This project aimed to provide a comprehensive study on state-owned enterprises (SOEs) reform in Vietnam with particular emphasis on the lessons from Japan and Southeast Asia. The project was divided into two phases.

In the first phase (fiscal year 1995), the project produced four reports that examine the important issues concerning reforms of state-owned enterprises (SEOs) reform in Vietnam. In addition, the project also invited representatives from Japan and other Southeast Asian countries to contribute their respective country's experiences in SOEs reforms. These papers were presented at the workshop organized by ISEAS in Singapore on September 4-5, 1995. This workshop has helped to stimulate debates on key issues pertaining the SOEs reforms in Vietnam. Furthermore, the experiences of Japan and Southeast Asian countries also provide possible lessons for the Vietnamese government in its attempt to reform SOEs.

The second phase (fiscal year 1996) focused on the dissemination of the research findings to the larger audience such as policy makers, practitioners, academics, mass media and businessmen both within and outside Vietnam. The research findings were published in "State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs) Reforms in Vietnam: Lessons from Asia" by ISEAS. The Vietnamese translated version of this output was also published by State Enterprise Reform Committee.

The highlight of the second stage was the dissemination symposium on "State-owned Enterprises Reforms and Restructuring in Vietnam: Lessons from Japan and Southeast Asia" jointly organized by ISEAS and State Enterprise Reform Committee from December 19-20, 1995. Over 100 participants including policy makers, officials from various government agencies and SOEs, Vietnamese academics and representatives from mass media attended the symposium. Far beyond the expectations, the deliberations were indeed extremely frank and some political sensitivities pertaining SOEs reform issues were raised at the proceedings.