Mr. Vo Ta Han - I hope cultural and moral roots are deeply ingrained. - Books4VN

Within him reside three individuals, all accomplished and successful (or: all masters of their respective fields): an international banker working for major corporations; a person who initiated a massive book donation program of over one million books for Vietnam; and a talented classical guitarist and composer with hundreds of musical pieces, especially those set to Buddhist sutras.

Dr. Nguyen Xuan Xanh commented on him: “Speaking in the language of the 18th-century Enlightenment, Mr. Han is a giver of light to Vietnam. Books are light, helping people to enlighten their minds, broaden their horizons, and see the world. Mr. Han is likely the person who has donated the most books to a single nation.”

Tuoi Tre Weekend speaks with him this April.

Let us return to a key milestone: the 10-page petition titled “Singapore – Vietnam / A Proposed Strategy For Business Development” which he completed on February 6, 1992, and presented to Mr. Lee Kuan Yew, opening a chapter of active economic and trade relations between the two countries.

— That was the result of many years I lived and worked in Singapore, directly managing and consulting for organizations and businesses there, while also serving as President of the Canadian Business Association in Singapore (later the Canadian Chamber of Commerce)…

I was invited to join a 25-person advisory team for the Singapore Government on the Singapore 2000 model, before the country entered the new millennium.

Although Singapore was still maintaining its embargo policy with Vietnam at the time, I was asked to write a strategic consulting paper on relations with Vietnam.

In the petition, I laid out 10 points beneficial to Singapore if it re-established relations with Vietnam, specifying areas where the two sides could cooperate. I particularly emphasized that if Singapore wanted to invest in Vietnam, it needed to act fast before other countries.

During this period, I also organized many seminars introducing opportunities for cooperation with Vietnam in the fields of trade, banking, real estate, IT, etc., helping to bring Vietnam to Singapore when businessmen from the island nation were not yet permitted to set foot in Vietnam.

Among the companies I brought to Vietnam, I was most dedicated to Unilever because I had carefully observed their approach in other countries and saw their sustainable development model, their focus on training and human resource development, and their utilization of local raw materials and development of the domestic market.

The petition concluded with 10 specific proposals, such as encouraging connections between high-level state agencies of both sides to exchange and share experiences in managing the ‘Singapore Model,’ and offering scholarships for Vietnamese students to study in Singapore. Generally, all of these were implemented!

Tuoi Tre Weekend: Before that, in late 1991, you helped the Singapore Trade Development Board delegation officially visit Vietnam for the first time. What specific significance did that trip have in that context?

“— Actually, the first time I returned to Vietnam was in early 1988, when I brought a delegation of Canadian businesses, but that trip only included a few companies. The Singapore Trade Development Board delegation was an official state mission from Singapore, comprising many private conglomerates and companies belonging to the government’s Temasek investment fund.

Before the trip, the Singaporean side expressed concern because relations between the two governments were not very warm. However, the visit to Vietnam was deemed an unexpected success by the delegation. Everyone gave high praise and looked forward to the normalization of relations between the two countries to get straight to work.

Before that, I had also brought Singapore Airlines to Gia Lam in 1989 to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) preparing for the Vietnam-Singapore air route, and helped major corporations like Keppel and Singapore Land map out their real estate investment plans.

A few months after the visit in late 1991, Prime Minister Vo Van Kiet went to Singapore in April 1992 to sign the bilateral investment treaty.

In 1994, Vietnam Airlines began flying to Singapore, and by 1996, the first Vietnam-Singapore Industrial Park (VSIP) was officially inaugurated.

Tuoi Tre Weekend: At that time, what path did you foresee for Vietnam and what were your aspirations for the homeland? From then until now, do you feel Vietnam has followed the path you wished for, and what has it achieved and missed?

“— Stepping into the Doi Moi (Renovation) phase, the first thing that needed attention was economic development. Among Southeast Asian countries, though Singapore is small, sparsely populated, and lacks natural resources, it skillfully embraced the wave of Western civilization, achieving remarkable progress in a short time.

