The launch of the Ministry of Industry and Trade’s Reading Culture Space underscores the Ministry’s commitment to fostering knowledge, strengthening the capacity of its workforce, and meeting the demands of sustainable development.  

In line with Resolution No. 80-NQ/TW of the Politburo on the Development of Vietnamese Culture and Directive No. 04-CT/TW of the Secretariat on Strengthening the Party’s Leadership over Publishing Activities in the New Context, the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT) has officially inaugurated the Reading Culture Space at its headquarters.

To explore the significance of this initiative and its future direction, Industry and Trade Newspaper spoke with Truong Thu Hien, Director and Editor-in-Chief of Industry and Trade Publishing House.

Building the Ministry of Industry and Trade’s knowledge ecosystem

- Could you share the significance of establishing the Reading Culture Space in the Ministry’s efforts to implement Resolution No. 80-NQ/TW and Directive No. 04-CT/TW?

Truong Thu Hien: The inauguration of the Ministry of Industry and Trade’s Reading Culture Space marks a milestone of special significance, reflecting the Ministry’s strong commitment to cultivating a learning environment, promoting the dissemination of knowledge, and fostering cultural development throughout the sector.

The initiative has received close guidance from Le Manh Hung, Secretary of the Party Committee and Minister of Industry and Trade, who envisioned creating a shared space where knowledge can be exchanged, the value of books can be widely appreciated, and reading becomes an integral part of the public service culture. This demonstrates that the Ministry places equal emphasis not only on fulfilling its state management responsibilities but also on building a strong cultural foundation, recognizing knowledge as a vital resource for the sector’s sustainable development.

It can be affirmed that bringing the Ministry’s Reading Culture Space into operation represents one of the concrete measures to implement the spirit of Resolution No. 80-NQ/TW of the Politburo on the Development of Vietnamese Culture, which emphasizes the need to nurture well-rounded individuals, harness the power of knowledge, culture and innovation, and recognize culture as both the spiritual foundation of society and a driving force for national development.

A modern, globally integrated and sustainably developing industry and trade sector requires not only scientific and technological advances or investment capital, but also a strong cultural foundation, a wealth of knowledge, and the lifelong learning capacity of every official, civil servant, public employee and worker.

The Reading Culture Space also contributes to implementing Directive No. 04-CT/TW of the Secretariat on Strengthening the Party’s Leadership over Publishing Activities in the New Context. Publishing should not stop at producing valuable books; it must also bring publications closer to readers, enhance the use of knowledge, and maximise the practical value of publications. In doing so, it helps foster reading habits, encourage lifelong learning, and promote positive values across society.

As the Ministry's publishing house, we believe that cultivating a reading culture requires close collaboration among all agencies and units under the Ministry. Every unit possesses valuable knowledge resources, successful models and practical experience. By contributing to the Reading Culture Space, they collectively create a rich knowledge ecosystem that reflects the breadth and depth of the Ministry’s development.

Reading culture cultivates innovative thinking

- As the Ministry accelerates innovation, digital transformation and workforce development, what role does reading culture play in building a high-quality workforce and improving public administration?

Truong Thu Hien: The Ministry of Industry and Trade is undertaking a wide range of strategic tasks in energy, industry, trade, international economic integration and digital transformation. These priorities place increasingly higher demands on officials, civil servants and public employees, who must possess not only strong professional expertise but also innovative thinking, analytical and forecasting capabilities, sound policy advisory skills, and the ability to adapt to the rapidly evolving domestic and global economy.

Expanding access to knowledge through digital transformation

- What plans does Industry and Trade Publishing House have to ensure the Reading Culture Space becomes a vibrant hub for learning, research and knowledge sharing, encouraging officials and public employees to make full use of its resources?

Truong Thu Hien: We will continue to enrich the Reading Culture Space by working closely with the Ministry’s departments, agencies, research institutes, universities and enterprises. Through these partnerships, we will regularly update the collection with specialised publications, research papers, thematic reports and new works closely aligned with the Ministry’s areas of responsibility.

Each year, on Vietnam Book and Reading Culture Day (21 April), we also hope to collaborate with the Ministry’s trade union and youth union to organise book launches, thematic seminars, discussions with authors and experts, as well as forums for sharing management experience, policy-making practices and lessons drawn from real-world implementation.

In this way, books will become the starting point for meaningful intellectual exchange rather than simply publications placed on library shelves.

The Publishing House also aims to integrate every book in the Reading Culture Space into a digital knowledge ecosystem through QR codes, enabling readers to access information about authors, book summaries, related materials, electronic editions and multimedia resources where licensing permits.

Looking ahead, we aspire to establish a digital library that will allow officials, civil servants and public employees to access the Ministry’s knowledge resources anytime and anywhere.

Ultimately, we hope the Ministry of Industry and Trade’s Reading Culture Space will evolve into a comprehensive knowledge ecosystem, one built upon practical experience in state governance, refined through professional publishing, preserved, digitised and continuously shared to support policy implementation, research and professional training, while fostering innovation across the Ministry.

Thank you for your time!