Vietnam-Belgium mixed council meeting held to select bilateral co-operation themes between the two countries in 2013
The bilateral co-operation program signed by Vietnam’s National Foundation for Science and Technology Development (NAFOSTED) and Belgium’s Research Foundation Flanders (FWO) was divided into two phases. The first phase was implemented in the period of 2009-2012 while the second one will be carried out in the period of 2013-2016.
In the first phase of 2009-2912, the two foundations agreed to co-finance 13 subjects, including 12 subjects in the field of natural sciences and 01 subjects in the field of social sciences. Under the subjects’ framework, scientists both in Vietnam and Belgium have had close co-operation, information exchange and sharing their experiences in the field of research and achieved encouraging results. There were several young Vietnamese scientists having opportunities to receive formal training at master and PhD levels as well as short-term training at universities and research institutions in Belgium.
In 2013, the program has received 28 applications, of which 23 valid applications in the fields of Mathematics, Information Science and Computer, Physics, Chemistry, Earth science, Life Science, Mechanics and Social Sciences.
On November 26th 2013 , the mixed council of NAFOSTED and FWO organised a meeting to review selected themes in 2013 in Hanoi. This has been the first time the two funds carried out assessment under new methods, in which the applications will be evaluated by the mixed scientific council consisting of 05 Vietnamese scientists and other 05 Belgian scientists.
Prof. Phan Tuan Nghia, Chairman of the mixed scientific council, said: ” The council has been working seriously with open and frank discussion. There is a high unification in criteria, selected methods as well as results of 23 applications”. The organization of the mixed scientific council between Vietnam and Belgium also helped the two foundation to share experiences and uniform method of assessing and managing scientific research in the program’’s framework. According to the plan agreed between the two funds, a list of topics to be funded will be announced on December 2013. The edit notes and contract will be signed in the first quarter of 2014.
Some pictures at meeting:
