Established in 1988, the Vietnam Program is a recognized leader in the study of Vietnam’s socioeconomic development, but we are no typical university center. Through a combination of research, teaching and policy advising, the Vietnam Program is an influential participant in policy dialogue that is informing Vietnam’s on-going reform process. While focused on Vietnam, our research engages with dilemmas that are central to the broader study and practice of development. We strive to answer the question: why do so many countries that succeed in escaping poverty subsequently stagnate, and how can Vietnam,and others, avoid this trap? Improving the governance of public and private institutions is an important part of the answer.

Because of the primacy of governance to the challenges confronting Vietnam and other developing countries, we engage in an ongoing and dynamic interchange with the other initiatives of the Ash Institute.

We believe that development cannot be understood through the lens of a single discipline. Understanding the challenges confronting Vietnam and clarifying the policy options available to overcome them requires a sophisticated grasp of the rich fabric of contemporary Vietnamese society and the political, economic, and cultural factors that shape it.

Prior to its 2000 incorporation into the Harvard Kennedy School, the Vietnam Program was a part of the Harvard Institute of International Development