The intellectual play an important role in the Party's revolutionary cause. Faced with the requirements and tasks of the period of accelerating the cause of industrialisation and modernisation in the context of the widespread globalisation, the robust development of the Fourth Industrial Revolution and knowledge economy, Resolution No. 45-NQ/TW, dated 24 November 2023 of the Party Central Committee (13th tenure) continues to affirm the consistent line of developing the intellectual as one of the important driving forces for national development.

Throughout the process leading the country’s revolution, our Party has always been well aware of the role of the intellectual and paid special care, and had many guidelines and policies for the development of this staff. Inheriting and developing those views, at the 8th Plenum of the Party Central Committee (13th tenure), our Party reviewed 15 years of implementing Resolution No. 27-NQ/TW, dated 6 August 2008 of the Party Central Committee (10th tenure) on “Developing the intellectual in the period of accelerated industrialisation and modernisation” and issued Resolution No. 34-NQ/TW dated 24 November 2023 on “Continuing to develop and promote the role of the intellectual to meet the requirements of rapid and sustainable national development in the new period". Accordingly, the Resolution has concretised, developed, and supplemented many theoretical and practical issues on building and promoting the role of the intellectual in the new era which affirms that developing the intellectual is, in fact, building the high-skill human resources - one of the main driving forces to promote the country's development in the new period. This demonstrates the Party’s new thinking and strategic vision of building and promoting the role of the intellectual, in order to generate a momentum for realising the aspiration of developing a prosperous and happy country. The role of intellectuals in promoting national development is manifested in the following key aspects:

1. Building a strong intellectual staff is the decisive factor in developing high-skill human resources for national development. Among the momentums for national development, high-quality human resources are the most basic, main and decisive one. Classicists of Marxism-Leninism all affirm: human resources are both the goal and the driving force of the socialist revolution. When mentioning the role of human resources in the cause of building socialism in the country, President Ho Chi Minh emphasised: the force for building socialism "is the labourers in the society, including workers, farmers, revolutionary intellectuals,..."; in which, "The intellectual are the invaluable capital of the nation" because "Among social strata, the intellectual are among the best". Creatively applying Marxism-Leninism and Ho Chi Minh's thought on the role of the intellectual in the process of building socialism and national development, our Party holds that, "the internal resources, especially human resources, are the most important”, the intellectual represent a high-quality and creative workforce. Therefore, building and developing a strong and capable contingent of domestic intellectuals is the most important factor bringing about high-quality human resources and endogenous resources for national development.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh visits and works with scientists of high-tech company

2. The intellectual’s multilateral contributions in social life help directly raise the level of intelligence and strength of the nation in the new era. As creative labourers and disseminators of knowledge in society, the contributions of the intellectual in all fields of social life are truly the driving force to enhance the nation's intelligence and strength for national development. In fact, the intellectual in our country have seen rapid developments in both quantity and quality; they have contributed their intelligence to all areas of social life, including economics, politics, culture, society, science and technology, education and training, literature - arts, national defence, security, foreign affairs, etc. At the same time, they have also made positive and effective contributions through scientific comments and criticism, directly participating in the formation and perfection of the Party and State’s guidelines, policies,  decisions and plans regarding socio-economic development strategies, etc. at all levels, from the central to the grassroots ones. Thereby, they have made important contributions to the country’s renewal process, fortune, potential, status and international reputation, as well as raising the level of intelligence and strength of the country in the new era.

3. Building a strong contingent of intellectuals is the driving force to promote innovation and creativity for national development. Innovation and creativity are timely supplements to our Party's viewpoints in the renewal cause. Innovation and creativity are the guiding principles of all levels, sectors, forces, and fields to create new momentum to promote the rapid and sustainable development for the country. To successfully carry out innovation, it is required that there appear pioneers in all levels, sectors, and fields. And, the intellectual are a special creative force, with a high level of education, extensive and specialised knowledge, intelligence, capacity, independent thinking, creativity, and high productivity, so they are fully qualified and capable of meeting the requirements of innovation, national digital transformation, thereby creating new momentum for national development.

In particular, when the Fourth Industrial Revolution fundamentally transforms all social activities on a global scale, and becomes the main driving force promoting the development of the digital economy, the knowledge economy has brought about both opportunities and advantages as well as challenges and difficulties for all countries and nations. At the same time, it also creates opportunities for Vietnam to "take a shortcut" in development through leveraging achievements, such as: Internet of Things (IoT), 5G network, artificial intelligence (AI), 3D printing technology, virtual reality (VR), etc. To effectively participate in the Fourth Industrial Revolution, our Party has promulgated many policies to improve the quality of education and training, build high-skill human resources, and gradually perfect the infrastructure, in which the intellectual are identified with the leading role, motivating that process. Therefore, Resolution No. 45-NQ/TW affirmed: Vietnam's intellectuals are the leading force in research, innovation, and application of science and technology, and international integration.

4. Building a team of high-quality intellectuals directly contributes to promoting industrialisation and modernisation of the country and developing a knowledge economy. Continuing to promote industrialisation, modernisation, and development of a knowledge economy is the consistent viewpoint in the process of national innovation and development according to socialist orientation. Today, science and technology are becoming increasingly important productive forces of society, the driving force of the country's industrialisation and modernisation. Meanwhile, the driving force promoting the country's industrialisation and modernisation covers many factors, in which the intellectual are the leading force in research, application, development of scientific fields, technology transfer, and innovation of production lines to improve the efficiency and productivity of economic sector, creating a direct driving force to accelerate the industrialisation and modernisation of the country, contributing to the realisation of sustainable development goals. In fact, in a number of key fields (information technology, robotics, medicine, mathematics, physics, biology, etc.), some of our intellectuals have had similar levels of scientific capabilities and qualifications as compared with those in world and regional developed countries, which is very important in developing a knowledge-based economy. This once again affirms that if the worker class plays the leading role, the main driving force of industrialisation and modernisation and development of the knowledge-based economy, then the intellectual are the direct driving force accelerating that process in our country.

5. Building and developing the intellectual helps fostering national resources, revitalising Vietnamese culture and people in the new era. Our people have a tradition of studiousness and always consider "the talented as the national resource". Moreover, the intellectual represent for the intellect of the country, who may easily access the latest scientific and technological achievements of the era. At the 8th Plenum of the Party Central Conference (13th tenure), our Party specified that Vietnamese intellectuals constitute a high-calibre and creative workforce, so we must pay more attention to building, developing and promoting their role, position and contribution to make them worthy of being the national spirit, contributing to the revitalisation of Vietnamese culture and people in the new era. This is because intellectuals not only receive and create culture and knowledge, but also disseminate and spread social knowledge. They not only improve their level of knowledge themselves, but also educate people. Therefore, building a strong, high-level contingent of intellectuals with sufficient qualifications, prestige, and capacity will contribute to revitalising the country’s culture and people in a new era.

The intellectuals are always the core force that creates and spreads knowledge who play a particularly important role in promoting the development of society and generating the strength of each country and nation. In the new context of the times, developing Vietnamese intellectuals plays an increasingly significant role, and is truly one of the driving forces for national development. Thoroughly grasping and implementing the viewpoints, goals, tasks, and solutions of developing the intellectual as the driving force for national development is the responsibility of the entire Party, people, Military, and political system, but above all, the effort and self-affirmation of the Vietnamese intellectuals are most important determinants.

Senior Colonel, Associate Professor, PhD. NGUYEN SY HOA and Lieutenant Colonel, MSc. DUONG XUAN MANH