bao cao thuong nien 2014(en)

In 2014, the University focused on technical improvement by working with reputable universities in the world such as University of California Berkeley UCB, University of California Los A

ANNUAL REPORT 2014

so as to promote national development and social advances.

VNU-HCM is governed, managed and administered as an exemplary university model withhigh degree of autonomy, social accountability and self-control It also creates a favorableenvironment for science innovation and academic freedom in a standard university city

from VNU-HCM President

Assoc Prof Dr Phan Thanh Binh

The year 2014 is coming to an end

Under the theme of Education Quality, allactivities of VNU-HCM in 2014 were gearedtowards maintaining the quality of education,academic affairs and research

In addition to strengthening high qualityacademic programs at an international standard(e.g excellent engineer training programs, honorsprograms and advanced programs), VNU-HCMimplemented the CDIO approach to fullydevelop learners' knowledge, skills, qualificationsand professional competence Being home todistinguished faculty and students, the Universityalso paid close attention to admissions, as itendeavors to produce talents for the society afterevery 4 years of education In 2014, the proposal

"Higher education admission reform" wascompleted, which is scheduled to be implementedfor 3 years (2015-2017) in order to fully evaluatestudents' academic competence, problem solvingskills and community involvement

Committed to standardizing and developingacademic programs and learning environment

at an international standard so as to providehighly qualified personnel for the sake ofsocioeconomic growth, the quality assurancesystem of VNU-HCM has been strongly built

Up to 2014, the University had 16 programsaccredited by ASEAN University Network(AUN) Besides, the Computer Science andComputer Engineering programs were accredited

by ABET (Accreditation Board for Engineeringand Technology) at level 3, making them the

A N N U A L R E P O R T 2 0 1 4 A N N U A L R E P O R T 2 0 1 4 7 7

first two programs in Vietnamese universities get

the highest level of ABET accreditation As a

pioneer of the country in international assessment

and accreditation, VNU-HCM has been

gradually integrating into regional and global

higher education

The deep relationship of VNU-HCM and its

partners in the area of science and technology has

gained increasingly effective and quality

outcomes Currently, it has closely worked with

many universities and institutes around the world

from Asia, Europe to North America on scientific

research programs

In 2014, the University focused on technical

improvement by working with reputable

universities in the world such as University of

California Berkeley (UCB), University of

California Los Angeles (UCLA), Singapore

Management University (SMU) on the three

important areas: (1) natural science; (2) education

science; (3) management science/business

administration Such partnerships have opened

the door for VNU-HCM to integrate into the

world class university system

The value of a university can be measured by its

inventions and contributions to human

knowledge, as well as by the benefits it brings to

the community Fully aware of it, for the past

years, a comprehensive community engagement

strategy has been implemented by VNU-HCM,

including specific goals and widespread programs

which closely linked with the localities of the

Southern economic zone for the sake of

socioeconomic and cultural development

As a large science hub of the country, HCM actively provided inputs for nationalpolicies and schemes, especially those related tothe government resolutions for educationalreform

VNU-For its continued effectiveness, VNU-HCM hasidentified the directions for strategic plan 2016-

2020 and the vision 2030 The overall goal was

to fully develop the University system on thebasis of autonomy, social accountability andcorresponding responsibility VNU-HCMwould provide the guidance and create favorableconditions for its member institutions to be able

to develop the University into a central hub inthe country for multi-disciplinary qualityeducation, research and technology transfer,keeping pace with reputable universities in theregion and the world

Entering the year 2015

2015 is when VNU-HCM, in celebration of bignational holidays, will reflect on its 20 years ofconstruction, development and integration Aslooking back at the past, everyone will feel proudand at the same time, be aware of his responsibility

in developing the University

2015 marks the start of the strategic plan for anew period: the period of development andacclamation

2015 presents challenges and opportunities forVNU-HCM's integration

Globalization is a vital process of integrationamong economies and cultures Competition

and cooperation are intertwined.

OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES are

two sides of the same coin

The formation of the ASEAN Economic

Community (AEC) in 2015 will bring both

challenges and opportunities to Vietnam Such

opportunities including expanded labor market,

and positive conditions to exchange, collaborate

and mobilize educational and research resources

must be seized The country needs to implement

reforms for international integration, and vice

versa Education needs to be a bridge leading the

country to international integration and a good

future

In 2013, the 11th Central Committee of the

Communist Party of Vietnam issued the

Resolution 29 on comprehensive educational

reform In that context, VNU-HCM officially

registered to be the pilot institution to carry out

the reform, as it was aware that the change was

urgently necessary, not because the government

asked for it, but because the education itself and

the University did need it The reform would

have a positive impact on the quality of education

and science, leading to the formation of research

oriented universities Once done at VNU-HCM,

it would facilitate an advanced model of higher

education administration at international

standards, enabling the Vietnamese higher

education to integrate into the regional and

global system

With that, VNU-HCM identified the theme for

2015 as REFORM - INTEGRATIONREFORM - INTEGRATIONREFORM - INTEGRATION with

the following core agenda:

- Completing and enhancing articulation and

collaboration in education, research and

academic exchanges among member institutions,

and with local and international partners; thereby,

creating the breakthrough improvement in the

quality of education and research

- Reforming and developing the quality ofadministration; professionalizing all areas ofoperation; and standardizing the administrationprocesses in order to improve the VNU-HCM'sposition

- All activities must be associated with thedevelopment strategy of VNU-HCM Resourcesare allocated based on key performance indicatorsand appraisal schemes

The future is ahead, and the expectation of thesociety requires VNU-HCM, with itscommitment and achievements, to pioneer thereform and the local and international integration

A year is coming to an end In celebration ofanother new year, it is confident that VNU-HCM will achieve a sustainable development,and join other stakeholders in the country toimprove higher education quality for the sake ofregional and international integration

Wishing the faculty health and happiness in2015

A N N U A L R E P O R T 2 0 1 4 9

Master plan of the University of Information Technology

Photo: Nguyen Minh Tan

OVER VIEW

ADVISORY BOARD

Assoc Prof Dr Chau Ngoc An

University City Planning

and Development Advisor

Mr Dao Trung Giang

Materials Science and Corporate Relations Advisor

Mr Nguyen Quoc Luu

Higher Education Administration Advisor

Prof Dr Ho Tan Nhut

Education Technology Advisor

Assoc Prof Dr Le Quang Minh

Higher Education Administration Advisor

(since 8/2013)

Prof Dr Dang Luong Mo

Circuit Design Advisor

2 Assoc Prof Dr Huynh Thanh Dat,

Standing Vice President

3 Dr Nguyen Duc Nghia,

Vice President

4 Assoc Prof Dr Nguyen Hoi Nghia,

Vice President

Assoc Prof Dr Vu Dinh Thanh

Rector, University of Technology

Prof Dr Tran Linh Thuoc,

Rector, University of Science

Assoc Prof Dr Vo Van Sen,

Rector, University of Social

Sciences and Humanities

Assoc Prof Dr Ho Thanh Phong,

Rector, International University

Assoc Prof Dr Duong Anh Duc,

Rector, University of Information Technology

LEADERSHIP

OF MEMBER INSTITUTIONS

Assoc Prof Dr Nguyen Tien Dung,

Rector, University of Economics and Laws

Prof Dr Nguyen Van Phuoc,

Director, Institute for Environment and Resources

FUNCTIONAL DEPARTMENTS

ADMINISTRATION DEPARTMENT

PERSONNEL DEPARTMENT

PLANNING AND FINANCE DEPARTMENT

ACADEMIC AFFAIRS DEPARTMENT

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY DEPARTMENT

EXTERNAL RELATIONS DEPARTMENT

STUDENT AFFAIRS DEPARTMENT

PROJECT MANAGEMENT & DEVELOPMENT

UNIVERSITY OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

UNIVERSITY OF ECONOMICS AND LAW

INSTITUTE FOR ENVIRONMENT AND RESOURCES

SCHOOL OF MEDICINE HIGH SCHOOL FOR THE GIFTED JOHN VON NEUMANN INSTITUTE INSTITUTE OF EDUCATION GOVERNANCE

IC DESIGN RESEARCH AND EDUCATION CENTER CENTER OF WATER MANAGEMENT AND CLIMATE CHANGE VIETNAM MANAR CENTER

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY AND TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER CENTER CENTER FOR POLITICAL THEORY

NATIONAL DEFENSE EDUCATION CENTER LABORATORY FOR NANO TECHNOLOGY JOURNAL FOR SCIENCE DEVELOPMENT AND TECHNOLOGY CENTRAL LIBRARY

