Circular 05/2020/TT-BGDĐT, dated March 18th, 2020 by the Ministry of Education and Training on “promulgating defence and security education programme for pedagogical schools, pedagogical colleges, and universities” has clearly identified the contents and programme of defence and security education for students, including 4 modules and 165 periods. According to the Circular, after experiencing a defence and security education course, students will have basic knowledge of the Party’s guidelines and the State’s laws and policies on national defence and security and the building of the all-people national defence, the people’s security, and the people’s armed forces; their knowledge of civil defence and their military skills will be improved and they will readily join the Vietnam People’s Army (VPA) and the People’s Public Security of Vietnam (PPS) for the Homeland protection. At the same time, they will have basic knowledge of defence-security work and military work in the new situation. In comparison with the Law on Defence and Security Education, the National Defence Law, and current legal documents, Circular 05/2020/TT-BGDĐT has new developments and its legality is higher than other promulgated ones. However, the Party’s defence-security guidelines have been developed to a new height by National Party Congresses. Thus, in order to quickly translate the 13th National Party Congress Resolution into life, effectively introduce it to students who serve as a “powerful revolutionary force” and “future masters of the country,” and satisfy the requirements of national construction and protection in the new situation, there should be a reform in the contents and programme of defence and security education.

First of all, with reference to defence-security task and the Homeland protection in the current period, according to orientations for national development between 2021 and 2030, we shall “resolutely, persistently fight to firmly protect national independence, sovereignty, unification, and territorial integrity, safeguard the Party, the State, the People, and the socialist regime, proactively prevent risks of war and conflict from afar, soon detect and opportunely handle destabilising factors, and step up the fight against all plots and artifices of hostile forces and political opportunists.” Therefore, in defence and security education, while equipping students with basic knowledge of defence-security task under Circular 05/2020/TT-BGDĐT and the National Defence Law, universities and defence and security education centres shall render students fully aware of new points and developments of the Party’s ideology on the defence-security task and the Homeland protection. It is necessary to educate students on the Party’s absolute, direct leadership over national defence and security and make them clearly understand the hostile forces’ sabotage strategies against our Party and State, such as distortion of our national historical values and revolutionary fruits. Doing so will enable the youth to enhance the fight against the hostile forces’ distortions and sabotage schemes. At the same time, students will comprehend their current political task of resolutely, persistently fighting to firmly protect national independence, sovereignty, unification, and territorial integrity, safeguarding the Party, the State, the People, and the socialist regime, preserving a peaceful, stable environment for development, and proactively, actively taking part in maintaining political security and social order and safety.

Students doing morning exercise

Over the years, political security, especially cyber security and security in foreign investment in some places have yet to be stable. Many issues on human security and safety have yet to be completely resolved. Information safety and cyber security have yet to be ensured. Combining socio-economic and cultural development with defence-security consolidation in several localities and units has yet to be effective. Taking advantages of those shortcomings, the hostile forces are employing many artifices against our country in economic, political, cultural, ethnic, and religious terms. That is a big challenge for Vietnam in the upcoming time. Hence, in the process of defence and security education for students, it is important to underline that “maintaining cyber security and building a disciplined society” represent a routine task in which the youth play a role of utmost importance. In the development of the module on the Party’s defence-security guidelines, it is essential to supplement experiences and necessary knowledge in the 4th industrial revolution era so as to help students form up and develop qualities and manners of modern citizens, build up their patriotism and national consciousness, raise their awareness and responsibility for the defence-security task and the Homeland protection, and increase their revolutionary vigilance against the hostile forces’ plots and artifices.

Second, clarify and introduce viewpoints on raising defence-security potential for the Homeland protection to students. According to the 13th National Party Congress Resolution, we shall “increase defence-security potential, build and bring into play the posture of people’s hearts and minds within the all-people national defence and the people’s security, and consolidate the postures of all-people national defence and people’s security.” In this regard, significance will be attached to building politico-spiritual, economic, scientific, technological, defence-security, and diplomatic potential. Thus, in defence and security education for students, it is vital to build up their faith in the Party’s viewpoints and guidelines on defence-security and military tasks and clarify their role as high-quality human resources for making the all-people national defence, the people’s security, and the people’s armed forces increasingly strong. Students should be encouraged to improve their knowledge and military skills and readily join the VPA, the PPS, the Militia and Self-Defence Force, and the Reserve Force under statutory regulations.

According to the Party’s 13th National Party Congress, after 35 years of national renewal and 30 years of implementing the Platform on national construction in the transitional period towards socialism, “our country has never had such fortune, potential international position and prestige as it does today.” However, the world and the region will witness rapid, complex, unpredictable developments. Our Party believes that strengthening national defence and security is a major strategy and a central, routine task of the entire nation and political system in which the people’s armed forces play a core role. Therefore, in defence and security education, it is necessary to emphasise our country’s achievements in national renewal, industrialisation, and modernisation and the combination of economic development and defence-security consolidation. At the same time, due attention should be paid to making student distinguish between partners and opponents in today’s national construction and protection cause.

Third, render students fully aware of the Party’s guidelines on defence-security cause and strength for the Homeland protection. In order to deal with weaknesses in making strategic forecasts about national defence and security, according to the 13th National Party Congress, we shall “develop strategies to prevent risks of war and conflict from afar, while more effort should be invested in preventing conflicts and wars and settling differences by peaceful means in accordance with international law.” At the same time, we shall synchronously, comprehensively implement the Strategy for the Homeland Protection, the National Defence Strategy, the Military Strategy, and other specialised ones. Regarding the strength for the Homeland protection, according to our Party, we shall “bring into play the synergy of the whole nation and political system in combination with the strength of the times and maximise support from the international community.” Hence, in the education process, great value should be attached to developing the youth’s knowledge and creativity, actively building and promoting the image of a peace-loving Vietnam, and taking advantage of the international community’s support to create the synergy for the Homeland protection, particularly in the current period of globalisation and wide, deep international integration.

Fourth, concerning the building of the people’s armed forces, our Party advocates “building revolutionary, regular, elite, gradually modern VPA and PPS, with several services, corps, and forces moving straight to modernity.” By 2025, the VPA and the PPS will basically made compact and strong as a firm prerequisite for building revolutionary, regular, elite, modern VPA and PPS. The two forces will be strong in terms of politics, ideology, morality, organisation, and personnel. Consideration will be given to building a powerful reserve force and a strong, extensive militia and self-defence force in all regions and at sea. Due regard will be paid to developing the force in charge of ensuring social order and safety at grass-roots level. Thus, in the process of defence and security education, it is important to cement students’ faith in the strength of the people’s armed forces against all invaders, raise students’ civic responsibility, and encourage students to contribute to protecting the Homeland. Due attention should be paid to clarifying the role of each major of students so that they will be qualified enough to participate in making the VPA and the PPS strong.

Grounded on those above-mentioned analyses, under the 13th National Party Congress Resolution, defence and security education for students will have new directions and achieve positive changes in raising the youth’s awareness and responsibility to realise the Party’s defence-security guidelines and make practical contributions to constructing and firmly protecting the Homeland in the new situation.

Sr. Col., Dr PHAN XUAN DUNG