Nordic countries offer valuable lessons for Vietnam in digital age

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Linh Pham 12:17, 2019/02/20

As adapting to the digital age, Vietnam is advised to learn the Nordic society model which focuses on both transforming into a modern pattern and maintaining social welfare.

Ambassadors and experts from four Nordic countries including Denmark, Sweden, Norway, and Finland have offered various lessons for Vietnam to better assimilate digital transformation process in which caring for the people is the keynote.

Ambassadors of Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Denmark at the seminar. Photo: Lam Pham

Ambassadors of Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Denmark at the seminar. Photo: Minh Tuan

Adapting to the digital age, Vietnam is advised to learn the Nordic society model which focuses on both transforming into a modern form and maintaining social welfare, experts said at a seminar held in Hanoi on February 19 by the four embassies in collaboration with the Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics.

Caring for people

Each expert provided different aspects but their ideas form a common standard that is called the Nordic Model, an example that is typical for all parts of the world for its caring for the people – fully and literally.

MP PhD Erkki Tuomioja of Finland. Photo: Lam Pham

PhD Erkki Tuomioja, former parliamentarian and foreign minister of Finland, said that the Nordic Model was formed by the concept of folkhemmet or People’s Home first evoked by Per Albin Hansson, the leader of the Swedish Social-Democrats in 1928.

The primes for this concept was that basic social rights provided by social security and public services in order to cover the population as a whole.

For what it meant to be, the Nordic Model is based on inclusion, which calls for equal treatment and does not allow the exclusion of any group, class, or individual. The all-inclusive legislation bans any sort of discrimination not only in law but also in reality.

Accordingly, women and girls get full equality by receiving good education and participation in working life. Typically, special care and attention are given to those at risks of being left out or marginalized.

As Vietnamese laws have regulated the non-discrimination of people and recently head towards a slogan that ensuring nobody is left behind, Ho Trong Hoai, director of Institute of Science Socialism under Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics, admitted at the event that the Nordic Model has many things to learn about but it takes lots of consideration when applying.

Vietnam has considered it as an ideal model and learned much from it but the application must be suitable with the domestic situation and level of development, he explains.

Anna Sundström, Secretary General of Olof Palme International Center. Photo: Lam Pham

Anna Sundström, secretary general of the Olof Palme International Center, also noted that general welfare is one of three cornerstones besides economic government, and well functioning social dialogue.

Digitalizing

To ensure that people are equal and given good public services, each country needs to apply updated technologies and adapt to digitalization as well, some experts emphasized at the event.

Dr. Silvija Seres, mathematician and technology investor from Norway. Photo: Lam Pham

Vietnam should get involved in digital marketplaces following the strong operations of artificial intelligence (AI), blockchain, big data, fintech, automation, and robotics amid fast polarization, Dr. Silvija Seres, mathematician and technology investor from Norway, said at the seminar.

Adam Lebech, deputy director general of the Danish Agency for Digitalization, Denmark. Photo: Lam Pham

To better engage in the growing globalization, Vietnam needs to digitize data and advance governance. Accordingly, e-government is part of the progress as it helps improve service and efficiency in the public sector, according to Mr. Adam Lebech, deputy director general of the Danish Agency for Digitalization, Denmark.

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