment and connection of transport infrastructure between provinces and cities in the Southern Key Economic Region is still slow and inconsistent, especially the arterial traffic axes with regional connectivity (such as Ring Road No.3, Ring Road No.4 in Ho Chi Minh City, Ho Chi Minh - Thu Dau Mot - Chon Thanh expressway, etc.). Meanwhile, the demand and volume of goods transported by Binh Duong as well as neighboring provinces and cities through the area are increasing on a number of arterial roads such as National Highway No.13, My Phuoc - Tan Van road, DT.743 road, etc. especially the intersections in the Southern gateway area of Binh Duong, etc.

To meet the above needs, Binh Duong province has developed  the Program No. 42-CTr/TU dated August 02, 2021 on Focusing on developing transport infrastructure towards urbanization, building Binh Duong smart city in the 2021-2025 period, orientation to 2030, vision to 2045 and the Plan No. 2585/QD-UBND dated October 17, 2022 on promulgating the implementation the Plan of Program No. 42-CTr/TU dated August 02, 2021 of the Provincial Party Committee.

The specific objective is to focus on investing in key and arterial roads of the province and the region, continue to propose proposals to the Central Committee, coordinate with provinces and cities in the Southern Key Economic Region to accelerate investment, connect ring roads, expressways, etc. according to the Regional planning in order to reduce the load on the arterial roads of the province, especially the roads connecting Binh Phuoc, the Central Highlands, the Industrial parks in the Northwest of Ho Chi Minh City to seaports and international airports.

Orientation for transportation infrastructure development

Binh Duong province continues to focus on investing in the construction of important roads, enhancing regional connectivity, and improving transport capacity such as Ring Road No.3, Ring Road No.4, Ho Chi Minh City - Thu Dau Mot - Chon Thanh Expressway, etc. At the same time, continuing to develop urban transport infrastructure in association with urban embellishment, gradually overcoming traffic jams, in which, focusing on upgrading and expanding National Highway No.13, Extended My Phuoc Tan Van road, DT.746 road, DT.747B road, DT.743 road, road from Song Than overpass connecting Pham Van Dong road, riverside road projects, etc. In addition, step by step constructing overpasses and intersections at different levels to improve traffic capacity on arterial roads such as constructing Song Than intersection, constructing underpasses at Phuoc Kien 5-way intersection, etc. In addition, because Binh Duong is also surrounded by 2 rivers, Saigon River in the west and Dong Nai River in the east, to create an inter-regional transport network, the province has actively coordinated with Ho Chi Minh City, Dong Nai and Tay Ninh to invest in and prepare for investment and put into planning the connecting bridges across the river to create a transport network with high connectivity, serving the development of the Southeast region in the coming time.

For inland waterways, investing in and calling for investment in completing roads connecting to inland waterway ports, creating favorable conditions to call investors to build a system of inland waterway ports to ensure the planned scale (An Tay port, Thanh An port, Thoi Hoa port, etc.); investing in the construction of transport infrastructure connecting logistics centers, inland container depots (ICDs), wharves, freight transshipment points; completing construction and putting into use Binh Duong's intelligent transportation system, digital transformation in transportation management.

For railways, striving to construct and put into operation the project of extending the Urban railway line No.1 from Suoi Tien station to Binh Thang ward, creating a premise for the complete construction of the province's urban railway system according to planning, diversifying modes of public passenger transport; coordinating with the Ministry of Transport to prepare a pre-feasibility study report and call on investors to invest in a freight railway from Bau Bang to Cai Mep - Thi Vai.

​Promoting digital transformation and management in the transport sector

At the same time, applying and well implementing the mechanisms, policies and regulations of the law to evaluate BOT projects in the area, proceed to arrange and remove BOT toll stations in order to solve traffic jams on arterial roads, connecting the region; strengthening the management and efficient exploitation of traffic infrastructure. The province will invest in a smart camera system from the province to the districts, towns and cities to monitor traffic order and security in the most effective way. Continuing to divide traffic at peak hours on some key roads to prevent traffic jams. Implementing well the administrative reform, applying information technology, science and technology to improve management capacity in the fields of the transport sector.

​Mr. Nguyen Anh Minh-

Director of the Department of Transport

Translated by Thanh Tam

​​Promoting science and technology in accordance with socio-economic development

During the urbanization era, Binh Duong has specifically integrated various goals on promoting science and technology (S&T) in accordance with socio-economic development and actively turned S&T into a major development motive in general strategies, laying the groundwork for investment attraction with high added value and sustainable development in the 4.0 era. The process of promoting S&T has been carried out according to a roadmap with a focus on suiting the actual situation, bolstering existing industrial, service, and infrastructure advantages, and at the same time focusing on the demands of the market, whose nucleus is business. Binh Duong has dramatically applied the "Triple Helix" model from Eindhoven, Netherlands, and promoted cooperation between the (1) state, (2) enterprise, and (3) school to create conditions and encourage organizations in society to invest in it. 

