Raised levels of int’l sci-tech cooperation

The second Vietnam-Laos Scientific and Technological Cooperation Committee meeting

The milestones

According to Ministry of Science and Technology’s Department of International Cooperation, international cooperation and integration is an important channel for mobilizing external additional resources in knowledge, technology and finance to serve for domestic scientific and technological development. In addition, through multilateral fora and international cooperation, Vietnam can integrate more deeply into the international scientific community.

Up to now, Vietnam has made science and technology partnerships with nearly 70 countries across the world including Russia, Japan, US, Germany, and Finland. It is also member of 100 international scientific and technological organizations and has signed and implemented more than 80 scientific and technological cooperation protocols at Government and ministerial levels. Vietnam’s network of science and technology foreign representative offices has completed the deployment of personnel in the most important areas.

Vietnam has achieved many cooperation agreements in the field of biotechnology, advanced materials technology, space technology, atomic energy, new energy, and S&T capacity building nationwide. Many joint projects with Finland, World Bank, and Agency international Atomic Energy (IAEA) were worth millions of US dollars in funding.

Many collaborative projects showed significant effect. For example, cooperation with UK research institutions, Vietnam has successfully decoded the genome of 36 indigenous rice varieties, contributing to in creasing rice productivity and quality, through a Vietnam-UK cooperation project.

Through cooperation with the IAEA, Vietnam has produced many new rice varieties by irradiation. IAEA also provided invaluable support for Vietnam in the application of nuclear technology in the health and industrial sectors as well as in amending the Atomic Energy Act.

Last year, Vietnam returned 16kg uranium to Russia, which was appreciated internationally; successfully negotiated with the US on agreements and a memorandum on cooperation in using nuclear energy for peaceful purposes, while still reserves the right to uranium enrichment and recycling of Vietnam.

Bilateral and multilateral expansion

The prime minister issued Decision 538/QD-TTg dated April 16, 2014 to approve a science and technology bilateral and multilateral collaborative research program until 2020. The overall objective of this program is to improve coordination, acquisition and mastery of advanced scientific and technological achievements and new innovative technologies, contributing to domestic scientific development. Vietnam expects that internationally published works created from the collaborative research tasks may increase by 15-20 percent and registered patents protected in Vietnam and abroad may increase by 20 percent on annual average.

To accomplish this objective, a number of solutions will be applied including promoting the implementation of international agreements on cooperation in scientific and technological  research and development of research institutions in Vietnam; improving the system of science and technology mechanisms, policies, and incentives; seeking for support resources from developed countries, international and regional organizations, and multi-national corporations to help develop domestic science and technology infrastructure and human training.

Source: VEN