28 years of deep and dynamic journalism

At the veteran age of 28, Vietnam Investment

Cooking up a sumptuous feast fit for the vanguard of the business world takes inordinate amounts of passion and love for journalism – a quest the team at VIR embarks on every week, overcoming difficulties and hardships every day for 28 years without fail to meet all the requirements of the Party, the state, investors, and entrepreneurs – our readers.

To our most valued readers, Le Trong Minh Editor-in-chief This week, Vietnam Investment Review – the press arm of the Ministry of Planning and Investment – cordially invites readers and partners to share our joy of celebrating our 28th anniversary. Coming to life as the doi moi policy and Vietnam’s drive for international integration were put into motion, VIR has witnessed and retold each milestone of Vietnam’s economic rise to the global audience in vivid detail. Starting out with two newspapers – one in Vietnamese and one in English – VIR has grown into a leading multimedia group with five regular printed publications, four online newswires, and many prestigious special editions covering various sectors of the economy. Neither of these successes would have been possible without the growing strength and contributions of VIR’s leadership, reporters, editors, and other staff. Over the past 28 years, they all have become more professional in creating informative and insightful stories, making VIR one of the leading press offices in Vietnam. VIR would not be what it is today without the great support of our treasured readers and customers who have considered us an indispensable outlet over nearly three decades. We do hope that VIR will continue winning your confidence in the future so that we can grow more strongly and sustainably. The Editorial Board of VIR and its entire staff would like to express our heartfelt gratitude to the leaders of Vietnam, government agencies, localities, colleagues, partners, and readers for accompanying us over the past 28 years. VIR promises to remain an unshakeable bridge connecting the government and state agencies with the domestic and overseas business communities as we all embark on a new journey into the digital era. Yours faithfully, Le Trong Minh Editor-in-chief

Happy to be the leader

People often ask us why we choose to be reporters or what the job brings to us, to which we say that the trust and appreciation of readers and businesses after each article that hits the spot is intoxicating. Finding just the right words, answering just the right questions – and finding recognition for it – is tremendously rewarding.

Since its establishment on September 27, 1991 as the media arm of the Ministry of Planning and Investment, VIR has been faithfully covering the various ups and downs of the domestic and global economies, to grow into one of the leading multimedia groups in Vietnam with nine prestigious newspapers, magazines, and online newspapers. The print editions include the weekly Vietnam Investment Review, the monthly Timeout magazine, as well as Bao Dau tu, Bat dong san, and Dau tu Chung khoan newspapers. In addition, VIR publishes up-to-date news on vir.com.vn, baodautu.vn, tinnhanhchungkhoan.vn, and timeoutvietnam.com.

In today’s jungle of information, journalism is about sifting out what is reliable and worthy of coverage, a task that takes determination and vision. However, our journalists have been in the game for objective information for long enough to find the diamond in the rough and polish it into valuable, independent news coverage.

VIR’s publications provide accurate and quick coverage on the Party’s directions, the laws and policies of the state, as well as of the Ministry of Planning and Investment. Furthermore, VIR is the bridge connecting entrepreneur communities, investors, and businesses – and is their voice for effective communications with state agencies.

As guides, VIR’s reporters are spokespersons contributing to economic restructuring and investment attraction in Vietnam. We derive happiness from seeing foreign investors lean on our publications on their way to finding success in the Vietnamese market.

A close friend of VIR, former general manager of SSESteel Ltd., Alan Young said, “I have been reading VIR since I first arrived to Vietnam. VIR’s publications are essential for anyone doing business in Vietnam because they provide a platform for entrepreneurs to express their views on economic issues and government agencies to explain policy considerations.”

While VIR is most closely associated with serious political and socio-economic issues, its tourism and entertainment magazine Timeout gives readers a glimpse into the vibrant and exciting world of fashion, arts and culture, and tourism and entertainment, making it the essential companion to travelling and living smartly in Vietnam.

Mor Chun Lin, general manager of Berjaya Vietnam, lauded VIR as one of very few business publications in Vietnam of international standard and Timeout a useful magazine to keep foreigners like him in the know about the people, culture, and the shifting tastes and fads of locals.

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc reads VIR at the Vietnamese Press Festival

VIR publications being digested at ABB Technology Day in Hanoi

VIR expresses great gratitude for the participation of local and international experts at the Vietnam M&A Forum

Surging team efforts

VIR is much like a safe nest to nourish, educate, and create a launch pad for aspiring young reporters to take off under the guidance of professionals who have been working in the forefront of journalism for almost three decades.

Now VIR reporters are present at every event of importance, be it in the biggest metropolises or remotest rural provinces, always ready to ask, to discover, and share – gathering valuable intelligence and experience from across different cultures and environments. The challenge lies in translating this wealth of experience into coverage that cuts at the heart of the

matter and excites and entertains – even for the most demanding industry

professionals. Every day, the VIR team is scaling mountains, experiencing new things, learning new lessons, and pushing the bar higher. Each business trip is also a journey of self-discovery and betterment, and each successful international diplomatic and economic event – inside or outside the country – is a badge of honour adding to VIR’s prestige in the international arena.

From a press publication targeting foreign investors, businesses, and leaders in Vietnam, VIR has grown into a close companion of businesses by hosting large-scale conferences such as the Vietnam M&A Forum and Vietnam Listed Company Awards. It is now a regular at major conferences in the ASEAN, Europe, the Americas, and Africa. VIR reporters have established themselves in the fields of politics, foreign affairs,

finance, banking, environment, and tourism, bagging many prestigious awards from the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the Ministry of Planning and Investment, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and others, as well as international organisations.

No words can describe what VIR truly entails. It is information, discovery, re-invention, and self-betterment – to make sure that the best is yet to come.