Binh Duong has strongly encouraged investment, attracting resources from society to conduct research in a methodical, scientific manner in line with new trends and demands. For instance, the Binh Duong Comprehensive and Integrated Planning Project for the Year 2030—with the Vision for 2025—has been undertaken by Central Research Institutes and International Consultants in concurrence with the Smart Logistics Project by the Viet Nam Logistics Research and Development Institute and enterprises. The province was also chosen by the Central Theoretical Council to summarize the country's development model, the country's innovation, and the orientation vision for 2050. Only in 2022, nearly 30 subjects and projects involving the application of S&T in coordination with institutes, educational organizations, and enterprises have been carried out to solve practical and urgent issues in the province, ranging from social security and national defense, social issues, culture, and religions to economic, agricultural, and industrial development, and digital transformation support for businesses, etc.

          Not only using budgets, Binh Duong also focuses on encouraging businesses to invest in research and development and opening S&T funds up to billions of dong. Businesses actively implement many subjects and projects and coordinate with institutes and educational organizations to do research on solutions for business and production improvement for themselves, contribute to society, and even get a chance to be recognized by the authorities, which is a foundation for further development. In 2022, the number of S&T enterprises increased by 3. In the future, the S&T sector will continue to develop the "Triple Helix" model, connect all sides, and establish large-scale scientific programs to solve breakthrough and far-reaching issues. The province has been developing major cooperative programs with leading scientific agencies such as the Central Theoretical Council, Vietnam National University in Ho Chi Minh City.

Developing an innovative ecosystem

In terms of developing an innovative ecosystem based on the central policy, Binh Duong has issued and strongly implemented policies, including Project 826 on "Supporting small and medium-sized start-up enterprises in Binh Duong Province up to the year 2025.". The Binh Duong Innovation Center, established by the province, connects all enterprises in the area, contributing to a breakthrough in innovative startup. 

According to the province's orientation, businesses and educational organizations are encouraged and given optimal conditions to simultaneously build service facilities to promote startup and technological experiments such as the Incubator Center and Lab Center 4.0 based on international standards of the Eastern International University, Becamex's 16000m2 technical experimental workshop, Singapore-based Startup Support Center Block71 in cooperation between the National University of Singapore and Becamex Corporation, Advanced Manufacturing Center to support businesses to improve productivity and quality, Startup Support Center of Thu Dau Mot University, Agricultural Startup Incubation Center of Irrigation University Binh Duong Branch, World Trade Center with 22000m2 for public exhibition technology, etc., and most recently, the new German-standard campus of Vietnam-Germany University will be the nucleus of the university city - innovation in the future.

Another typical example that shows the significance of the enterprise force is the main role of the Becamex IDC in the development of an innovative startup ecosystem in the Binh Duong New City area, a political and social center of the province with a modern infrastructure foundation. This area has attracted international-standard universities and training centers focusing on the fields of information technology, mechatronics, electronics, business administration, etc. It also serves as a pillar in the training of human resources for modern factories and the development of an industrial base through research and development subjects. Thanks to these conditions, the New City has become a Living Lab for the Smart City Project. It is a testing ground for new ideas and technologies, with the goal of laying a solid foundation before broad synchronous application to the entire province and region. 

In addition, in recent years, Binh Duong has regularly hosted events, workshops, competitions, and exhibition in both national and international levels to promote global connection and attract thousands of prestigious leaders, rectors, organizations, and businesses from all over the world to Binh Duong, opening investment attraction, human resources exchanges, scientific and technological, innovative, and smart city development, namely the UNESCO Global Innovation Forum 2018, Horasis Asia Meeting (2018, 2019), Asia Pacific Industrial Transformation Event ITAP (2021), Binh Duong National Science Conference Century (2022), Conference to honor the top 7 World Smart Community Forum 2022, etc., and most recently, sequent events of the Techfest Vietnam National Innovation Day 2022 with a scale of hundreds of exhibition booths, more than 30 seminars, co-organized by the Ministry of Science and Technology and Binh Duong province, with the participation of the Prime Minister and more than 8000 visitors, marking a new era of Binh Duong after 25 years of development and breakthroughs towards a new industrial ecosystem and a Smart City in the 4.0 era where Science, Technology, and Innovation are the keys.

Binh Duong's innovative strategies have been highly appreciated by many domestic and foreign organizations and awarded many titles and awards, such as the title of "Pioneer in the national innovation journey in 2021" by VCCI, the Top Industry 4.0 Viet Nam Award in 2022 organized by the Viet Nam Union of Science and Technology Associations in collaboration with central agencies, and especially by the World Smart Community Forum ICF honored the Top 7 areas with typical smart city development strategies in 2021 and 2022.

