On September 26, 2025, at the Posts and Telecommunications Institute of Technology (Hanoi), a talk was held between Mr. Daren Tang – Director General of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) and a large number of Vietnamese students, themed “WIPO and the journey of creating an intellectual property ecosystem to promote innovation for the young generation of Vietnam”. He delivered powerful messages to hundreds of Vietnamese students: dare to dream, dare to create, and dare to step out into the world. This was not just a meeting, but also a source of inspiration for Vietnamese youth to confidently assert themselves in the era of global innovation.
This is also one of the prominent activities within the framework of his visit and working session in Vietnam from September 25 – 26.
Opening the session, Mr. Daren Tang expressed his joy in meeting university leaders, faculty, and students. He shared: “As the first Director General of WIPO from the ASEAN community (specifically Singapore), I am very proud that ASEAN countries are on a path of prosperous development, and Vietnam in particular is one of the countries developing in many aspects such as agriculture, tourism, and manufacturing. Vietnam is also a cradle of technological innovation and creativity. Congratulations to Vietnam.”
Mr. Daren Tang – Director General of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) at the talk program with Vietnamese students
The WIPO Director General stated: in 1975, 80% of global asset value lay in tangible assets; but today, this figure has reversed – 90% of value in the US comes from intellectual property. Vietnam is also following that trend, with more than 4,000 startups and many famous technology companies in the fields of Fintech and high-tech manufacturing. In the last 15 years, Vietnam has always been in the world’s leading group for high-tech import and export.
Mr. Daren Tang visiting PTIT’s Science and Technology products
Mr. Daren Tang highly appreciated Vietnam’s young workforce, who are industrious and rich in creative energy. Mr. Daren Tang particularly emphasized the role of Vietnamese scientists, including the team at Viettel, who have helped Vietnamese technology reach many countries. He affirmed that the young generation of Vietnam are the creators and entrepreneurs of the future, and WIPO will accompany them in training and orientation so that the young generation becomes a global pioneering force.
During the program, many students directly asked Director General Daren Tang questions regarding science, technology, and innovation. The open exchanges not only helped them better understand global development trends but also provided motivation to boldly pursue their passion for research and entrepreneurship. To promote innovation, he offered three suggestions for students: Build an innovative mindset – don’t think of innovation as something far-fetched, but start from small daily ideas and nurture passion while still in school; Turn ideas into products – boldly bring initiatives to the market and spread research results; don’t let ideas “sleep in a desk drawer”; Access and apply technology – know how to leverage existing knowledge and technology to create new value for the community.
In the context of a volatile global economy, Mr. Daren Tang affirmed that proactively mastering technology, R&D, and scientific human resources is a vital factor for Vietnam’s sustainable development. WIPO is committed to accompanying Vietnam in training and consultancy on intellectual property and artificial intelligence, creating a foundation for the young generation to confidently integrate and assert their pioneering role in innovation on the international stage.
The talk not only opened up opportunities for Vietnamese students to listen to valuable insights from the WIPO Director General but also lit a fire of aspiration and a spirit of commitment to innovation within them. With the support of WIPO along with the continuous efforts of educational institutions like PTIT, the young generation of Vietnam can fully and confidently nurture their dreams, realize their ideas, and assert the Vietnamese intellectual mark on the global science and technology map.
