The National Political and Administrative Academy Ho Chi Minh (NPAA) is one of the country’s leading research and teaching institutions.  With its network of political schools on the national and provincial level, almost every public or political official undergoes training at the NPAA. The NPAA-FES partnership started in1995. During the first phase of cooperation, projects concentrated on socially and economically balanced city development. Further cooperations focused on issues such as the basic values of democracy, democratic socialism and the representation of social group’s interests. Currently, FES coopeates with the Academy on issues of curricula development, quality  management and participatory teaching methods. Still, one NPAA research group continues to be supported working on concepts of Social Democracy.