Introduction on the Vietnam Institute for Development Strategies 

1. History and the development
Vietnam Institute for Development Strategies (DSI)  is one of the think-tank economic research institutes in Viet Nam. The Institute was established in 1964, with its predecessor being two departments of the State Planning Committee (now the Ministry of Planning and Investment-MPI). Through the development and merging process, the Institute has the name as the Institute for Development Strategies since 1994. By 2023, the Institute incorporated two units from the Ministry of Planning and Investment, including the Economy & Forecast Review and a part of the National Center for Socio-economic Information and Forecast. The Institute has its headquarters at 65 Van Mieu, Dong Da, Hanoi City, and an affiliated unit (Centre for Southern Economic Research) in Ho Chi Minh City.

Figure: History of Establishment and Development

2.  Duties and functions  
According to the Prime Minister's decision (2009), the Institute of Development Strategy is a national scientific organization under the Ministry of Planning and Investment. The latest decision on the functions and tasks of the Institute is Decision No. 859/QD-BKHDT of the Minister of Planning and Investment. The main functions and tasks of the Institute are as follows:
a) Researching projects and initiatives on socio-economic development strategies and national, regional, and local master plannings.
b) Conducting the research, analyses, and forecasts on socio-economic development.
c) Carrying out the international cooperation and other ad-hoc tasks assigned by the Ministry of Planning and Investment.
d) Providing public services in the field of consulting, including planning and development projects at the national, sectoral, regional, and local levels; and scientific research services covering economic, social, and environmental development issues.
e) Compiling and publishing the Economy & Forecast Review.
f) Training Ph.D. candidates in the field of economics.

3. Team of Experts and Partner Network
The Vietnam Institute for Development Strategies currently has 145 staff members, including 01 Associate Professor, 18 PhDs, and 93 Masters. The institute boards numerous leading experts in various fields, including development planning, macroeconomics, international economics, marine economics, infrastructure, sustainable development, industry, agriculture, services, human resources, and social issues.
The Institute for Development Strategy has established a network of partners, encompassing top research institutions in Vietnam, major international organizations in Vietnam such as UNDP, WB, ADB, GIZ, and embassies (United States, China, Germany, Australia, Singapore, etc). Additionally, The Institute was collaborating with reputable research agencies in the region, such as the Korea Development Institute (KDI), the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies of China, and Beijing University (China), Kiel Institute for the World Economy (IfW) of Germany, and  International NGOs such as KAS and FNF.

4. Selected works undertaken
Recently, the Institute has undertaken significant tasks assigned by the Vietnamese Government and the Ministry of Planning and Investment, including:
- National Master Planning for the period 2021-2030, with a vision towards 2050 (2023).
- Planning for the Red River Delta region for the period 2021-2030, with a vision towards 2050 (2024).
- Planning for the Southeast Region for the period 2021-2030, with a vision towards 2050 (2024).
- Socio-economic development Planning for provinces and cities nationwide.
- The Institute serves as the focal agency of the Ministry in formulating the country's 10-year socio-economic development strategies; it provides economic reports for the National Congresses of the Communist Party of Vietnam; development projects submitted to Party and Government agencies.
- The Institute functions as the focal agency of the Ministry in constructing strategic, long-term development reports for the government, such as the Vietnam 2035 Report and the Vietnam 2045 Report. 
- The Institute has undertaken various national and ministerial-level scientific projects and many other large international cooperation tasks and projects such as: Vietnam-Korea Knowledge Sharing Project (2004-2005, 2009-2011, 2012-2013, 2014, 2015-2016, 2016-2017); and projects on promoting economic connections with China, Laos, Cambodia, and Thailand. The Institute has also conducted reports within the scope of research collaboration with domestic and international organizations, such as the Annual Reports on the Top 500 Largest Private Enterprises (VPE500) and the Report on the Labour Shifting By 2030 In Vietnam.