IRASEC

Vietnam's growth model and its development ambitions

Bertrand — 2026-10-20T10:41:01Z

9 October 2026, from 8:30am to 10:30am (UTC+7)
CCIFV office, 40 Hai Ba Trung, Hanoi, Vietnam
🇫🇷 Conference in French

Jean-Philippe EGLINGER (Inalco/ Viet Phap Strategies), associate research fellows at IRASEC, delivered a lecture analyzing a turning point in Vietnam's development model—a model that, since the 1986 Đổi Mới reforms, has been built on economic openness, integration into global value chains, and an influx of foreign direct investment (FDI). While this model has yielded remarkable performance, it is now revealing its limitations : low domestic value-added, insufficient productivity gains, weak R&D, and difficulty in fostering a network of Vietnamese enterprises capable of moving up the value chain. Achieving the ambition of joining the ranks of high-income countries by 2045 will require a “second Đổi Mới”—one that is institutional rather than primarily economic. This would entail better coordination between the state, businesses, universities, and research institutions ; greater institutional autonomy ; a qualitative shift in the nature of FDI ; and the development of a robust national innovation ecosystem.

The discussion was moderated by Rémi NGUYEN, Vice-President of the CCIFV and an associate researcher at IRASEC.

Vietnam has set two major targets : achieving annual growth of at least 10% and a GDP per capita of approximately USD 8,500 by 2030, followed by reaching high-income country status by 2045. The World Bank's reclassification of Vietnam as an upper-middle-income country last July marked an important milestone towards these ambitions.

Three key takeaways emerged from the discussion :

Understanding institutions to understand the economy. Strategic directions are established through Politburo resolutions and translated into laws and action programmes. Resolutions 57 (science, technology, innovation and digital transformation) and 68 (private sector development) highlight the reforms and priority sectors that will shape Vietnam's future.
Shifting to a new growth model. Growth driven by capital accumulation, foreign investment and a competitive workforce is reaching its limits. Future growth will increasingly depend on productivity gains through innovation, R&D, skills development and administrative efficiency. Resolution 57 sets a target of allocating 2% of GDP to R&D by 2030.
Addressing the challenges ahead. R&D spending remains below 1% of GDP, while domestic private enterprises are still predominantly small businesses. Ultimately, the success of Vietnam's ambitions will depend on the effective implementation of reforms.

The Vietnam War: Ethnic Minorities, Conflicts, And Legitimacy

Bertrand — 2026-10-16T04:36:47Z

23 October 2026, 5:30–7:00 pm (Vietnam time, UTC+7)
Hosted by EFEO at Ho Chi Minh City
113 Hai Bà Trưng, Bến Nghé, D. 1

Conference in english.
The Zoom link is sent by email and posted in the SSSH Facebook group three days before the talk.

23 October 2026, 5:30–7:00 pm (Vietnam time, UTC+7)
Hosted by EFEO at Ho Chi Minh City
113 Hai Bà Trưng, Bến Nghé, D. 1

Conference in english.
The Zoom link is sent by email and posted in the SSSH Facebook group three days before the talk.

This research project explores the Republic of Vietnam's policies toward ethnic minorities from 1955 to 1975, examining how successive regimes sought to incorporate, control, and militarize minority populations within the framework of nation-building. Using extensive archival sources from the Vietnam National Archives II, the study argues that state approaches were fundamentally dual : minorities were mobilized as strategic assets for counterinsurgency yet simultaneously treated as potential threats to national security. Policies under Ngô Đình Diệm's First Republic, the Interregnum, and the Second Republic revealed recurring contradictions that fueled unrest, desertions, and resistance movements such as FULRO. By situating ethnic politics at the center of South Vietnam's turbulent history, this project highlights how the failure to institutionalize minority inclusion weakened state legitimacy, deepened social divisions, and shaped the broader trajectory of the Vietnam War.

Khang Do is a PhD graduate in History and Politics from the University of Leeds. His research focuses on ethnic minorities, state formation, and conflict in twentieth-century Vietnam. He earned dual bachelor's degrees in History and International Studies, and a Master's in Innovation and Entrepreneurship from the University of California, Irvine. He later completed a second Master's in International Affairs at the University of California, San Diego.

Building Critical Thinking About AI

Bertrand — 2026-10-14T10:47:43Z

October 30, 2026, 4:00 p.m. – 5:30 p.m. (Singapore time)

Registration to the webinar.

October 30, 2026, 4:00 p.m. – 5:30 p.m. (Singapore time)

Registration to the webinar.

