Dr Le Hong Hiep is a Fellow at the Vietnam Studies Programme and the Regional Strategic and Political Studies Programme of the ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute. He is also an editor of the institute’s flagship journal Contemporary Southeast Asia.
Hiep holds a BA from the Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam, a MA in International Relations and a Master of Diplomacy from the Australian National University. In 2015, Hiep earned his PhD in Political and International Studies from the University of New South Wales, funded by the Prime Minister’s Australia Asia Award.
Before joining ISEAS, Hiep worked for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Vietnam and taught at the Faculty of International Relations, Vietnam National University-HCMC.
The Communist Party of Vietnam, which is set to make some historic appointments to its top echelons, shows that Vietnamese politicians know how to master “the art of the possible”.
Mr Nguyen Phu Trong has been general secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam for two terms, and party rules stipulate that the incumbent cannot hold the position for longer than that. But there is more than meets the eye.
Vietnam has recently floated plans to revive the nuclear power option. However, Vietnam does not need to develop nuclear power at all cost. Instead, it should focus efforts on developing renewable energy and gas-fired power plants, which are safer, more affordable and less controversial.
