Development and brain drain: a review of Vietnamese labour export and skilled migration

The (dis)embodiment of human capital development projects: the case of Vietnam before and within the global “race for talent”

“…In terms of foreign relations, the government recognised that to increase production for domestic consumption and export, Vietnam had to rely on its existing bilateral relations with the communist countries Cambodia and Laos, as well as some African countries, to increase its political influence on this continent (Nguyen , p.183). These relations would generate technical and financial support for Vietnam to overcome the economic depression and increase applications of science and technology in education, social and economic development.…”

“…Second, labour cooperation (hợp tác lao động) programmes were managed through the Vietnamese Government's agreements on labour exchange with communist countries. In particular, through the Vietnam‒USSR Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation signed in 1978, Vietnam sent 24,000 skilled workers and students to technical internships in the USSR during this period (Nguyen , p.183). It is estimated that in 1986, 9,012 skilled and semi‐skilled people were sent to the USSR, East Germany, Hungary, and Slovakia in labour cooperation schemes, and this number rapidly increased to 244,186 in 1989.…”

“…After the collapse of communism in Eastern Europe and the USSR, Vietnam faced a serious reduction in financial and technical assistance from these countries. Aiming to open the door to the international arena, Vietnam changed its diplomatic approach to multilateralism in order to seek out economic opportunities (Nguyen , p.184). One of the objectives of Vietnam's foreign relations during that period was to extend their relations to “any countries without discrimination in political and social regimes”, and Vietnam wanted “to be friends with all countries” (VCP , p.5) on the basis of fairness and mutually beneficial cooperation.…”

“…Instead of promoting human capital as a political strategy to enhance bilateral relations with the former communist and African countries as before, the Vietnamese Government then considered it to be a commercialised commodity used to increase economic revenue and solve domestic unemployment caused by the shift from agricultural production to industrialisation. Following this, a total number of 1,024,100 people with high school qualifications and vocational training were sent to Thailand, the Philippines, and Indonesia to work in agriculture, fishery, construction, and engineering from 1991 to 1996 (Nguyen , p.185).…”

“…The government's commitment to building human capital was also expressed in their extensive labour export programmes, which I termed a “go approach” (Nguyen , p.186). In 1999, the state initially recognised the export of labour as a tool for the pre‐industrialisation process, and as a “social and economic activity” (Ministry of Justice [MOJ] , p.1) that contributed to improving the quality of the workforce, relieving domestic unemployment, increasing national revenue, and enhancing Vietnam's foreign relations.…”