Elisabeth Peyroux, CNRS Research Director, Associate Researcher at IRASEC and Visiting Senior Research Fellow at the Asia Research Institute (ARI) of the National University of Singapore (NUS), will participate in this webinar as part of the “Critical Social AI webinar series,” alongside Bahia Guellai (CNRS@CREATE). They will present interdisciplinary reflections on the challenges of redefining human agency and responsibility from their respective disciplinary perspectives.
This webinar series is organized by a working group at the National University of Singapore (NUS) that brings together researchers and professionals who critically analyze how AI is gradually being integrated into various aspects of social and professional life.

The concept of agency has been at the core of many recent epistemological shifts in the social sciences. Due to the rapid spread of AI, researchers across various disciplines are working to describe the role of non-human entities in shaping representations, perceptions, actions, and new types of interactions within everyday digitally mediated environments. Recently, some scholars are questioning whether human agency itself needs to be rethought. The question therefore arises : how should we investigate agency in human-AI interaction across different tools such as agentic systems, LLM chatbots, drones, and AI sensory systems ? In this CritSocAI webinar, two social science scholars will give an overview of contemporary epistemological shifts in geography, urban studies and developmental psychology, and assess some of the research methods that can be employed to study how interacting with AI agents influences human perceptions and reshapes cognitive categories.

The 2026 International Conference of ASEAN Studies

Bertrand — 2026-10-12T04:42:32Z

Thanawat BREMARD will presente a paper entitled “Pragmatism as social capital : Community responses to urban floods in Thai provincial cities” in “Climate Justice and Green Transition in ASEAN–ROK Cooperation : Community Resilience, Governance, and Cultural Identity” session at The 2026 International Conference of ASEAN Studies.

23-24 October 2026
VNU, University of Social Sciences and Humanities (Vietnam)

The 2026 International Conference of ASEAN Studies is coorganised by Korea Institute for ASEAN Studies, Busan University of Foreign Studies (KIAS-BUFS), the University of Languages and International Studies, Vietnam National University, Hanoi (ULIS-VNU), and the Institute of Literature - Vietnamese Academy of Social Sciences (VIL-VASS). The theme is “ASEAN-ROK Partnership in the Era of Crisis : Bridging Development, Innovation, and Cultural Identity”.
At this conference, Thanawat BREMARD will presente a paper entitled “Pragmatism as social capital : Community responses to urban floods in Thai provincial cities” in “Climate Justice and Green Transition in ASEAN–ROK Cooperation : Community Resilience, Governance, and Cultural Identity” session.
He will also serve as a discussant during the session presentation “Civil-society connectivity and community-driven development in Southeast Asia : Case studies of rural areas in Thailand and the Philippines.”

Abstract

Most countries in the monsoonal region of Southeast Asia are no stranger to flooding. Despite extensive experience with recurrent flooding, the phenomenon is still commonly depicted in a depoliticized manner as one where people are at the mercy of nature's whims. Urban Political Ecology (UPE) counters this mainstream depiction by positing that flooding is fundamentally a political challenge rooted in the alteration of the environment and its hydrology through socio-economic and political processes. Through case studies in Thailand in the context of participatory action research conducted by the Thai Water Partnership (TWP) in provincial cities, community-driven initiatives demonstrated rapid mobilization of resources that leverage social capital to address institutional gaps in formal disaster management. This culturally embedded pragmatism provides crucial short-term resilience but over-reliance on it tends to mask systemic deficiencies in long-term preparedness. The improvisational nature of community responses cannot replace comprehensive planning. In terms of flood impact prevention, much can be gained from implementing simulation exercises and revising flood management indicators to adapt to the increasing severity and unpredictability of floods driven by climate change. Recognizing the strengths and limitations of this social capital is essential for developing inclusive governance strategies that integrate local knowledge with institutional accountability to enhance sustainable flood management and climate resilience.

AI as critical infrastructure in Singapore : Revisiting the urban infrastructure debates

Bertrand — 2026-08-31T11:05:23Z

On August 25 and 26 2026, Elisabeth Peyroux, CNRS Research Director, Associate Researcher at IRASEC and Visiting Senior Research Fellow at the Asia Research Institute (ARI) of the National University of Singapore (NUS) participated in the workshop “Singapore and the Infrastructural Imagination : Locating the City-State In and Of the World,” organized by the Urban Institute at the Singapore Management University (SMU). She presented a paper entitled “AI as Critical Infrastructure in Singapore : Revisiting the Urban Infrastructure Debates.”

