Information of the doctoral thesis: “State management of maritime safety assurance in Vietnam”

Supervisor: Assoc, Prof. Dr. Nguyen Ngoc Toan.

Training Institution: Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics.

New academic and theoretical contributions:

Based on extensive literature review, the thesis clarifies the concepts, characteristics, roles, content, criteria, and influencing factors. It successfully constructs and validates an integrated 2x3 analytical framework for state management of maritime safety assurance, structured on the intersection of two content pillars (System Management – Service Supply Management) and three functions (Promulgation – Implementation – Supervision).

This framework overcomes previous fragmentation, providing a comprehensive foundation combining modern public governance theories (NPM, Risk Governance) with international standards (IMO, IALA, IHO). Additionally, the thesis develops a specific set of 30 KPIs to quantify agency efficiency. This contributes to filling the theoretical gap in evaluation tools, shifting the approach from qualitative description to evidence-based quantitative measurement in martitime safety governance.

New Insights Derived from the Research and Survey Findings:

Drawing upon a comprehensive dataset of state management practices from 2015-2025, the thesis critically analyzes the current status, systematically identifying key achievements and persisting limitations. Through a rigorous survey of 250 officials and 25 experts, combined with advanced quantitative analysis using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) via Python to test hypotheses, the study empirically confirms that “Technology – Digitalization” and “Legal Institutions” are the dominant drivers of efficiency. These findings establish a robust scientific foundation for strategic resource allocation and policy refinement.

Synthesizing these empirical insights with future development contexts, the thesis proposes a synchronous system of solutions for 2030, with a vision to 2045, aiming to execute a fundamental paradigm shift from a traditional, passive “compliance control” mechanism to a modern, proactive “risk and data-based governance” model that aligns with digital transformation trends. The solutions cover system organization and service supply management, explicitly linked to Service Level Agreements (SLAs), responsible agencies, and specific roadmaps. This ensures high feasibility and operational adaptability within the deepening context of Vietnam’s international integration, ultimately offering valuable, replicable practical frameworks for state agencies, enterprises, and reseachers to enhance maritime safety assurance./.