Decree No. 38/2025/NĐ-CP on the functions, tasks, powers, and organizational structure of the Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences (VASS)

DECREE

Regulations on the functions, tasks, powers, and organizational structure of the Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences

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Pursuant to the Government Organization Law on February 18, 2025;

Pursuant to the proposal of the Minister of Science and Technology;

The Government promulgates this Decree to stipulate the functions, tasks, powers, and organizational structure of the Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences.

Article 1. Position and Functions

1. The Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences is an agency under the Government, performing the function of researching fundamental issues in social sciences; providing scientific grounds for the Party and State in formulating guidelines, strategies, plans, policies for rapid and sustainable development of the country to serve economic and social development according to the socialist orientation; advising on development policies in the field of social sciences; training human resources in social sciences as prescribed by law.

2. The Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences has the international trade name in English as: Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences, abbreviated as VASS.

b) Draft five-year and annual socio-economic development plans for the province; major economic and social balances for the province; draft five-year and annual plans, programs, projects, measures to organize and implement tasks related to socio-economic development, finance-budget, planning-investment, and other tasks within the scope of state management of the Department of Finance as prescribed by law;

The Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences performs the tasks and powers stipulated in the Law on the Organization of the Government, regulations of the Government on agencies under the Government, and the following specific tasks and powers:

1. On strategy, programs, plans:

a) Submitting to the Government and the Prime Minister the strategy, programs, and annual plans of long-term, five-year, and yearly nature, as well as important projects and proposals of the Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences, and implementing them after approval;

b) Advising on policies and participating in scientific assessment of important projects and proposals in the field of social sciences at the request of the Government and the Prime Minister;

c) Deciding on investment projects within the authority of the Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences as prescribed by law.

2. Researching theoretical and practical issues in social sciences:

a) Reforming and perfecting the political system; socialist rule-of-law state; socialist democracy in Vietnam; enhancing the leadership capacity of the Communist Party of Vietnam; effectiveness of state machinery operations; gradually perfecting the Vietnamese legal system;

b) Development of a socialist-oriented market economy;

c) Fundamental issues regarding comprehensive human development; national values, ethnic values, cultural values, and fine family values of the nation, absorbing the essence of world culture and civilization;

d) Fundamental and urgent issues concerning ethnicity, religion, history, culture, literature, language, psychology aimed at mobilizing the strength of the entire nation in the cause of building and defending the homeland;

đ) Fundamental, comprehensive, systematic issues on the theory of development in Vietnam under the influence of globalization, international integration, and the Fourth Industrial Revolution;

e) Aspects of social sciences in the knowledge economy in the context of globalization and responding to climate change and assessing their impact on the process of socio-economic development in Vietnam;

g) Experiences in development worldwide, forecasting major trends in regional and global development, evaluating the multi-faceted impacts of the globalization and international integration process on global, regional, and Vietnamese development.

3. Organizing basic surveys on socio-economics, analyzing and forecasting to serve the needs of national development, focusing on key areas, major economic sectors, and regions.

4. Organizing the compilation of outstanding scientific works, large book series, reflecting the essence of Vietnamese and world intelligence to serve research and dissemination of knowledge in social sciences.

5. Organizing activities such as investigation, excavation, research, collection, preservation, museum work, and promotion of cultural heritage values of the Vietnamese ethnic groups.

6. On public service delivery:

a) Organizing the implementation of public services assigned by the Government as prescribed by law;

b) Inspecting the implementation of public services by subordinate units as prescribed by law.

7. Deciding and directing the implementation of the administrative reform program according to the goals and contents of the State administrative reform program approved by the Prime Minister.

8. Training master's and doctoral degrees; participating in training human resources in the field of social sciences as prescribed by law.

9. Advising on strategies, planning, policies, programs, and projects for important socio-economic development within the assigned functions at the request of the Government and the Prime Minister.

10. On international cooperation:

a) Organizing research cooperation and joint training in social sciences with international organizations, foreign institutes, and universities as prescribed by law;

b) Organizing international conferences, seminars, programs, and plans for cooperation as prescribed by law.