This workshop brought together researchers working on infrastructure in Singapore to examine the evolution of its conceptual framework, its experimental practices, and its modes of governance. The goal was to create a space for dialogue on both the future of Singapore's infrastructure and the concepts that enable to think about contemporary infrastructure.

Download the programme.

Inaugural symposium of the IRN RUPTuRS

Bertrand — 2026-07-17T03:37:29Z

On 9 and 10 July, the inaugural symposium of the International Research Network (IRN), funded by the CNRS, “Rethinking Urban Planning and Transitions under Resource Scarcity : Indo-Pacific Cities within Planetary Limits” (RUPTuRS, 2026–2030), was held in Bangkok. The event brought together around a dozen participants working on Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, South Korea, India, and Japan. It was co-organized by the Faculty of Architecture and Planning at Thammasat University in Bangkok and the programme coordinators, Gabriel Facal (IRASEC), Elisabeth Peyroux (CNRS and the National University of Singapore, NUS), and Raphaël Languillon-Aussel (French Institute for Research on Japan at the Maison franco-japonaise, IFRJ).

On the first day, nine network members presented their research in three thematic panels. The following morning, a field visit took place in the Pracha Ruamjai 1 neighborhood, whose residents had benefited from an urban upgrading programme and the transformation of informal housing into self-built homes as part of the restoration of the Prem Prachakon canal, aimed at reducing flood risk. The visit included exchanges with the local community, the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration, and the Community Organization Development Institute. The afternoon was devoted to discussions on the cross-cutting themes that will guide the network's work in the coming years.

French-Thai Week of Law and Justice: Seminar on Combating Child Sexual Abuse

Bertrand — 2026-06-25T04:12:25Z

On June 11 and 12, 2026, the French Embassy in Thailand organized a Franco-Thai seminar on combating child sexual abuse, as part of the third annual Franco-Thai Law and Justice Week and the 170th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries. While tragic incidents in France have recently reignited public outrage and underscored the urgent need for action to protect children, this meeting—organized by the Liaison Magistrate's Office and the Internal Security Service—brought together magistrates, police officers, academics, institutional experts, and civil society representatives around a shared assessment : child sexual abuse is undeniably a transnational threat that calls for a coordinated, swift, and resolute response.

The first day focused on institutional and judicial issues. Representatives from French and Thai authorities, international child protection organizations, and civil society actors compared their legal frameworks, investigative practices, and the practical aspects of their cooperation. The discussions highlighted a strong convergence of concerns between the two countries, whether regarding strengthening investigative capabilities, identifying victims more effectively, or streamlining the flow of information among the relevant agencies. The speakers emphasized that the fight against the sexual exploitation of minors does not stop at national borders. In fact, it requires reliable channels for mutual legal assistance, designated points of contact, and procedures that are flexible enough to keep pace with the perpetrators, who relentlessly exploit the loopholes in international law.

The second day focused on the handling of reports and on the role of technical stakeholders in preventing illegal content online. Specialized investigative agencies in France and Thailand detailed the support pathways, from the initial report through to the referral of victims to support services. Presentations by Thai civil society organizations and representatives of the digital ecosystem highlighted the critical role of online platforms : their ability to detect, remove, and report child sexual abuse material directly determines how quickly law enforcement can respond. The speakers emphasized that every hour counts in these sensitive cases. Thus, every additional day of delay increases the risk to the children involved, complicates the identification of the perpetrators, and weakens the chain of evidence.

Throughout the discussions, participants highlighted the growing scale of digital threats : grooming, sextortion, livestreaming of abuse, and the misuse of generative artificial intelligence to produce images of child sexual abuse. These cross-border phenomena expose victims to long-term harm and challenge traditional frameworks for cooperation. The seminar confirmed that an integrated response—bringing together government agencies, law enforcement, digital platforms, and specialized organizations—is now essential to identifying victims in a timely manner and effectively prosecuting perpetrators. Reducing response times, streamlining channels for mutual legal assistance in criminal matters, and harmonizing technical reporting standards are shared priorities for France and Thailand that will shape future cooperation efforts in pursuit of a common goal : protecting children everywhere and without delay.

A Vietnamese Le Canard Enchaîné ? The Vịt Đực newspaper and the pursuit of Vietnamese satire in the final interwar years (1938-1939)

Bertrand — 2026-06-22T05:00:59Z

26 June 2026, 5:30pm–7pm (Vietnam Time, UTC +7)
Hosted by EFEO at Ho Chi Minh City
113 Hai Bà Trưng, Bến Nghé, D. 1

This presentation introduces Vịt Đực — a Vietnamese language satirical newspaper published from July 1938 to July 1939.

