The working session was not only an opportunity to exchange in-depth experiences in implementing research tasks, but also opened up many directions for substantive cooperation between funding units and leading training and research institutions of the two countries.
Overview of the working session.
University of Science - NAFOSTED - FOSTED: Expanding regional scientific research cooperation axis
In his welcoming speech, Associate Professor, Dr. Tran Manh Cuong, Vice Rector of the University of Natural Sciences, said that the University always plays a core role in training and basic scientific research in Vietnam with a staff of dedicated scientists, leading experts, and strong research capacity.
In recent years, the University has continuously improved the quality and scale of scientific research. In the period 2019-2024, the University has been implementing 26 national-level science and technology tasks, 75 topics funded by the NAFOSTED Fund, along with hundreds of other topics at all levels and technology transfer contracts with enterprises. On average, each year, the total budget for research reaches nearly 100 billion VND. In addition, the University has published more than 2,600 international articles in the WoS/Scopus system, owns 48 exclusive patents, built 7 key laboratories and 17 strong research groups.
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Tran Manh Cuong highly appreciated the close coordination between research funding funds, especially the NAFOSTED Fund, in supporting the research community of the University as well as the whole country in the past time. At the same time, he expressed his belief that with the presence of representatives from three parties: the University of Science - the research unit, the NAFOSTED Fund - the scientific research funding unit in Vietnam, and the FOSTED Fund - the science and technology development agency of Laos, many new cooperation prospects will be opened up, contributing to promoting the development of science, technology and innovation (S&T) between the two countries.
Assoc.Prof.Dr. Tran Manh Cuong, Vice Rector of University of Science, spoke at the meeting.
Speaking at the meeting, Mr. Samlane Phankhavong, Deputy Minister ofEducation and Sports of Laos, Vice President of FOSTED Fund, expressed his deep impression of the research achievements of the University of Natural Sciences. According to him, these are valuable experiences that Laos can learn from in the process of building, implementing and applying scientific research programs in a more systematic and effective manner.
Assessing the cooperation between NAFOSTED and FOSTED, Mr. Samlane Phankhavong said that over the past time, the two sides have achieved many positive results, but there is still much potential that has not been fully exploited; at the same time, he expected that with the participation and contributions from prestigious training and research institutions in Vietnam - especially from the University of Natural Sciences, it will help improve the operational efficiency of FOSTED, expand the depth of science and technology cooperation between the two countries. Thereby, creating substantive connections, contributing to concretizing the cooperation contents between the two Funds; promoting the ecosystem of science, technology and innovation research in Laos to develop more strongly and sustainably in the coming time.
Mr. Samlane Phankhavong, Deputy Minister of Education and Sports of Laos, Vice President of FOSTED Foundation spoke at the meeting.
Speaking at the meeting, Mr. Nguyen Phu Binh, Deputy Director of the National Foundation for Science and Technology Development, Ministry of Science and Technology of Vietnam, said that in recent years, the science and technology cooperation between Vietnam and Laos has recorded many remarkable achievements, especially between the two funds NAFOSTED and FOSTED. From the foundation of sharing organizational models, management methods to institutional building, the two funds have effectively implemented many practical activities, laying a solid foundation for a systematic research funding mechanism in Laos.
Mr. Nguyen Phu Binh added that the Law on Science, Technology and Innovation of Vietnam, which was just passed by the National Assembly at the end of June, has officially affirmed the central role of universities in basic research activities. This is an important shift, creating conditions for institutions such as the University of Science - which has implemented nearly 300 projects funded by NAFOSTED - to continue to promote their strengths and contribute to the national and regional science and technology ecosystem.
As a knowledge bridge, NAFOSTED not only provides technical support in policy development, but also directly transfers to FOSTED the necessary legal documents to organize and manage science and technology funding activities. To date, these documents have been officially issued by the Lao Ministry of Education and Sports, creating a clear legal corridor for funding and research support programs in the host country. In parallel, training activities, training, and sharing of science and technology management experiences for FOSTED staff - have been maintained throughout the cooperation process.
However, there is still much room to exploit the potential of bilateral cooperation more effectively. A typical example is the cooperation under the protocol - an area that NAFOSTED is promoting, aiming to connect scientists from many countries.
"Our greatest expectation is that today's working session will not stop at exchanging experiences, but will create leverage for in-depth research cooperation programs, increasing the quantity and quality of joint S&T tasks between the two countries, thereby promoting sustainable development and self-reliance in S&T in the region," Mr. Nguyen Phu Binh emphasized.
Mr. Nguyen Phu Binh, Deputy Director of the National Foundation for Science and Technology Development, Ministry of Science and Technology of Vietnam, spoke at the meeting.
Unleashing Science and Technology Cooperation: Sharing Models, Developing Together
At the meeting, the parties exchanged and discussed the scientific research directions that the University has strengths in and is implementing; difficulties and obstacles in the process of building and implementing S&T tasks that need support and funding from S&T research funding funds; solutions and potential for bilateral cooperation in the coming time.
Assoc.Prof.Dr. Hoang Minh Thao, Head of the Department of Science, Technology and Digital Transformation, University of Science, shared his experience in implementing projects funded by NAFOSTED and affirmed the important role of internal policies in developing high-quality research. Accordingly, the university is currently applying many synchronous policies such as: encouraging the establishment and development of strong research groups, supporting young human resources, rewarding works with high academic value, as well as promoting training and scientific integrity... thereby contributing to enhancing the academic position of the university.
In addition, the school is also shifting strongly towards practical application, especially in the fields of material technology, environment and artificial intelligence... spearheads with high commercialization potential and widespread influence. This is also the basis for promoting cooperation with businesses and developing interdisciplinary research programs linked to social needs.
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Tien Giang, University of Natural Sciences, emphasized the expectation of increasing the number of international cooperation between Vietnam and Laos through protocol topics, and hoped that the two funds would continue to create conditions for the University of Natural Sciences and the National University of Laos to establish basic cooperation programs.
Delegates of the University of Science shared at the meeting.
On the Lao side, Ms. Keophayvanh Douangsavanh, Chief of Office of Lao National Institute of Science, Head of FOSTED Secretariat, Member of FOSTED Management Board highly appreciated Vietnam's practical support in the process of building and operating FOSTED Fund; thanks to the model and experience from Vietnam, especially from NAFOSTED Fund, Laos has effectively implemented many research funding programs.
Assessing the University of Science as a unit with experience in organizing and implementing systematic topics, she expressed her interest in the way the school transfers research results into life - a step that Laos still faces difficulties in. In addition, she wished to share experiences in international publication, the model of developing key laboratories and specialized research facilities of the University of Science.
Mr. Phouphet Kyophilavong, representative of Laos, highly appreciated the funding model of NAFOSTED and expressed his desire to learn to perfect the research ecosystem in Laos - where financial conditions, language and laboratory infrastructure are still limited. He suggested that the two sides should have a common direction, identify priority areas to develop joint projects; and at the same time establish a coordination point between research facilities of the two countries.
Delegates of the FOSTED Fund delegation shared at the working session.
The meeting took place in an open, sincere and highly constructive atmosphere. The shared contents not only helped the two sides gain a deeper understanding of each other’s scientific research ecosystem, but also opened up many prospects for strategic cooperation, contributing to promoting sustainable science and technology development in the region.
Delegates take souvenir photos.
Source: https://mst.gov.vn/that-chat-hop-tac-khcn-viet-nam-lao-tren-nen-tang-dai-hoc-dua-hop-tac-nghien-cuu-len-tam-cao-moi-197250704204625563.htm
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