Medicine Nobel Laureate Prof. Harald zur Hausen visits Vietnam

The visit is facilitated by the Vienna-based International Peace Foundation and the Ministry of Education and Training and will include Hausen’s public keynote speeches on “Cancer prevention as a challenge for global health” on November 28 at 2 pm at the Vietnam National University in Ho Chi Minh City and on November 30 at 2 pm at the Hanoi Medical University in Hanoi.

Hausen is the second Nobel Laureate visiting Vietnam this month after Prof. Roger B. Myerson’s visit last week who addressed the topic “Leadership, democracy and local government” as part of the 4th ASEAN “Bridges” program at the Foreign Trade University in Hanoi.

The 4th ASEAN “Bridges” event series follows the "Bridges" series with a total of 450 events which the International Peace Foundation has already hosted in Thailand, the Philippines, Malaysia and Cambodia since 2003.

38 Nobel Laureates as well as 18 other keynote speakers and artists including Vladimir Ashkenazy, Dr. Hans Blix, Jackie Chan, the Rev. Jesse Jackson, Vanessa-Mae, Jessye Norman, Dame Anita Roddick, Oliver Stone and Dr. James Wolfensohn participated in these events aimed to support education in the ASEAN region. Events in Thailand were presided over by Her Majesty Queen Sirikit and Her Royal Highness Crown Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn and reached a total audience of 140,000 participants.

Having started this November the 4th ASEAN “Bridges” series involves several major public events which continuously run in Vietnam until March 2013. The programme deals with the overall theme of "building a culture of peace and development in a globalised world", bridging Vietnamese and foreign perspectives.

 The topics cover a wide range of issues in the fields of politics, the economy, science, culture and the media and especially highlight the challenges of both globalization and regionalism and its impact on development and international cooperation. The events include the participation of keynote speakers such as Nobel Laureates for Economics, Physics, Chemistry and Medicine.

HE Prof. Romano Prodi, former Prime Minister of Italy and former President of the European Commission, and the 2010 Fields Medal Laureate Prof. Ngo Bao Chau will also be part of the programme.

The aim of “Bridges” is to facilitate and strengthen dialogue and communication between societies in Southeast Asia with their multiple cultures and faiths as well as with peoples in other parts of the world to promote understanding and trust. The events build bridges through Nobel Laureates with local universities and other institutions in Southeast Asia to establish long-term relationships which may result in common research programs and other forms of collaboration.

By enhancing science, technology and education as a basis for peace and development the events aim towards a better cooperation for the advancement of peace, freedom and security in the region with the active involvement of the young generation, ASEAN’s key to the future.

All “Bridges” events in Vietnam are open and free of charge for the general public and are made possible through the generous support of sponsors including the Asia Commercial Bank, BMW, the Hilton Hanoi Opera, the Jackie Chan Charitable Foundation and the Moevenpick Hotel Saigon.