26 June 2026, 5:30pm–7pm (Vietnam Time, UTC +7)
Hosted by EFEO at Ho Chi Minh City
113 Hai Bà Trưng, Bến Nghé, D. 1

This presentation introduces Vịt Đực — a Vietnamese language satirical newspaper published from July 1938 to July 1939. The presentation will discuss four aspects of the newspaper. First, it will introduce the formation of the newspaper and the biographies of its founders within the intellectual world of colonial Hanoi in the 1930s. Second, it will discuss the influence of Le Canard Enchaîné on Vịt Đực. Third, it will describe how the newspaper successfully localized the verbal and visual humor that its French counterpart espoused. Fourth, it will analyze selected columns that best demonstrate the newspaper's contrarian politics, particularly its critique of polarizing partisanship in colonial Vietnam's domestic politics following the victory of the Popular Front in 1936. As the newspaper was created against the backdrop of failed colonial reform and imperial meltdowns in anticipation of another World War, its commitments to vernacular satire and non-partisanship suggested an alternative vision of a Vietnam beyond the split of monarchism, republicanism, and communism.

A symposium dedicated to legal influences between France and Thailand

Bertrand — 2026-06-19T11:42:42Z

8-9 June 2026, Law Faculty, Thammasat University, Bangkok

Marking the 170th anniversary of diplomatic relations between France and Thailand, Thammasat University, in collaboration with the liaison magistrate service at the French Embassy, hosted a Legal Symposium on "Legal Perspectives and Influences" in Bangkok on June 9–10, 2026, bringing together academics, judges, institutions, and experts from both countries.

8-9 June 2026, Law Faculty, Thammasat University, Bangkok

Over two days, Thai and French speakers—including some members of the Foundation for Continental Law—addressed the main stages of the modernization of Thai law, the evolution of legal institutions, Franco-Thai academic exchanges, as well as the major contemporary challenges facing both legal systems.

Within this framework, Magalie Bourdier, Legal Cooperation Officer at IRASEC, participated in the roundtable discussion on diplomacy, politics, and the Westernization of Thai law. Her presentation traced the process of modernization of Thai law initiated in the late 19th century during the reign of King Chulalongkorn, marked by the gradual introduction of the major principles of continental European law, particularly the influence of French law in the codification of Thai legal texts.

Her presentation also highlighted contemporary legal cooperation between France and Thailand. This cooperation is manifested through sustained institutional dialogue, exchanges of expertise, training programs for judges, academics, and legal professionals, as well as the regular organization of seminars on topics of mutual interest such as notary reform, criminal justice, family law, environmental protection, and combating child sexual abuse.

Negotiating Mobilities and Borders in Digitalising and Globalising Asia

Bertrand — 2026-06-16T08:57:28Z

15-16 June 2026, 10 am – 5:30 pm
Departement of Sociology, National Taiwan University

This workshop was organized under the FORSEA/ORCHID Project, Global Mobilities in the Digital Age (NSTC/Campus France), in collaboration with CNRS/CEFC, IRASEC, and the Department of Geography at National Taiwan University, under the leadership of Prof. Hong Po-Yi and Dr. Beatrice Zani.

15-16 June 2026, 10 am – 5:30 pm
Departement of Sociology, National Taiwan University

On the first day of the workshop, five presenters shared their papers, including Prof. Hong Po-Yi, who also offered a behind-the-scenes look at his second manuscript, which will be published in July.

The discussions enriched scholarly debates on oceanic globalization, the role of the state in disseminating ideas of kinship, how migrants leverage digital technologies, and the collaboration between local and migrant workers in Taiwan's agricultural sector. Every presentation was insightful and thought-provoking.

By tracing the migration of Taiwanese tea, Prof. Po-Yi's forthcoming book explores how tea has transformed the everyday practices of Taiwanese communities in Thailand. It also sheds light on debates surrounding food nationalism and perceptions of quality between locally produced and imported tea.

Taken together, the first day of the workshop provided stimulating discussions that encouraged us to rethink conventional narratives of mobility and borders.

On the second day of the workshop, three presenters shared their research on the role of networks in shaping migrants' mobility and aspirations.

One presenter discussed the challenges and aspirations of international students in Taiwan. Another examined ethical issues in the recruitment of migrant workers. Meanwhile, the final presenter shared her research on Vietnamese women working in massage parlors in a Sino-Vietnamese border city.

Following the presentations, audience members took the opportunity to discuss the difficulties faced by international students and the role that states can play in ensuring more ethical recruitment practices and reducing migration-related fees for migrant workers.