Dr Le Hong Hiep is a Senior Fellow at the Regional Strategic and Political Studies Programme and Coordinator of the Vietnam Studies Programme at 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.
Nguyen Hong Dien’s personal links and his expected support for General Secretary Trong’s agendas may explain his rise to the top of the economic super-ministry.
There is little reason for the Community Party of Vietnam to repeat its “fast track” procedure to get a new government in place. The Party’s reputation is best served by its playing by the rules.
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”.