Determining to progress, setting a goal of early escaping the middle income trap

In the next phase, with the challenges and opportunities of the 4.0 post-Covid-19 era and the constant instability of the world, Binh Duong is determined to rise up, setting a goal to soon overcome the middle-income trap. Accordingly, income per capita is expected to be more than 14,500 USD, according to Resolution 24 of the Politburo on the development of the Southeast region with the key of science, technology, and innovation. Two major focuses of the province's science and technology in the new period are how to attract resources and connect the Triple Helix in order to (1) strongly support enterprises to improve their qualifications and reduce labor intensiveness; proceed digital transformation and 4.0 technology application to improve productivity and quality, and (2) form a vibrant open innovation ecosystem for the future implementation of science and technology zones and next-generation industrial ecosystems and a new, smart, civilized, and modern city. Currently, Binh Duong is actively planning the Innovation Zone - the focus of the Smart City project in the next phase, in order to connect projects and start-up areas across the province. That the South of the region is connected with Thu Duc City, Ho Chi Minh City, the province borders Chon Thanh - Binh Phuoc in the North will form an innovation axis of the Southern Key Economic Zone, in which the New City is the core. The area is concentrated with resources to create new development levers, such as building smart industrial parks, clusters of international standard universities combined with livable cities and developing open innovation ecosystems.​

Thus, from solid foundations and under the close direction of provincial leaders, the science, technology, and innovation industry is changing strongly, opening new directions, and attracting social resources to contribute gradually and more strongly to the socio-economic breakthrough of Binh Duong province in the new stage.

PhD. Nguyen Viet Long

Director of Binh Duong Department of Science and Technology

During the process of establishment and development, with its position as a province having a high degree of urbanization and the fastest growth rate in the country, it has created many advantages but also created many challenges for the province's agricultural branch in terms of labor costs, land costs, opportunity costs of attracting high investment capital. However, in the face of difficulties and challenges, in fact, Binh Duong's agricultural branch has implemented many innovative solutions and achieved great progress, even many fields are considered to be leading the country. The branch fiercely adheres to and thoroughly grasps the spirit of Resolution No. 15-NQ/TW of the 5^th Conference of the Party Central Committee (Term IX) on accelerating the industrialization and modernization of agriculture and rural areas in the 2001-2010 period, Resolution No. 26-NQ/TW of the 7^th Conference of the Party Central Committee (Term X) on agriculture, farmers and rural areas, creatively applying the Resolution in the province's conditions, promoting the inherent strengths, while sticking to the policy of building a smart city over the past time.

Through the process of implementation, in each field of agriculture, farmers and rural areas of Binh Duong province, there have been many innovations, material and spiritual life has been improved; national defense - security is kept firmly and stably; the political system has been gradually consolidated, the leadership and management activities are becoming more and more effective and efficient. The main targets have all met and exceeded the goals of the Program, in which the results of development investment in agriculture in Binh Duong province are as follows:

For many consecutive years, GDP per capita in rural areas has grown continuously, reaching 71 million VND/year in 2021 (much higher than the national average of 41.76 million VND/year); the total number of agricultural farms ranked 2^nd in the Southeast region and 5^th in the whole country; rubber plantation area and dried latex output ranked 2^nd, number of pig herds ranked 8^th, number of poultry herds ranked 12^th nationwide; high-tech livestock production capacity was rated among the top in the country. In 2020, the agriculture and rural development branch was also honored to be awarded the first class Labor Order by the President of the Socialist Republic of VietNam; this is an affirmation for the success of Binh Duong's agricultural branch, where Resolution No. 26-NQ/TW of the 7^th Conference of the Party Central Committee (Term X) on agriculture, farmers and rural areas as the guideline.

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Ceremony of receiving the first class Labor Order in 2020

​​          In addition to well implementing mechanisms and policies to encourage investment in agriculture and rural areas promulgated by the Central Government, Binh Duong province applies the Central Government's policies to issue local policies (supporting VietGAP, encouraging investment in urban agriculture, high-tech agriculture, supporting vaccination, etc.), contributing positively to the restructuring of agricultural production associated with new rural construction.

