On the occasion of Austrian President Heinz Fischer’s official visit, the Ministry of Education and Ministry of Science and Technology held the Vietnam-Austria Education, Science and Technology Forum on May 31, 2012 at Sai Gon University (Ho Chi Minh city).
The forum was attended by Austrian President Heinz Fischer and Vietnamese Deputy PM Nguyen Thien Nhan, Minister of Science and Technology Nguyen Quan and representatives from the two countries’ universities and scientific research institutions.
Speaking at the forum, Deputy PM Nguyen Thien Nhan stated that the forum demonstrated the two countries’ resolve to make education, science and technology priorities in the bilateral ties. Vietnamese Government is determined to prioritize resources for the development of education, science and technology, considering it as breakthrough solution for quick and sustainable development.
According to Minister of Science and Technology Nguyen Quan, a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on scientific and technological co-operation was signed in late 2011 between the Vietnamese Ministry of Science and Technology and the Austrian Ministry of Science and Research.

At the forum, the Vietnamese Ministry of Science and Technology and the Austrian Ministry of Science and Research officially launched the program to support bilateral research co-operation between Viet Nam and Austria in the 2012-2025 period.
The National Foundation for Science and Technology took part in the event and presented the Foundation’s activities and results from basic research funding programs. It was an opportunity for the NAFOSTED to spread its brand and activities among counterparts and scientists in Vietnam as well as abroad.