The Asia Foundation

Now more than ever, disaster preparedness and risk reduction are essential to the sustained well-being and future development of communities throughout Asia and the Pacific. For over 17 years, The Asia Foundation has been helping communities...

Now more than ever, disaster preparedness and risk reduction are essential to the sustained well-being and future development of communities throughout Asia and the Pacific. For over 17 years, The Asia Foundation has been helping communities strengthen their resilience to natural disasters and the increasing threats from climate change. It is cultivating leadership among local and national governments, building the capacity of vulnerable communities, and engaging the private sector.

The Asia Foundation's Books for Asia program has operated in Vietnam since 1993 through a partnership with the National Library in Hanoi. The program provides high-quality educational materials to help improve the scientific knowledge of...

The Asia Foundation's Books for Asia program has operated in Vietnam since 1993 through a partnership with the National Library in Hanoi. The program provides high-quality educational materials to help improve the scientific knowledge of Vietnamese citizens, and to promote the development of various educational fields in Vietnam.

On December 15, 2005, a court trial was held in Quang Ninh Province, Vietnam, to prosecute a human trafficking case. A 20-year-old girl named Thuy, herself a former victim of trafficking, was accused of trafficking 27 women and children. Four...

On December 15, 2005, a court trial was held in Quang Ninh Province, Vietnam, to prosecute a human trafficking case. A 20-year-old girl named Thuy, herself a former victim of trafficking, was accused of trafficking 27 women and children. Four victims from Ha Long City, Quang Ninh Province escaped and were rescued, and subsequently served as witnesses testifying against the accused trafficker. The trafficker was convicted and sentenced to 24 years of imprisonment, and was ordered to compensate the victims for the mental and physical trauma endured.

Vietnamese version of press release announcing a new grant of $500,000 from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) for a two-year project to strengthen the Government of Vietnam's ongoing anti-trafficking efforts in the...

Vietnamese version of press release announcing a new grant of $500,000 from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) for a two-year project to strengthen the Government of Vietnam's ongoing anti-trafficking efforts in the Mekong Delta. The new project will reach 40,000 students through education and training.

The Asia Foundation’s international relations program in Vietnam strengthens and improves U.S.- Vietnam relations by convening bilateral conferences, organizing research placements for visiting American and Vietnamese scholars, and...

The Asia Foundation’s international relations program in Vietnam strengthens and improves U.S.- Vietnam relations by convening bilateral conferences, organizing research placements for visiting American and Vietnamese scholars, and supporting the development of Vietnamese Studies in the United States. One of the keys to fostering a deeper and more comprehensive understanding of the United States in Vietnam is helping Vietnamese universities to develop and expand their emerging American Studies programs.

The Asia Foundation supports initiatives to strengthen institutional and human resource capacity, public-private partnerships, and policy reform in the fields of governance and law. Through a combination of grants and technical assistance, the...

The Asia Foundation supports initiatives to strengthen institutional and human resource capacity, public-private partnerships, and policy reform in the fields of governance and law. Through a combination of grants and technical assistance, the Foundation assists organizations throughout Asia on a range of critical issues, including national and local governance, legislative development, elections, access to justice, and conflict resolution.

The Asia Foundation is a leader in the fight against trafficking in persons in Asia, one of the most egregious human rights abuses in the region. In Vietnam, women and children are trafficked to China, Cambodia, Taiwan, and South Korea for...

The Asia Foundation is a leader in the fight against trafficking in persons in Asia, one of the most egregious human rights abuses in the region. In Vietnam, women and children are trafficked to China, Cambodia, Taiwan, and South Korea for sexual exploitation, forced marriages, labor in sweatshops, and/or domestic servitude; and the number of trafficking victims increases annually. Even when these victims manage to return to Vietnam, they face tremendous difficulty in reintegrating into their communities. Stigmatized by society and traumatized by their experience, they generally do not have the education and skills necessary for gainful employment. These women are at a high risk of being re-trafficked.

The Asia Foundation’s Books for Asia program has operated in Vietnam since 1993 through a partnership with the National Library in Hanoi. Over the past five years, the Foundation has provided approximately 160,000 volumes to Vietnam to...

The Asia Foundation’s Books for Asia program has operated in Vietnam since 1993 through a partnership with the National Library in Hanoi. Over the past five years, the Foundation has provided approximately 160,000 volumes to Vietnam to more than 100 institutions throughout the country, with an additional 120,000 expected to be shipped over the next three years, with a total value of $4.5 million.

With the advent of the policy of renovation (doi moi) in 1986, Vietnam has been able to achieve a consistently high level of GDP growth in the past decade (8.4 percent in 2005) and effectively address the problem of poverty. Much of this...

With the advent of the policy of renovation (doi moi) in 1986, Vietnam has been able to achieve a consistently high level of GDP growth in the past decade (8.4 percent in 2005) and effectively address the problem of poverty. Much of this explosive economic growth is a direct result of the government’s practical economic reforms to encourage private sector growth. Since the implementation of the Enterprise Law in 2000, Vietnam has registered more than 120,000 formal private companies, six times the number registered in the nine years before the law’s enactment. Yet, the benefits of Vietnam’s rapid economic growth have not been spread evenly across the country.

Advancing Entrepreneurship and Economic Opportunities for Small and Medium Businesses

The Asia Foundation has a decades-long history of supporting broad-based economic growth across Asia through both public and private...

Advancing Entrepreneurship and Economic Opportunities for Small and Medium Businesses

The Asia Foundation has a decades-long history of supporting broad-based economic growth across Asia through both public and private channels. Through its Economic Development programs, the Foundation has assisted micro-, small-, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) in accessing the legal information, financing, business services, and skills they need to enhance their competitiveness and profitability, thereby helping to create jobs and reduce poverty.

The Vietnam Provincial Competitiveness Index (PCI) was developed by the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI) and USAIDfunded Vietnam Competitiveness Initiative (VNCI) in 2005, to assess and rank 42 provincial governments by their...

The Vietnam Provincial Competitiveness Index (PCI) was developed by the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI) and USAIDfunded Vietnam Competitiveness Initiative (VNCI) in 2005, to assess and rank 42 provincial governments by their regulatory environments for private sector development, while controlling for differences in their initial endowments. The index attracted considerable attention from various stakeholders, including the business community, media, donor community, and the provinces themselves. Most impressive has been the positive actions undertaken by a number of provincial authorities to use the PCI to better identify and understand the problems confronting the private sector, and to improve their treatment of such businesses.

In 2005 the Provincial Competitiveness Index (PCI) was developed by the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI) and the USAID-fund- ed Vietnam Competitiveness Initiative (VNCI) to assess and rank 42 provincial governments by their...

In 2005 the Provincial Competitiveness Index (PCI) was developed by the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI) and the USAID-fund- ed Vietnam Competitiveness Initiative (VNCI) to assess and rank 42 provincial governments by their regulatory environments for private sector develop- ment, controlling for differences in initial endow- ments. The index attracted considerable attention from various stakeholders including the business community, the media, the donor community and of course the provinces themselves. Most impressive has been the positive actions undertaken by a num- ber of provincial authorities to use the PCI to under- stand the problems confronting the private sector and to improve their treatment of business.

The 2007 PCI survey - the third annual edition - is the largest and most comprehensive assessment and ranking of the performance of provincial governments based on the views expressed by over 6,700 entrepreneurs and managers of small and...

The 2007 PCI survey - the third annual edition - is the largest and most comprehensive assessment and ranking of the performance of provincial governments based on the views expressed by over 6,700 entrepreneurs and managers of small and medium (SME) enterprises across Vietnam's 64 provinces.