Vietnam-New Zealand Cooperation and the Two-Way Knowledge Flow

After completing his master’s degree at the Auckland University of Technology (AUT) in New Zealand, Tran Quoc Cong (born in 1990) returned to Vietnam. Nearly two years of hands-on work with Large Language Models (LLMs), AI Agents, and Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) in a corporate setting exposed Cong to real-world questions that university lecture halls had not yet raised. It was precisely these practical, industry-driven challenges that motivated him to return to New Zealand to pursue a doctoral degree.

In a conversation with Tuoi Tre, Prof. Dr. Nguyen Hoang Minh, a computer science professor at AUT who mentored Cong alongside many other Vietnamese scholars, emphasized that this is never a simple one-way journey from Vietnam to New Zealand. He noted how fulfilling these circular pathways are, adding that upon finishing their doctoral research, scholars may return to Vietnam once again to contribute directly to their homeland. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Hoang Minh currently serves as Vice President of the Viet Nam Knowledge Network in New Zealand (VKNZ).

Clockwise from top left: Prof. Dr. Nguyen Hoang Minh with his student Tran Quoc Cong; Hectre’s mobile fruit-sizing technology applied to apples; a business trip of Prof. Dr. Nguyen Hoang Minh. (Photos: Provided by the subject; Hectre)

Prioritizing Human Capital Attraction

Prof. Dr. Do Xuan Hung (Massey University, New Zealand), another Vice President of VKNZ, also envisions people as the primary bridge for bilateral knowledge collaboration between Vietnam and New Zealand.

The state visit by General Secretary and President To Lam to New Zealand from August 12 to 13 yielded concrete outcomes: a Memorandum of Understanding on agricultural and environmental cooperation, education pacts, grant funding for climate-smart agriculture initiatives and the CGIAR initiative for Asian megadeltas, alongside joint commitments toward a low-emission green economy and high-quality human capital development.

These agreements demonstrate that both sides are focusing on their foundational, complementary strengths—primarily education and training, workforce development, high-tech agriculture, and sustainable growth. The central challenge now is translating these formal documents into real-world impact.

As bilateral green finance mechanisms remain undeveloped and New Zealand has yet to fully implement an agricultural carbon market, Prof. Hung suggests that rather than solely chasing financial capital, Vietnam should prioritize attracting human capital and intellectual expertise from New Zealand.

Prof. Dr. Do Xuan Hung (right) speaks about the joint Master of Finance program between Massey University (New Zealand) and the Academy of Finance, sharing insights on life in New Zealand with Vietnamese students. (Photo: Provided by the subject)

Prof. Dr. Do Xuan Hung argues that the competitive advantage of the Vietnamese community in New Zealand does not lie in its overall size—just over 15,000 people—but in its high concentration of expertise across agriculture, soil science, veterinary medicine, and climate science, all areas where New Zealand commands global leadership.

To facilitate knowledge exchange, co-creation, and joint production, Prof. Hung proposes pairing academic scholarships with modest alumni grant programs, allowing graduates to apply for funding to execute collaborative initiatives with their former New Zealand institutions.

Furthermore, he recommends establishing mechanisms for mutual expert recognition and dual appointments between Vietnamese research institutes and New Zealand universities. A particular focus should be placed on the mutual recognition of qualifications and occupational standards, especially in veterinary medicine, soil science, and carbon emission verification.

Another priority is streamlining short-term mobility for agricultural specialists and technicians, leveraging the movement of natural persons provisions already embedded in the CPTPP, of which both Vietnam and New Zealand are founding members.

Prof. Dr. Do Xuan Hung leads international scholars on a visit to the Temple of Literature (Van Mieu – Quoc Tu Giam) following an international banking and finance conference co-hosted by the Banking Academy, the Association of Vietnamese Scientists and Experts (AVSE Global), and Massey University. (Photo: Provided by the subject)

Sustainability Requires a Two-Way Street

Prof. Dr. Minh also emphasizes the necessity of an authentic “knowledge pipeline” between Vietnam and New Zealand. The core asset that needs transfer is not simply an algorithm or a funding package, but long-term human capacity and institutional continuity.

For partnership to remain sustainable, knowledge sharing must never be a one-way street.

At the policy level, Prof. Minh recommends creating joint research co-funding mechanisms. If a New Zealand lab must secure 100% of its budget independently to collaborate with Vietnam, or vice versa, partnerships often dissolve into mere goodwill. However, when both governments co-invest alongside private enterprise participation and university-led talent training, projects are far more likely to deliver tangible, market-ready products.

Drawing on his years of experience living in New Zealand, Prof. Minh highlights that the country faces pressing workforce needs, particularly across seasonal and agricultural operations. Well-structured labor, internship, and vocational programs could enable Vietnamese talent to work in New Zealand in relevant sectors—simultaneously filling local labor gaps while gaining firsthand exposure to advanced technologies, managerial practices, and production standards.

This synergy is especially vital for AI, particularly in agricultural applications. New Zealand provides an advanced research environment but possesses a relatively small population; Vietnam offers vast population scale and an extensive agricultural production ecosystem.

A New Zealand doctoral candidate researching agricultural AI in Vietnam gains access to diverse crop varieties, varied climate zones, complex farming workflows, and substantially larger operational datasets. Conversely, Vietnamese scholars gain access to cutting-edge laboratories and advanced research methodologies in New Zealand. Both ecosystems naturally complement each other.

Knowledge for All and the “Receive One, Give Three” Principle

VKNZ was founded on July 23, 2026, aligned with Vietnam’s Resolution 19 on development model innovation and Resolution 23 on overseas Vietnamese affairs. The network operates under a core mission: by all Vietnamese, of all Vietnamese, and for all Vietnamese—advancing unity, global integration, and sustainable prosperity.

Prof. Dr. Do Xuan Hung notes that knowledge here is not confined to academia or lab research; it encompasses technical tradecraft, life skills, and practical industry experience. A skilled artisan, a technician, a nurse, a small business owner, a student, or an educator all hold valuable, transferable knowledge.

Prof. Dr. Nguyen Hoang Minh reflects on a straightforward philosophy shared during a recent network gathering: “Receive one, give three.” If someone receives an insight, an opportunity, or a helping hand, they should pass it forward to three others. One becomes three, three becomes nine, and nine becomes twenty-seven.

If the long-term success of VKNZ is measured not by membership counts or hosted conferences, but by the number of individuals uplifted who subsequently go on to uplift others, the network will have achieved its most meaningful purpose.