VNU-HCM PUBLISHING HOUSE CENTER FOR EDUCATIONAL TESTING AND QUALITY ASSESSMENT CENTER FOR VNU-HCM CAMPUS DEVELOPMENT AND MANAGEMENT CONSTRUCTION PROJECT MANAGEMENT DEPARTMENT DORMITORY CONSTRUCTION PROJECT MANAGEMENT DEPARTMENT CENTER FOR DORMITORY MANAGEMENT

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY PARK INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION INSTITUTE CENTER FOR FRENCH UNIVERSITIES CENTER FOR FRENCH UNIVERSITIES VNU-HCM DEVELOPMENT FUND SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY FUND ENGLISH TESTING CENTER CENTER FOR EDUCATIONAL ACCREDITATION PRE-DOCTORAL EDUCATION CENTER VNU-HCM NEWSLETTER

1 VNU-HCM's 20th anniversary events were held

2

2 National forum "Summary of theoretical and practical issues over

30 years' reform" was organized

3

3 The Decree 186 and the Decision 26/2014/Q?-TTg regardingthe organization and operation of Vietnam National Universitieswere issued by the government

7 The book "Vietnam's sovereignty over the East Sea and Hoang

Sa - Truong Sa" was released, and the historical map assertingsovereignty exhibited by the scholar Nguyen Dinh Dau

1 The Computer Science and Computer Engineering programs atthe University of Technology were the first two programs ofVietnamese higher education institutions receiving the ABETaccreditation

2

2 The commercial microchip, SG-8V1 made by ICDREC ofVNU-HCM won the first prize in the 2014 Vietnamese TalentAwards, and became one of the top 8 science and technology events

9

9 Pham Tuan Huy, the student of the High School for the Gifted,won the gold medal in the international mathematics contest for thesecond time

10

10 The Laboratory for Nano Technology celebrated its 10th

birthday

Top 10 Professional

Activities

A N N U A L R E P O R T 2 0 1 4 19

Learning horizon

Photo: Tran Thanh Thong

POWER OF SYNERGY

SG8V1- the first commercial microchip

The first Made-In-Vietnam 8-bit chip named

SigmaK3, a product from the key project of

VNU-HCM, by ICDREC made its debut in

early 2008, and was then becoming a big event

nationally and internationally In the following

year, ICDREC continued to launch the

processing chip VN801, a new version of

SigmaK3 with better functions and performance

The VN801 won the second prize of promising

products in the 2009 Vietnamese Talent Awards

Recognizing the big potential application of

8-bit chips, ICDREC implemented pilot

production of the microchip SG8V1 in order to

create the first commercial microchip in Vietnam

In the market economy, ICDREC has tomaintain strong linkages with businesses Amajority of enterprises choose availabletechnology packages abroad for easy application,which considerably inhibits technology transfer

of local organizations In response to such aproblem, ICDREC has made investments anddone research to create complete products andpackaging solutions before introducing them toenterprises

Being recognized by enterprisesOne of many products that ICDREC developed

in 2009 was the car journey camera or car blackbox ICDREC then used chips abroad (e.g

A N N U A L R E P O R T 2 0 1 4 .21

SG8V1 chip Photo: ICDREC

Digital cable modem DCM

Photo: ICDREC

Microchip)

A technology product only survives and grows

when achieving market acceptance Sharing that

viewpoint, ICDREC's slogan is "Product in

mind"

Under the contract of pilot production of SG8V1

chip, ICDREC found out necessary technical

specifications of an 8-bit commercial microchip

and steadily improved it Now it is the

strict requirement of the market

that measures the success of

SG8V1 chip

The success of SG8V1 chip

facilitated the establishment of two

joint ventures between VNU-HCM and

Saigon Industry Corporation: Saigon Track

Joint Stock Company (2012) and Saigon

Solution Joint Stock Company (2013) 100%

of its stocks at the two companies came from the

technologies produced by ICDREC

The SG8V1 won the first prize of the Vietnamese

Talent Awards, and made its debut in 2014.More importantly, although it has higherfunctions and specifications, the price is just 2/

3 of the similar chip of Microchip It can be seenthat the microchip made by Vietnam has beenaccepted by the technology community and themarket

Market expansion

In the coming time, ICREC will concentrate ondeveloping and selling 8-bit chips in potentialareas of Vietnam