Right from the meeting with Mr. Phan Van Khai’s delegation visiting Singapore in 1988, I suggested that Vietnam should choose Singapore as its model for economic development.

Of course, it cannot be applied mechanically, but the achievements from the Singaporean economic ‘test tube’ could be replicated a hundred times over for Vietnam, provided that the adaptation is appropriate, especially considering the cultural specificities and the human character of Vietnam.

The journey from the days when the two countries were ‘strangers looking at each other from afar’ to Singapore becoming the largest investor in Vietnam over the past three years is a long and correctly oriented path in the cooperation between the two nations, as I had always hoped. However, there will still be many challenges to overcome in the coming period, especially in the context of the current global economic instability.

Tuoi Tre Weekend: As an advisor to the Vietnamese Government on the topic of Doi Moi, spanning many fields, most notably advising on the selection and development of an economic model, and assisting localities… In which areas have your advice been most listened to and effectively applied?

— In 1973, I wrote my Master’s thesis at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) on the topic: ‘Export Processing Zones and Post-War Vietnam.’ After my first visit to Vietnam in 1988, I summarized and published the thesis as a book.

Early the following year, the book was translated into a document by the State Committee for Science and Technology as part of the compendium ‘External Economy’ (Kinh tế đối ngoại). The main idea of the thesis was that after the war ended, the two major concerns for Vietnam would be creating employment for its people and securing foreign currency earnings for the nation.

When we were tentatively transitioning from a centrally planned economy to a market economy, the Export Processing Zone (EPZ) was a suitable model.

During the 1991 visit by the Singapore Trade Development Board, before leaving Hanoi, I and the CEO of the Singapore Petroleum Company were asked for our opinion on Vietnam’s plan to build an oil refinery.

My only advice was that at that time, they should hold off on building a refinery and instead send crude oil to Singapore for refining. I suggested that the immediate priority should be to construct the North-South Expressway, creating a backbone for economic development and commerce.

In addition, there were other suggestions, such as not developing all 55 provinces simultaneously, but rather concentrating resources on five key economic hubs: Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, Da Nang, Hai Phong, and Can Tho.

Subsequently, these economic locomotives would directly help the other provinces develop more effectively. Furthermore, to quickly develop the ‘carrying pole’ provinces of Central Vietnam (the narrow central region), the State could offer tax exemptions for companies established in those areas.

For Ho Chi Minh City, I suggested launching the ‘Keeping the City Clean and Beautiful’ program with Saigon Tourist, proposed retaining the center of Saigon as an ‘old city’ capable of attracting international tourists in the future, and building a completely new urban area in Thu Thiem.

Ho Chi Minh City would inevitably expand with economic growth, so instead of enlarging Tan Son Nhat, I advised moving the airport further away from the city.

— For foreign investment projects where the domestic partner needed to contribute capital, I suggested applying the 70/30 model, where the 30% domestic contribution was calculated from prepaid land lease fees over many years…

These were just a few suggestions from someone abroad with incomplete knowledge of the local context (địa lợi), and naturally, some ideas seemed ‘utopian’, or couldn’t be applied then or ever.

Tuổi Trẻ Weekend: You are an economic and financial expert, having headed very large corporations and organizations in banking, real estate, business administration, and education. What are the most important things such a career has given you?

“— Oh, I am just an employee who worked for large corporations, lucky enough to hold those positions. I was not the founder of a conglomerate, nor did I create employment for countless people, so there’s nothing to boast about.

During my time working with domestic partners, I met truly brilliant and talented people who were simply unlucky not to have the opportunity to showcase their abilities. I am just a person who was much luckier than many others!

Tuổi Trẻ Weekend: You also write practical, accessible, and easy-to-understand articles analyzing domestic financial management, corporate governance, guiding people on how to borrow capital, negotiate contracts, and business customs abroad… What motivates you to write?