11. On information and reporting systems:

a) Organizing information work, propaganda, and dissemination of political tasks, policies, systems, and laws of the State in the assigned sector and field;

b) Building a database of scientific information on research results of the Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences. Implementing the information and reporting system to the Government, the Prime Minister, and the Minister of Science and Technology on the activities of the agency as prescribed by law.

12. On organizational structure:

a) Cooperating with the Ministry of Science and Technology to submit to the Government decisions on establishing new organizations, restructuring, dissolving, and renaming subordinate units of the Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences as prescribed by law;

b) Managing organizational structure, number of civil servants and employees, job positions, and staff structure by profession; deciding on rotation, transfer, appointment, dismissal, resignation, removal, dispatch, training, commendation, discipline, termination of employment, retirement, salary system, and incentive policies for civil servants and employees under the management of the Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences as prescribed;

c) Implementing the self-management mechanism as prescribed by law.

13. On financial management and assets:

a) Prepare the annual budget estimate, the three-year financial-plan-budget plan, and the medium-term public investment plan to be submitted to the competent state agency for approval in accordance with the law;

b) Manage the finance and assets assigned to the Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences in accordance with the law.

14. Perform other tasks and powers delegated by the Government and the Prime Minister and as prescribed by law.

Article 3. Organizational Structure

1. Organizational and Cadre Department.

2. Finance and Scientific Management Department.

3. International Cooperation Department.

4. Office;

5. Institute of State and Law.

6. Institute of Philosophy.

7. Institute of Human Resources, Family and Gender Studies.

8. Institute of Cultural Studies.

9. Institute of Ethnic Groups and Religion.

10. Institute of History.

11. Institute of Literature.

12. Institute of Linguistics.

13. Institute of Sociology and Psychology.

14. Institute of Asia-Pacific Studies.

15. Institute of South Asia, West Asia and Africa Studies.

16. Institute of European and American Studies.

17. Institute of Economics of Vietnam and the World.

18. Institute of Human Geography and Sustainable Development.

19. Institute of Central and Western Highlands Social Sciences.

20. Institute of Southern Region Social Sciences.

21. Institute of Archaeology.

22. Institute of Han-Nom Studies.

23. Institute of Social Sciences Information.

24. Vietnam Museum of Ethnology.

25. Academy of Social Sciences.

26. Social Sciences Publishing House and Journal.

The units specified from Clause 1 to Clause 4 of this Article are specialized units assisting the President of the Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences. The Office shall be organized into ten rooms.

The units specified from Clause 5 to Clause 23 of this Article are public scientific and technological organizations.

The units specified from Clause 24 to Clause 26 of this Article are other public service units.

The President of the Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences shall define the functions, tasks, powers, and organizational structure of the affiliated and subordinate units.

Article 4. Leadership of the Academy

1. The Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences has a President and not more than four Vice Presidents.

2. The President of the Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences shall be appointed and relieved of office by the Prime Minister, and shall be responsible before the Government, the Prime Minister, and the law for all activities of the Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences.

3. The Vice Presidents of the Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences shall be appointed and relieved of office by the Prime Minister on the proposal of the President of the Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences; they shall assist the President in directing and resolving certain areas of work and shall be responsible before the President and the law for the tasks assigned to them.

Article 5. Transitional Provisions

Public scientific and technological organizations and public service units subject to restructuring and reorganization shall continue to operate until the President of the Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences issues regulations on the functions, tasks, powers, and organizational structure of the new unit after restructuring and reorganization, with the latest deadline being March 31, 2025.

Article 6. Effectiveness and Responsibility for Implementation

1. This Decree takes effect from March 1, 2025; replacing Decree No. 108/2022/NĐ-CP dated December 28, 2022 of the Government on the functions, tasks, powers, and organizational structure of the Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences.

2. The President of the Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences, Ministers, Heads of ministerial-level agencies, Heads of government-affiliated agencies, Chairpersons of provincial and centrally-administered city People's Committees shall be responsible for implementing this Decree./.