          Binh Duong's agriculture develops in a comprehensive and modern direction, the agricultural economic structure continues to shift towards producing high-value and efficient goods, gradually reducing the proportion of cultivation and increasing the proportion of livestock. Perennial crops and concentrated livestock continue to be strengths in the province's agricultural branch, by the end of 2021, the total area of perennial crops reached 142,438 ha (the rubber area accounted for 133,278 ha with an output of 194,197 tons, more than 2 times higher than 2001); the total livestock herd reached 718,919 heads, the total poultry herd reached over 13.5 million heads with the total output of live meat for slaughter reached nearly 200,000 tons (almost 10 times higher than that of 2001). The technical advances have agricultural production has been widely applied in agricultural production and achieved some remarkable results: 100% of agricultural land was mechanized for tillage; the use of new varieties in agriculture reached over 90%.

          Livestock, the focus of Binh Duong's agriculture is a strong industry leading the way in promoting technology content with 90% of the total herd being raised according to farm size (of which about 70% of the total pig and poultry herds apply closed and cold farming methods). Many companies, farms and households have boldly invested and applied modern technology and advanced production lines that meet European standards in livestock production such as: automatic feeders and drinkers, post-harvest technology, high-yield breeders, cages, floor cages, cooling and heating systems, etc. bringing high economic efficiency. High-tech livestock production is concentrated in 04 Northern districts (Bau Bang, Phu Giao, Dau Tieng and Bac Tan Uyen), mainly pigs and chickens. Private farms and companies that invest prominently in high-yield livestock such as Vinh Tan farm, Companies of 3F Viet, CP, CJ Vina, Japfa, CJ-Agri, Ba Huan, Emivest, Viet Swan, etc.

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Poultry slaughter line of 3F Viet Joint Stock Company

          Rural socio-economic infrastructure continues to receive attention and investment, rural economic structure continues to shift towards industry - services, income and material and spiritual life of the rural population increases. Up to now, 100% of communes in the province have been recognized as meeting new-style rural standards; 70.73% of communes meet the advanced new-style rural standards; 100% of rural population have accessto clean and hygienic water; irrigation works, dikes, natural disaster prevention and control promote their effectiveness in irrigation and flood prevention, ensuring irrigation for 100% of short-term crops; 100% of communes have roads from the district to the commune, the main commune road  are asphalted; alleyways are concreted, contributing to creating favorable conditions for production development, promoting large-scale consumption of agricultural products and goods, and contributing to attracting businesses to invest in rural areas. The school system at all levels has been invested in modern, spacious and most communes have kindergartens and primary schools that meet national standards. The system of cultural and sports institutions is invested to meet the needs of people's living, entertainment and recreation, 100% of communes have hamlet cultural houses; 100% of commune roads and roads from commune center to district roads and 100% of main hamlet and inter-hamlet roads are asphalted, ensuring convenient travel by car all year round; 100% of communes, wards and towns have doctors serving; all waste in rural areas is collected and treated, gradually reducing environmental pollution; security and order are maintained, etc.

          Continuing to promote the existing foundation

          Entering a new phase, Binh Duong's agricultural branch is determined to continue to promote its existing foundation, apply more creatively the Resolution on agriculture, farmers and rural areas associated with the new orientation of the Binh Duong Smart city - Innovation Region project proposed by the Resolution of the 11^th Provincial Party Congress, 2020 - 2025 tenure to overcome the Covid-19 pandemic and welcome the fourth industrial revolution; break through and transform from the model of small-scale production and outsourcing, to professional and advanced production applying technology, developing potential, promoting science and technology, innovation, digital transformation, step by step mastering technology and markets, moving up in the value chain, building model rural areas associated with Smart Villages, bringing agriculture and rural areas to a new height.  In particular, Binh Duong's agricultural production needs to mobilize the participation and joint efforts of businesses, scientists, agencies and units for the main issue:

          The first is to process agricultural products, build production, processing and consumption links in the province and neighboring provinces, promote the advantages of geographical location, capital potential, science and technology and market of the Southern Key Economic Region.

          The second is to invest in research, production and transfer of high technologies in agricultural production, especially technologies related to varieties, biotechnology, etc., application of smart, environmentally friendly technology, building a circular economy chain, linking production and consumption of products.

The third is supporting services and technologies for agricultural development such as: transportation logistics, warehousing, trade promotion services to consume agricultural products, packaging industry, trademark packaging of agricultural products; support services for technical transfer of agricultural production, product quality management; industry producing animal feed, veterinary medicine, fertilizer, plant protection medicine, etc.

          The fourth is the digital transformation in agricultural production and management.

          And the last - also the most important issue, Binh Duong's agricultural branch needs the support of experienced experts, scientists and businesses, join efforts from enthusiastic young human resources to participate in research, production and business, contributing to the agricultural development and rural construction in Binh Duong while catching up with the development trend of smart city construction industry but still preserving the fine traditional identities and values of the rural areas and the homeland of Binh Duong.​

Mr. Pham Van Bong

Director of Binh Duong Department of Agriculture and Rural Development

Translated by Thanh Tam​