The Institute for Society and Economy (ISE) is a non-profit organization established in 2017 by the Development and Policies Research Center (DEPOCEN). Its mission is to conduct non-profit projects in health, the economy, and society, provide high-quality evidence to inform policy decisions, strengthen regulatory frameworks, and advance public health. ISE has now gained a reputation in policy research and consultancy due to its wide range of researchers and areas of work. 

In 2023, ISE was awarded a prestigious research grant from The National Foundation for Science and Technology Development (NAFOSTED) to implement a public health project in 2023-2025 “Food Consumption and Nutrition in Vietnamese Households: Trends, Impacts, and Implications for the Food Supply System”. We also conducted the project “Illicit Trade Study in Vietnam” was funded by the University of Illinois to estimate the prevalence of illicit cigarette trade and compare it to a 2012 study. From 2018 to 2021, with funding from the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) and the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids (CTFK), we conducted a longitudinal study to monitor smoker behavior and the tobacco industry’s pricing strategies. In 2019, we conducted a discrete choice experiment to study smokers’ brand switching behavior and estimate the impact of specific excise taxes on local, international, and illicit cigarette brands. In 2022, we conducted a monitoring project funded by CTFK to provide evidence on violations of Tobacco Advertising and Promotion, specifically targeting children and encouraging smoking.