“— During wartime, the country needs soldiers (tay súng), but in peacetime, the ‘soldiers’ are the ‘entrepreneurs’, and the battlefield is the marketplace.

I prioritize writing practical, concise, and easy-to-understand articles precisely to share knowledge and experience to help this generation of entrepreneurs when they first roll up their sleeves and enter the marketplace, still full of enthusiasm but lacking experience.

Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) are the backbone of an economy. It is from the experience of managing, operating, and navigating these small ships that Vietnamese entrepreneurs will rise up, build powerful corporations, and enrich themselves and the country! It is as simple as that!

Tuổi Trẻ Weekend: You have witnessed many global and regional economic crises. Now, another crisis period is unfolding, with entrepreneurs facing market and policy uncertainties. What advice do you have for Vietnamese business owners today?

“— During my time in Singapore, I went through three economic crises that severely rocked the Singaporean ship, and I wrote extensively to share my experience in rescuing the companies I directly worked with.

However, now that I am retired, I no longer closely follow and master the current reality, making it difficult to offer appropriate suggestions to domestic entrepreneurs.

Furthermore, compared to 30 years ago, today we have trained many brilliant economic and financial experts and seasoned entrepreneurs who understand the domestic situation. It is they who can now offer the most practical advice.

Tuổi Trẻ Weekend: When discussing business cooperation with a country, you emphasize the need to pay attention to its culture and unique governance. Why do you stress the cultural aspect?

“— The development of a country should not be aimed solely at the target of per capita income. What good is it when a nation produces a young generation that only looks to foreign lands, prefers speaking foreign languages, dreams of living abroad, and turns its back on its own people and country?

Culture, therefore, is the factor that helps young people connect with their homeland. In the final years of his life, Singapore’s founding father, Mr. Lee Kuan Yew, expressed regret that he had pushed economic development too quickly, causing young Singaporeans to seemingly lose their roots, not knowing what the two words ‘motherland’ mean.

The Vietnamese people have a cultural tradition dating back thousands of years, which is deep, enduring, and cohesive—this is a huge advantage. Programs like Mùa Hè Xanh (Green Summer Volunteer Campaign) have also helped the younger generation bond with their homeland, so that no matter how far they travel later, they will still turn their hearts toward the motherland.

The Vietnamese community abroad is also growing.

Every Vietnamese person who leaves their homeland carries the image of Vietnam at the moment they departed—some see a triangle, others a circle, still others a square—resulting in skewed and rigid views of the country.

Returning home during Lunar New Year holidays and participating in Vietnamese cultural promotion programs have helped overseas Vietnamese constantly update the situation to gain a common perspective of the country, drawing them closer. These cultural connections are particularly important for kiều bào (overseas Vietnamese) because they will be the extended arms of Vietnam.

Thirty years of development have elevated the country to a higher level, moving from the economic sphere to cultural development. Now, I believe it is time for us to focus on promoting ethics and morality.

In business, the secret to ‘getting rich’ can be summed up in eight words: ‘Buy cheap – Sell dear – Pay slow – Demand fast!’

However, buying cheap, toxic goods to sell for large profits cannot be called success—it is an unethical act. Entrepreneurs should not wait until they are successful to think about ‘business ethics’; the cultivation of ethics and culture must start early, right from childhood.

Lessons on human values, righteousness, propriety, wisdom, and trustworthiness (nhân nghĩa lễ trí tín) learned in childhood leave a profound mark on everyone’s mind and conduct until they are old.

Tuổi Trẻ Weekend: When you founded VN2020—a ‘playground’ for young Vietnamese intellectuals and experts in Singapore in 2007—you hoped that these well-educated, skilled, and fluent-in-English Vietnamese students would become an ‘internal economic force’ for domestic companies later on. Has this expectation been realized since then?

“— The VN2020 program developed very strongly for about a decade when Singapore offered many university scholarships to attract Vietnamese talent.

