VAST strengthens international sci-tech cooperation

During a press conference on July 12, Associate Professor Dr. Tran Tuan Anh, vice president of VAST, stated that the academy was intensifying bilateral and multilateral international cooperation with partners worldwide, yielding significant initiatives.

These include ongoing representation of Vietnam at the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research (JINR), increasing involvement of Vietnamese scientific personnel in research and operations at JINR, and ongoing discussions on projects to establish a joint laboratory and develop a JINR Information Centre in Vietnam.

Associate professor Dr. Tran Tuan Anh, vice president of VAST chaired the press conference on July 12

Tuan Anh said, "VAST continues to advance marine research cooperation with international partners. This includes collaboration with the French National Research Institute for Sustainable Development on a comprehensive oceanographic survey using the scientific research vessel ANTEA in Vietnam's coastal waters, involving 34 scientists from both sides. Furthermore, we are working with Russian partners on plans for the 9th joint marine biodiversity and biogeochemical survey aboard the Russian scientific research vessel 'Academician Oparin,' as well as the 2^nd joint marine geological and geophysical survey with the ship 'Academician Lavrentiev' in Vietnam's waters. We are also implementing the roadmap for marine research cooperation between 2018 and 2025 with the Russian Academy of Sciences."

VAST also serves as the government's focal point in international organisations such as the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA) and the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission.

Regarding the academy’s performance in the first half of the year, Tuan Anh highlighted several achievements.

"Significant progress has been made in the construction of the Vietnam Space Centre, a project aligned with the strategy for the development and application of Space Science and Technology until 2030, as outlined in Decision No.169/QD-TTg dated February 4, 2021. To date, VAST has completed over 90 per cent of the project's tasks. Additionally, we are developing a proposal to strengthen national capacity in Earth observation through a small satellite system, and are in the process of establishing the Vietnam Journal of Space Science and Technology," he said.

"The earthquake information and tsunami warning centre, along with its observation station network, have been operating stably, significantly contributing to disaster warning and mitigation efforts. From December 15, 2023, to May 14, 2024, the centre recorded 126 earthquakes across Vietnam's territory and maritime zones," he added.

Moreover, VAST oversaw the ADN testing centre’s efforts in identifying remains of soldiers with missing information using Next Generation Sequencing technology. Results were then handed over to the Department of National Devotees under the Ministry of Labour, Invalids, and Social Affairs.

Efforts in technology application and deployment continued to yield numerous achievements, with VAST granted 53 patents and utility solutions as of May 16, marking a significant increase from the previous year.

Looking ahead to the second half of 2024, VAST will prioritise several key activities. These include enhancing the application of IT in management, administration, and work processes; effectively executing sci-tech tasks aligned with the national strategy for green growth (2021-2030) and other initiatives in Physics, Mathematics, Chemistry, Life Sciences, Earth Sciences, and Marine Sciences; as well as advancing strategies for AI and space technology development.

"Crucially, VAST aims to elevate the quality of international publications to meet global standards, enhance the output quality of science and technology tasks, strengthen technology incubation, and expand the application of science and technology in production and daily life. We are also focused on developing and implementing programmes to entice scientists and highly qualified young professionals," said Tuan Anh.

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