In the development competition between major cities, talented people are no longer a "supplementary resource", but have become a decisive factor in breakthrough capacity. Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, the two economic - scientific - educational locomotives of the country, are showing stronger steps in attracting, retaining and promoting high-quality human resources.
Ho Chi Minh City National University announced a postgraduate training support program associated with scientific research and innovation in the period 2026-2030, in which doctoral research students can be supported with a maximum of 560 million VND, and master's students with a maximum of 160 million VND. Also during this time, Hanoi proposed a housing support mechanism for high-quality human resources, and may even donate apartments, townhouses or villas if the attracted person commits to long-term contribution.
Ho Chi Minh City has the advantage of being the most dynamic center in the country, where many universities, research institutes, technology businesses and startup ecosystems are concentrated. But that advantage will not automatically transform into competitiveness if there is no young, talented research force capable of creating new knowledge.
Meanwhile, Hanoi is entering a very practical "bottleneck": Housing. With real estate prices increasingly high, especially in large cities, housing is no longer a private matter of social security, but has become a factor in human resource competition. A good expert, a scientist, a high-tech engineer or a strategic personnel can receive many invitations from many places. If they work in Hanoi but are unable to settle down, they will find it difficult to wholeheartedly dedicate themselves for a long time.
However, the larger the policy, the higher the requirements for transparency. Giving houses, reducing house purchase prices, arranging rent for high-quality human resources is a very sensitive policy. If the criteria are unclear, the process is not public, the supervision mechanism is not tight, good policies may be misunderstood, or even abused. Who is the "good person"? What achievements are considered worthy? Contribution measured by degrees, works, inventions, project implementation capacity or actual effectiveness? If policy beneficiaries do not fulfill their commitments, how to recover them? These are questions that must be answered by specific regulations, and cannot be left in a vague area.
The important lesson is that recruiting talented people is not just about "laying a red carpet", but also about designing the right path for them to take. Talented people need preferential treatment, but also need an environment that respects capacity, reduces administrative procedures, encourages creativity, accepts differences and evaluates by results. If talented people are invited but forced to operate in the old mechanism, heavily asking - giving, afraid of responsibility, lacking autonomy, then material preferences, no matter how large, will hardly be effective.
Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City are choosing two different approaches but have one thing in common: Investing in high-quality human resources with more specific and competitive policies. This is a positive sign. In an era of development based on science, technology, innovation and digital transformation, localities that know how to value talented people will have an advantage to go ahead.
But after "recruitment" must be "referral"; after "treatment" must be "empowerment"; after "commitment to dedication" must be a fair evaluation mechanism. Talented people not only need to be invited, but also need to be trusted to do great things. Only then will hundreds of millions of VND in support or valuable houses not only be preferential policies, but become profitable investments for the future of the city and the country.
