NAFOSTED Promotes International Cooperation and Fosters Research Tasks Based on Practical Needs

In his opening remarks, Dr. Nguyen Phu Binh, Deputy Director of the NAFOSTED Foundation, emphasized the increasingly important role of international cooperation in enhancing research capacity and accessing global knowledge, technology and resources. In the context where science and technology issues are increasingly interdisciplinary, cross-border and closely associated with socio-economic development needs, international cooperation needs to be approached in a more substantive manner, with close linkages among the problem – partner – proposal – task – outcome.

Nguyen Phu Binh, Deputy Director of the NAFOSTED Foundation, delivers the opening remarks at the Workshop

According to the orientation shared by NAFOSTED at the Workshop, an effective international cooperation task does not necessarily begin with existing programs or calls for cooperation. The starting point may come from a scientist with a strong research direction, an institute/university with research strengths, an enterprise with a technological, production or market problem, or a locality with development needs requiring scientific and technological solutions. The important issue is to establish a mechanism to connect these sources of needs with suitable partners and resources in order to transform them into joint research tasks capable of generating practical results and impacts.

In this process, NAFOSTED positions its role not only in funding but also as a connecting and fostering focal point, promoting the participation of stakeholders in the research and innovation ecosystem. The model proposed by the Foundation is one of synergy among institutes and universities with knowledge, research groups, methodologies and infrastructure; enterprises with practical problems, technologies, data and markets; the State and funding foundations with mechanisms, resources, connections and program management; and international partners with complementary knowledge, new technologies, networks and experience. On this basis, the Foundation aims to leverage the three pillars of resources – connections – mechanisms, creating a foundation for the formation and effective implementation of international science and technology cooperation tasks.

From Regional Needs to Research Tasks with Potential for Impact

In his welcoming remarks at the Workshop, Meritorious Teacher, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Luong Minh Cu, Rector of Cuu Long University, highly appreciated NAFOSTED’s initiative in organizing the Workshop and connecting stakeholders in the research ecosystem. According to the Rector, the scientific community not only needs to find suitable partners but also needs to transform and standardize ideas into proposals with clear research questions, feasible methodologies, reliable coordination capacity and measurable impacts. The University expects the Workshop to create substantive connections among management agencies, funding foundations, institutes, universities, enterprises and international partners, thereby forming high-quality task dossiers.

Meritorious Teacher, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Luong Minh Cu, Rector of Cuu Long University, delivers welcoming remarks

For the Mekong Delta, the need to strengthen international cooperation has become increasingly urgent in the face of challenges related to climate change, water resources, sustainable agriculture and fisheries, health and digital transformation. These are all interdisciplinary issues that require the combination of knowledge, technology and resources from multiple domestic and international stakeholders.

The presentations at the Workshop further clarified these issues from various perspectives. Assoc. Prof. Dr. Vu Ba Dung, Director of the Modeling and Simulation Center, Cuu Long University, proposed shifting from individual cooperation activities to long-term international research programs associated with major regional issues; developing shared laboratories and databases; and establishing a linkage model among the State – Universities/Research Institutes – Enterprises – International Partners – Communities. In this model, NAFOSTED and funding foundations play the role of creating incentives, connecting resources and promoting co-funding for international research programs.

Drawing on practical experience, Dr. Nguyen Van Hoa, Deputy Director of the Southern Horticultural Research Institute, shared the process of moving from an idea to a task proposal, focusing on experience in finding and connecting partners and developing joint research dossiers. Dr. Ngo Dac Thuan, Chairman of the Board of Directors of IP Group Joint Stock Company, approached the issue from the perspective of enterprise needs, emphasizing the role of creative thinking, innovation and R&D in product development, thereby demonstrating the need to link research with actual market needs.

From the perspective of state management, Dr. Khong Quoc Minh, Authority of Innovation, Ministry of Science and Technology, analyzed the requirement to link research with innovation, application and transfer of research results. One of the issues raised was the gap between research and the market, as many research results remain difficult to transform into products and services in production and business activities, while enterprises also face difficulties in finding and adopting appropriate technologies.

Khong Quoc Minh, Authority of Innovation, analyzes the requirement to link research with innovation

Ms. Truong Trinh Truong Vinh, Deputy Director of the Department of Science and Technology of Vinh Long Province, shared orientations and research and innovation needs serving the socio-economic development of Vinh Long Province and the Mekong Delta region. According to the information presented at the Workshop, the local business force and technology absorption capacity continue to expand, creating a foundation for implementing research programs associated with market needs; enterprises are identified as one of the important stakeholders in the application and commercialization of research results.

Ms. Truong Trinh Truong Vinh, Deputy Director of the Department of Science and Technology of Vinh Long Province, presents a paper at the Workshop

NAFOSTED – A Bridge Bringing Cooperation Ideas Closer to Research Tasks

The open discussion between NAFOSTED and the delegates focused on difficulties and obstacles in the process of formulating and proposing tasks; the need to seek and connect domestic and international partners; methods for building research groups; and improving the quality of international cooperation dossiers.

The discussions showed that, for international cooperation to go deeper, it is important not only to expand the number of partners but also to create a chain of linkages from practical needs to research and application. Problems arising from localities and enterprises need to be connected with the research capacities of institutes, universities and scientists; at the same time, the knowledge, technology and resources of international partners need to be mobilized to form joint tasks with clear objectives and the potential to create impacts.

This is also a space for NAFOSTED to promote its role as a fostering Foundation: not only providing financial resources but gradually becoming a bridge among the State, the scientific community, enterprises, localities and international partners; supporting the connection of experts, partners and resources; and promoting the formation of research groups, networks and high-quality task proposals.

Through the Workshop in Vinh Long, NAFOSTED continues to expand its direct connection activities with localities, universities, research institutes and enterprises, thereby proactively seeking problems, identifying ideas and fostering cooperation opportunities, directing science and technology resources toward addressing specific development issues. For the Mekong Delta, where many challenges related to water resources, climate change, agriculture, the environment and livelihoods are interdisciplinary and cross-border in nature, this approach is even more meaningful in connecting domestic research capacity with international knowledge, technology and networks.

Overview of the Workshop

From the connections established at the Workshop, NAFOSTED aims to continue accompanying scientists, institutes, universities, enterprises and localities in transforming practical problems into research ideas, ideas into proposals, and proposals into high-quality international cooperation tasks, thereby contributing to bringing research results closer to practical application and enhancing the international integration capacity of Vietnam’s science, technology and innovation.