On June 15, 2024, a delegation from the National Assembly’s Committee on Science, Technology, and Environment, led by Mr. Lê Quang Huy, Member of the Party Central Committee and Chairman of the Committee, visited and worked with the Vietnam Blockchain Association to provide feedback on the development of the Digital Technology and Industry Law, which is expected to be submitted to the 15th National Assembly for review and discussion at the upcoming 8th session.
Attending the meeting on behalf of the Committee on Science, Technology, and Environment (CSTE) were Mr. Lê Quang Huy, Member of the Party Central Committee and Chairman of the Committee; Mr. Nguyễn Phương Tuấn, Deputy Chairman of the Committee; Standing Members of the CSTE: Ms. Nguyễn Thị Kim Anh, Mr. Trần Văn Khải, Mr. Nguyễn Ngọc Sơn, Mr. Nguyễn Văn An; Full-time Members of the CSTE: Mr. Vương Quốc Thắng, Mr. Lê Hoàng Hải; and Mr. Trần Ngọc Hoa, Director of the Department of Science, Technology, and Environment. Other committee and department members were also in attendance.
On behalf of the Vietnam Blockchain Association (VBA), the attendees included Prof. Dr. Hoàng Văn Huây, Former Deputy Minister of Science and Technology and Chairman of the VBA; Mr. Trần Việt Hùng, Former Deputy Chief of the Office of the Party Central Committee; Lieutenant General Đặng Vũ Sơn, Former Head of the Government Cipher Committee; Mr. Phan Đức Trung, Standing Vice Chairman of the VBA; Ms. Nguyễn Vân Hiền, General Secretary of the VBA and Deputy Director of the ABAII Academy; Mr. Đào Trung Thành, Deputy Director of the ABAII Academy; and Mr. Lê Linh Lương, Head of VBA’s Hanoi Representative Office and Deputy Director of the ABAII Academy.
Sharing about the purpose of the visit, Mr. Lê Quang Huy, Member of the Party Central Committee and Chairman of the Committee on Science, Technology, and Environment of the National Assembly, stated: “In preparation for the review of the Digital Technology Industry Law project, which is expected to be submitted to the 15th National Assembly for review and discussion at the upcoming 8th session, our delegation aims to listen to valuable insights on the current state of Blockchain and Artificial Intelligence applications in Vietnam. We also wish to engage in discussions with the Association to propose suitable recommendations for drafting the Digital Technology Industry Law. Additionally, the strategy for promoting education on Blockchain and Artificial Intelligence to the public, particularly students and startups, is another key topic we focus on in today’s working session.”
Representing the VBA, Mr. Phan Đức Trung, Standing Vice Chairman, later gave a presentation on the overall landscape of Blockchain. According to Mr. Trung: “Vietnam is currently a highly potential market for Blockchain, experiencing strong growth in the number of businesses, projects, and communities. It is recorded that over 1,000 companies are operating in the Blockchain sector, with more than 500 projects spanning various fields such as finance, real estate, healthcare, education, and others, all operated by Vietnamese startups. Furthermore, around 20 million Vietnamese people are now holding virtual assets. Vietnam lacks a comprehensive legal framework for virtual assets (VAs) and virtual asset service providers (VASPs). Therefore, the mission of the Vietnam Blockchain Association is to collaborate with state agencies, such as the National Assembly’s Committee on Science, Technology, and Environment, to promote and ensure compliance with current regulations among individuals and organizations within this industry.”
Subsequently, Mr. Dao Trung Thanh (Deputy Director of the ABAII Academy) and Ms. Nguyen Van Hien (Secretary General of the Vietnam Blockchain Association and Deputy Director of the ABAII Academy) presented a report on the ABAII Academy’s achievements and upcoming strategies in promoting blockchain and AI education to the community.
According to Mr. Thành, this is no longer a time when nations debate whether to adopt AI, as the potential and effectiveness of the technology have been globally recognized and accepted. “Now is the time we need to focus on answering how to apply AI and in which specific fields and activities.” Along with these issues, Mr. Thành, on behalf of the ABAII Academy, also presented several proposed solutions and appropriate applications.
Regarding efforts to promote blockchain and AI education, Ms. Vân Hiền shared that after reaching six universities between March and May 2024, ABAII Academy plans to continue organizing Unitour at 25 universities, targeting over 20,000 students soon. Additionally, ABAII is preparing for hackathon competitions in the IT sector, alongside the ABAII Edu learning ecosystem, offering high-quality Blockchain & AI courses and promoting blockchain and AI education. This will be further supported by the establishment of two new centers: the AI Innovation Center and the Vietnam Blockchain Training and Entrepreneurship Center.
To help National Assembly delegates from the Committee on Science, Technology, and Environment better understand the institute’s courses and certification process, Mr. Trần Dinh, Chairman of the VBA Fintech Application Committee, demonstrated the process of verifying, issuing certificates, and storing diplomas as NFTs on the blockchain to enhance transparency.
Following the presentations, members of the National Assembly’s Committee on Science, Technology, and Environment and leaders from the Vietnam Blockchain Association and the ABAII Academy engaged in a candid and open discussion on the application of blockchain and AI technologies, as well as feedback on the draft Digital Technology and Industry Law, which will be presented at the upcoming 8th National Assembly session. The Vietnam Blockchain Association also put forward several constructive recommendations for further discussion with the delegation.
Before concluding the session, the National Assembly delegation expressed their support for the overall direction of the VBA and the ABAII Academy. They also outlined topics for future working sessions between the two parties, aiming to foster the development of the blockchain and AI sectors, contributing to the country’s overall progress.