Human resources are described as the key to success and development in all fields. Human resources play a key role in military science and technology due to the particularities of this sphere. Thus, seeking solutions to develop human resources for military science and technology is a matter of urgency in both long and short terms.

Being fully aware of the role of human resources in military science and technology, over the years, the Central Military Commission (CMC) and the Ministry of National Defence (MND) have formulated the guidelines and measures for building and developing human resources in this particular field and achieved a lot of encouraging results. A contingent of military science and technology cadres has been consolidated in terms of quality, quantity, structure and age. The number of military science and technology cadres with academic degrees and scientific titles has unceasingly increased. The distribution of specialities and professions has been gradually compatible with the Military’s organisational structure. The quality of military science and technology has been renewed to basically meet the task requirements. There have been several specialised and multidisciplinary research centres, while military enterprises have started taking part in scientific research, with good results. Doing so has enabled the Military to exploit, master, and upgrade its new and existing weapons and equipment, approach modern technologies, master core technologies, develop the art of hi-tech warfare, and combine defence consolidation with economic development.

However, our human resources and military technology have yet to be on a par with our potential. The number of scientific researches published in international academic journals, and inventions and intellectual property registrations is limited. There is a lack of topic experts, while a pool of chief engineers and master constructors as well as think tanks have yet to be built. It is worth noting that there is a dearth of successors and a flow of human resources from the Military to the outside. Both objective and subjective reasons could be cited to explain those above-mentioned weaknesses. One of the most important reasons is that mechanisms and policies for training, using, and remunerating personnel have yet to be renewed or keep pace with the development of reality.

Currently, the impacts by the 4^th industrial revolution and the requirements of military build-up according to the Resolution of the 13^th National Party Congress necessitate us resolutely, synchronously adopting solutions for building and developing military science and technology human resources.

First of all, it is necessary to well implement the planning of human resources for military science and technology. This is a central measure aimed at allowing party committees at all levels to develop policies and plans on training, retraining, and using personnel properly. To that end, competent offices, particularly the Department of Military Science should advise the CMC and the MND on setting up a full, accurate, and updated database of military science human resources and completing criteria for high-quality human resources as the basis for reviewing, assessing, training, retraining, and appointing cadres correctly. Those criteria must be specific, centred on both “ethics” and “expertise,” associated with cadres’ task and position, and relevant to offices and units’ particularities. The forces which are set to move straight to modernity, centres for science research and technology application, and factories tasked with repairing and manufacturing weapons and technical equipment must evaluate the quality of their personnel, make demands for the quantity and scale of their high-quality cadres in order to design plans for training, retraining, and recruitment as well as consolidate their contingent of technical cadres and employees. To ensure that plans on human resources for military science and technology will be scientific and highly feasible, the MND should establish criteria for each position so as to give an incentive to cadres’ self-improvement and encourage transparency, democracy and objectivity in the use of cadres. The selected ones must satisfy the requirements relating to qualifications, fitness and age, while clearly describing their skills and working attitude in each speciality. Doing so will provide a solid foundation for party committees at all levels to evaluate and employ cadres in a transparent, objective fashion, ensure a stable, reliable continuation in generations of cadres, avoid weaknesses in the use of cadres, and create motivations for cadres to quickly master their speciality and fulfil the assigned task. Additionally, it is necessary to consolidate the organisational structure of military science offices and units in line with the Military’s new organisational structure and clearly identify their function and task.

Second, renew and improve the training and retraining of military science and technology cadres. This is an important solution and acts as a determinant to developing human resources both quantitatively and qualitatively. To increase human capacity under the preset criteria, it is essential to follow the motto: “education and training must take one step ahead.” Hence, military academies and schools should renew and perfect their training procedures, programmes, contents, and methods relevant to the demands for building, developing, modernising, and standardising human resources in military science and technology. In the medium term, emphasis should be placed on raising the quality of instructors, enhancing scientific research, and renewing learning and teaching methods to step by step comprehensively improve the training and retraining of cadres. Furthermore, due attention should be paid to diversifying forms of education with undergraduate and postgraduate training as the main one and combining the training of high-quality human resources with the modernisation of facilities, laboratories and training grounds. It is necessary to well train cadres majoring in research, design, and manufacture as well as in management and exploitation of hi-tech weapons and equipment, with priority given to the key sectors and fields within defence industries. Moreover, consideration should be given to combining domestic training with international cooperation and dispatching experts to study, train and work at other countries’ large military industry groups and laboratories. At the same time, international cooperation with Vietnam’s traditional friends and major countries worldwide should be promoted to learn from their training and scientific research programmes.

Third, properly, effectively use military science and technology cadres and stimulate their desire for devotion. The use of human resources for military science and technology will help both maintain workforce for present research, manufacture, and application and make preparations for the development of military science to meet the war or market demands. That is consistent with present plans on using human resources and maintaining operations at centres for military science research and application as well as their future mobilisation projects to arrange each position for military science research and development when they are expanded. Therefore, the use of human resources for military science and technology should promote harmony between the particularities of military research and production and the labour market. The planning of human resources must be aligned with the labour market, while employees’ relationship between qualities, competence, fitness, sentiment, and family affairs should be well managed. It is vital to detect talents, create a favourable condition for them to bring into play their knowledge and dedicate to the development of military science and technology, and formulate special plans to train and use them so that they will quickly become top experts. Great value should be attached to regularly reviewing the use of human resources for military science and technology, drawing lessons, and opportunely commending and rewarding individuals with brilliant inventions and initiatives.

In addition, it is necessary to complete a preferential treatment policy to attract talents and build a contingent of high-quality cadres within the Military, while due regard should be paid to modernising facilities and equipment for military science research and application. To that end, competent offices should continue assisting the MND in advising the Party and the State on issuing specialised, preferential treatment policies for research cadres and employees, particularly for those whose researches have been effectively, widely applied or those who have introduced initiatives in military science. At the same time, it is important to increase retirement age and working service of scientists, top experts, cadres with high academic degrees or scientific titles, and employees with extraordinary skills. Besides, due attention should be paid to mobilising resources to accelerate the modernisation of facilities for researches and scientific missions. In the process, in addition to ensuring the universality for basic researches and all research cadres’ approach, it is necessary to modernise facilities and equipment for intensive, key researches. More importantly, significance should be attached to constructing specialised facilities to ensure the unique traits in research and development of military scientific products “made in Vietnam,” such as the application of simulation technology to field, commanding, and staff training for tactical and military art research and evaluation. Simultaneously, great weight should be added to enhancing a link between educational institutions, research centres, technical facilities and training units as well as promoting international cooperation to increase the efficiency of facilities and equipment, cut investments in expensive equipment, acquire new knowledge and practical skills, and reduce the price of military products. Doing so will help meet the demands for developing military science human resources and potential and make contributions to building a modern Military from 2030.

Sr. Col. PHAM VAN KHAC, MA, Department of Military Science