The awards ceremony of the ‘Ho Chi Minh City Goes Global’ contest was organized in Ho Chi Minh City on Tuesday afternoon, during which several of the prize winners had a brief presentation about their proposals.

Taking place at Liberty Central Saigon Riverside Hotel in District 1, the event saw the attendance of vice-chairman of the municipal People’s Committee Duong Anh Duc, city officials, and representatives of consulate generals in the city.

The contest was co-organized by Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper and the Ho Chi Minh City Department of External Relations, along with Global Embassy and Vietnam Signature.

The organizing board received entries from June 16 to August 16 and announced ten prize winners in late August.

The competition was intended as an open forum, Le The Chu, Tuoi Tre’s editor-in-chief, said at the ceremony.

Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, the organizing board had received over 420 entries including articles, PowerPoint files, graphics, and video clips presented in both Vietnamese and English, from which 55 finalists were selected, Chu stated.

“Through this contest, we hope to create a program for local residents to propose plans and join hands with local authorities to boost the city’s development and international integration,” said Tran Phuoc Anh, director of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of External Relations.

Participants ranged from university students to senior citizens, from individuals to organizations and businesses, and from Vietnamese to foreigners, Anh continued, adding that the entries included topics in such fields as culture, education, economic matters, diplomacy, urban development, and environmental issues.

“Elevating the city’s standing is not only the target set by the local government, but also the aspiration of residents and everyone who loves this city,” he said.

Local authorities plan to turn Ho Chi Minh City into an economic and cultural center of Southeast Asia by 2030 and of Asia by 2045, the official remarked.

At the ceremony, several of the prize winners were invited to give a brief presentation on their ideas.

Phan Khuong, who won the first individual prize with his ‘City of Unity in Diversity’ entry, stated that his dream, which is also the dream of other residents, is that Ho Chi Minh will soon become similar to other developed cities in the world.

“My plan focuses on three main factors – the Saigonese, an open economy, and modern infrastructures,” Khuong elaborated.

A livable city is where no one is left behind or forgotten, he said.

Vu Nguyen, representative of SPG Industrial Development Co. Ltd., winner of the second collective prize, said that their proposal highlights how Ho Chi Minh City can find its own story in the Industry 4.0 era the sustainable way.

“We hope that the city will be able to promote itself to the international community so that many people across the world will find it an interesting destination,” Nguyen said.

Nguyen Thien, who won the consolation prize, shared his ideas about the twinning relationship between Ho Chi Minh City and other cities in the world, while French businessman Guillaume Rondan, another consolation prize winner, stressed that the metropolis needs to establish more favorable visa, tax, and investment policies.

At the event, several delegates also joined a panel to discuss ways to elevate Ho Chi Minh City’s international position.

According to Ton Nu Thi Ninh, former Vietnamese Ambassador to the EU and Belgium, the city needs to identify the values that it is targeting, as well as what it currently has and lacks.

“This contest is only the first step," Ninh remarked.

"We need to further discuss and select the core values of the proposed plans before realizing them."

The human factor plays an important role, and Ho Chi Minh City is a ‘melting pot’ that attracts diverse groups of people, said Dominic Scriven – co-founder and executive chairman of Dragon Capital Group.

“We must also take into consideration other aspects including infrastructure, environmental issues, and the legal system,” he added.

Tim Evans, CEO of HSBC Bank Vietnam Ltd., stated that Vietnamese people are full of energy, passion, drive, and incredible resilience, and Ho Chi Minh City needs to capture that in order to go global.

In his closing speech, Ho Chi Minh City vice-chairman Duc thanked the participants for submitting the entries which clearly showed their love for the southern metropolis.

The city leaders will take note of these ideas and add them to the development plan so that Ho Chi Minh City will always be a livable place and a center of creativity that plays an important role in Vietnam’s economic, cultural, and technological development, Duc elaborated.

The vice-chairman later received the compilation of winning entries of the ‘Ho Chi Minh City Goes Global’ contest presented by Tuoi Tre editor-in-chief Chu and director of the Department of External Relations Anh.

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