However, the program later faced opposition from local citizens who felt the government was giving too much preferential treatment to foreign talent, which harmed employment opportunities for Singaporeans.

Consequently, the number of scholarships for Vietnamese students was significantly reduced, and the VN2020 program eventually ceased. Some VN2020 members who stayed to work in Singapore transformed the group into the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce in Singapore, which remains active today.

I am very happy to see that former VN2020 members have become successful, returned home to hold important positions, and create positive influence in their professional fields. No matter where they are, they remain deeply committed to helping the country in one way or another.

Tuổi Trẻ Weekend: What prompted you to put 10 books in your suitcase to bring back to Vietnam during the years the country was still under embargo, thereby starting an unprecedented book donation program for Vietnam? And how did the journey of bringing books to Vietnam continue afterward?

“— The first time I returned to Vietnam in 1988, flying from prosperous Singapore to Saigon in just over an hour, I was truly astonished by how quiet and bare the city was at the time.

Walking around the central area of Saigon and visiting a few bookstores, I was stunned to see how meager the number of books was. On the flight departing Vietnam then, I couldn’t hold back tears. For a long time afterward, I constantly thought about what I could do to help the country.

If I had gone to see Mr. Lee Kuan Yew at that time to ask for Singapore’s help, they probably would have called me crazy. Ultimately, only one’s own people can help themselves.

That’s when I came up with the idea of donating books to Vietnam. Starting with a single letter requesting books to donate to the Hanoi Institute of Economics and the Saigon Institute of Economics, I duplicated that letter and sent it to 100 addresses, from MIT, Harvard, and the World Bank to major publishers.

I received the first 1,500 books, and from there, I got acquainted with the publisher Simon & Schuster/Prentice Hall. Gradually, I was able to buy books at low prices, tens of thousands of copies at a time, and send them back home in containers.

Many years later, by contacting a close friend who was the director of Irwin Publishers in New York, I managed to purchase nearly half a million books, shipping them to the International University in 40 large containers for distribution to other universities.

With World Scientific publishers, due to our close relationship, they have given me free books for over 20 years—I only cover the shipping costs, which still amounts to over ten containers.

From other sources like the Singapore Polytechnic, the Singapore Institute of Management, Mc GrawHill Publishers, PW Medical…, I also collected several tens of thousands of additional books.

I currently have over 30,000 books from World Scientific that I plan to bring back in May.

After finding the books, the next challenge was how to ship them back home safely and inexpensively.

Importing books was no different from importing any foreign goods; it required going through many hurdles, from applying for a censorship permit from the Department of Culture, a tax-exemption permit for non-refundable aid from the Department of Finance, to handling customs declarations at the border gate…

So, when the books arrive safely at the right place, just as intended, my heart is always filled with an indescribable joy.

I am now moving toward donating e-books. The first gift is 500 e-books donated by World Scientific to the library of the Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology this April.

I hope that in the future, we will have a publishing house that can publish scientific and technical books, starting with mathematics, to be disseminated globally in English.

When selecting books to bring home with the goal of helping the country develop, I only chose science and technology books.

Tuổi Trẻ Weekend: What kind of books do you usually read? Do you have a book that you particularly love?

“— The types of books I enjoy change over time. When I was in high school, I often read popular science, history, and the memoirs of great people, especially the books by the late scholar Nguyen Hien Le.

After moving abroad, I preferred reading scientific research and philosophy. Since retiring, I have been fortunate to help my close friend Hoang Phong Nguyen Duc Tien in Paris proofread all of his articles on Buddhism translated from English or French. Hoang Phong has published over 30 Buddhist titles over the past 20 years.

Additionally, I also read many books on music, collecting materials to write instructional books on this subject.”

: What prompted you to put 10 books in your suitcase to bring back to Vietnam during the years the country was still under embargo, thereby starting an unprecedented book donation program for Vietnam? And how did the journey of bringing books to Vietnam continue afterward?