Today, July 11, 2025, marks a profound milestone: the 30th anniversary of the normalization of relations between Vietnam and the United States. It’s with immense pride and optimism that I reflect on this journey, a journey that finds its vibrant embodiment in the remarkable friendship between Professor Thomas E. Patterson and Nguyen Anh Tuan. Their story is truly a testament to what’s possible when hearts and minds reach across divides.
Tuan’s journey, which forms a central pillar of this book, is a powerful symbol of this three-decade transformation. Beginning in Nha Trang, Vietnam, Tuan’s vision led him to connect with Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC), a U.S. company based in Massachusetts. Inspired by the power of Alpha servers and U.S. technology, Tuan researched and led the effort to establish and launch VietNet in December 1995. This pioneering effort in Nha Trang marked the very genesis of what would become his extraordinary life’s path: from Nha Trang, to Hanoi, and then to Boston from 2011. Tuan’s outstanding achievements from Nha Trang 1995 to Boston 2025 are a symbol of the fruitful friendship between Vietnam and the U.S. in these 30 years (1995-2025).
My own journey of collaboration with Tuan began early. This year, we celebrate 14 years of friendship, a bond that has deepened significantly. While Professor Thomas E. Patterson brought Nguyen Anh Tuan to Harvard University as a Research Scholar in April 2011, my deep involvement in the strategic direction of the Boston Global Forum (BGF) truly took root when Tuan and I sat together in Nha Trang in April 2013 during my trip to Vietnam. There, amidst the serene beauty of the bay, we passionately discussed and defined the very vision and strategies that would guide BGF in its nascent days. This profound connection underscores how the BGF has always contributed uniquely to US-Vietnam relations, especially bridging Nha Trang – Khanh Hoa with Boston – Massachusetts.
The culmination of these efforts to foster understanding took a historic turn on December 12, 2012, when Tuan, Tom Patterson, John Quelch, and I co-founded the Boston Global Forum. Our shared vision was ambitious: to create a pioneering hub for leaders, scholars, innovators, and citizens committed to addressing the world’s most pressing challenges. Over the years, BGF’s accomplishments have exceeded our most hopeful expectations.
Under Tuan’s visionary leadership, the BGF launched the AI World Society (AIWS) initiative. It was truly special to co-found this pivotal movement with Tuan at a meeting at my home in Brookline, Massachusetts, the day before Thanksgiving in 2017. From that point, Tuan has singularly led and invented AIWS, driving its remarkable achievements, impact, and influence across the United States and the world.
The AIWS has championed groundbreaking concepts like the Social Contract for the AI Age—offering a humanistic framework to ensure that technology serves human dignity—and the AIWS Government 24/7 model, which includes the Boston Finance Accord for AI Governance 24/7, AIWS Digital Assets, AIWS Film Park, and the AIWS Music for Humanity Movement, envisioning a new paradigm in public service delivery. We’ve also had the honor of recognizing global leaders with the World Leader for Peace and Security Award and the World Leader in AIWS Award, shining a light on those who steer the planet toward peace, security, innovation, and stability. Throughout these achievements, Tuan has played a vital role as Chief Executive Officer and, as of 2024, my Co-Chair. Together, we continue to chart new courses for international collaboration in the AI Age.
The invaluable friendship between Nguyen Anh Tuan and Thomas Patterson reflects the resilience of the human spirit to learn from the past, heal old wounds, and forge innovative solutions for the future. Their partnership stands as an inspiring symbol of reconciliation between two nations once divided by war—now united by shared aspirations for peace, prosperity, and meaningful cooperation. They’ve demonstrated that what we achieve together can far surpass what we might ever dream of accomplishing alone.
This book, “The AI World Society: A 30-Year US-Vietnam Partnership from Nha Trang to Boston (1995-2025),” offers a window into the story of Tuan and Tom: how their personal journeys converged to help establish one of the world’s most dynamic forums for global thought leadership. It reminds us that when visionary leaders reach across borders, foster intellectual exchange, and unite around a common purpose, they can inspire generations to come.
As you turn these pages, you’ll discover how true reconciliation can yield far greater results than the healing of old divides. It can bring forth new ideas, new networks, and new frameworks for understanding and tackling global challenges. Their story shows that reconciliation isn’t just about making peace with the past; it’s about imagining and building a better future for all.
In a world more interconnected and interdependent than ever before, Tuan and Tom’s journey offers hope, guidance, and a model for forging relationships that transcend differences. Their legacy—and that of the Boston Global Forum—serves as a beacon, lighting the path for those who believe that in striving for common ground, we can inspire the best in one another and in humanity.
Governor Michael S. Dukakis
Co-Founder and Co-Chair, Boston Global Forum
