It is with deep regret that I must bid farewell to a magazine, a companion, and a forum where experts, entrepreneurs, and lawyers have long found a common voice in their aspiration to build a society that respects knowledge, creativity, and social responsibility.
The sadness of this parting stems not merely from losing a familiar publication, but more importantly from losing a space that, for many years, nurtured the ideas, concerns, and aspirations of the intellectual community.
For me, the news that Thời báo Kinh tế Sài Gòn is approaching the end of its journey feels like saying goodbye to a trusted professional confidant. Over the years, I have had the privilege of contributing articles on intellectual property, business law, and public policy to the publication. Whenever one of my articles was published, I felt not only the satisfaction of sharing my research and perspectives with the public, but also the sense that I was making a small contribution to strengthening public awareness of the law and promoting respect for intellectual property rights in Vietnam.
Intellectual property in general, and copyright and related rights in particular, is a unique field. It lacks the immediacy of breaking economic news and is not always easily accessible to the broader public. Yet behind discussions of copyright, trademarks, intellectual assets, and the rights of creators lie fundamental issues for a knowledge-based economy in a country striving toward a digital era and an innovation-driven future.
I have always appreciated the way Kinh tế Sài Gòn devoted space to highly specialized subjects. Within its pages, lawyers, experts, and business leaders could engage in meaningful discussions about shortcomings in legislation, notable legal cases, emerging international trends, and policy solutions relevant to Vietnam. Many articles, after publication, sparked conversations through phone calls and emails from colleagues, entrepreneurs, and readers. Some agreed, some disagreed, and others offered additional perspectives. Those exchanges represented the greatest value of journalism. While an article may end on the printed page, the ideas it inspires can continue to resonate within society for years. That is precisely what Kinh tế Sài Gòn has achieved over many decades.
For experts and professionals, the publication has been more than a source of information. It has been a forum of knowledge where professional opinions are respected. Constructive critical voices, in particular, have had the opportunity to be heard, shared, and amplified. That environment has encouraged contributors like me to recognize our own responsibilities to society.
For this reason, the news that the publication is to cease operations as part of an organizational restructuring has been deeply disappointing for many within the professional community. We regret the loss of a forum that helped foster reform-oriented thinking. We regret the loss of a space for dialogue among researchers, businesses, and policymakers. We regret the loss of a publication that we instinctively turned to whenever there was an important legal or economic issue worthy of discussion.
The most valuable legacy of Kinh tế Sài Gòn lies not only in the issues it has published over the years, but also in the spirit of dialogue, openness, and dedication to national development that it cultivated. That spirit should not come to an end. As Vietnam advances toward an economy driven by innovation, digital transformation, and deeper global integration, society needs specialized forums more than ever—platforms where experts can continue contributing ideas on law, institutions, and development policy.
We still need places where draft laws, economic policies, and strategies for enhancing national competitiveness can be discussed and refined. We still need forums where the protection of intellectual property rights in the digital environment can be debated. Above all, we still need platforms where the voices of experts are heard with respect and responsibility.
Therefore, alongside the sadness of this farewell, I remain hopeful that a new model and a new forum carrying the spirit of Kinh tế Sài Gòn will emerge. A place that continues to connect experts, lawyers, entrepreneurs, and researchers. A place that continues to encourage reform-minded ideas and initiatives for the future of the country.
One day, the name Kinh tế Sài Gòn may become part of history. Yet the values it nurtured will endure—through articles that helped shape public awareness, through scholarly debates that contributed to better policymaking, and through contributors like us who poured our dedication and conviction into every piece we wrote.
I would like to extend my sincere gratitude to the generations of leaders, journalists, editors, and media professionals who built such a respected forum. And I bid farewell with the deepest appreciation and respect.