In the electricity sector, there will be digital cablemodems (DCM), single phase and 3-phasegalvanometers, and handheld galvanometers,etc Currently, there are nearly 2 milliongalvanometers in Ho Chi Minh City, and over

19 million ones in the nation, which needaccrediting (every two years for 3-phasegalvanometers and every five years for singlephase ones)

SG8V1 chip won the first prize in 2014 Vietnamese Talent Awards

On 20 November, at the Vietnam-Soviet Union Cultural Friendship Palace, Hanoi, the 2014 Vietnamese TalentAward Ceremony took place to honor talents in the field of information technology, science, medicine andenvironment

It was the first year that the first prize was granted to all three types of the information technology awards, and SG8V1

of ICDREC won the highest prize for a successful IT product

The SG8V1 successfully convinced the jury board not only because of its effectiveness and wide applications, butalso thanks to its competitive price: 50% lower than imported products

According to ICDREC, each SG8V1 chip is sold at VND 45,000(for a 1,000+ chip purchase), and the price will vary depending

on each order ICDREC will also have discount schemes forthose who use SG8V1 for education, national defense and socialsecurity, etc

ICDREC team won the first prize

of the Vietnamese Talent Awards 2014

Photo: ICDREC

Electronic galvanometer Photo: ICDREC

In the transportation sector, there will be carjourney cameras, motorcycle black boxes,and RFID-embedded electronic locks forcontainers etc Currently, there are over 2million cars and 37 million motorcyclesnationwide

In the management sector, there will beradiation monitors, cold chain temperatureindicators, production management system,and RFID asset management system, etc.The products of ICDREC would helpenterprises significantly save investment costscompared to the usage of foreign products.For example, in 2015 when the Ho ChiMinh City Power Corporation (EVNHCMC) uses ICREC's products instead ofChinese ones, VND 62 billion would besaved

The long-term strategy of ICDREC is todevelop from a research unit into a modelwith business linkages, where income wouldcome from enterprises, minimizing state fundsand contributing to build the research-oriented VNU-HCM

A N N U A L R E P O R T 2 0 1 4 .23

THE CENTER FOR MOLECULAR AND NANOARCHITECTURE (MANAR) WAS FORMEDUNDER THE PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN VNU-HCM AND UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA,LOS ANGELES (2009-2012), WHICH WAS THEN EXPANDED TO INCLUDE THEUNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, BERKELEY (2013 TO PRESENT) ITS MAIN PARTNER ISPROF OMAR YAGHI'S RESEARCH GROUP THIS IS A COMPREHENSIVE COOPERATION

IN MANAGEMENT, ADMINISTRATION, LABORATORY CONSTRUCTION, EDUCATIONAND RESEARCH…

MANAR

-A MENTORING MODEL

A N N U A L R E P O R T 2 0 1 4 23

Working in such an environment, the doctoral

candidates can master MOF and ZIF synthesis

and analysis technology transferred by the partner.

The excellent candidates are sent to Prof Yaghi's

laboratory to be further trained, and to transmit

knowledge, upon return, to younger generations.

As such, the number of trainees has been

increasing, and a new culture of education and

research been formed.

The goal of MANAR is to build up anexcellent research center, where state-of-the-art researches are conducted, and youngscientists are nurtured at an internationalstandard The research focuses on newcrystalline materials with high porosity, whichcould be used for clean energy storage, airpollution removal, energy batteries,heterogeneous catalysis, chemical sensors anddrug distribution This research directionwas initiated by Prof Yaghi to develop thegreen technology, which is a high potential,and catching the world's attention

MANAR creates close linkages betweenresearch and postgraduate education throughmentoring in order to develop a culture ofinnovation from generation to generation byknow-how sharing At MANAR, a processfor laboratory safety is developed at thestandard of UC Berkeley The experts fromProf Yaghi's group and the global MANARsystem directly provide supervision todoctoral candidates not only in basicknowledge and research methodology, but

also in synthesis and analysis skills, journalwriting, and critical response The studentscan also join other research groups from theGlobal Mentoring Network in academicforums via videoconference twice a week.The model enables doctoral candidates to beexposed to new knowledge, and to work withexperts from leading universities around theworld with lower costs, and helps retainhighly qualified personnel in the country.Besides, the research projects suit thesocioeconomic situation; thus, bringing directand practical benefits for the nation It will

be also able to stop the large-scale brain drain

in Vietnam

A N N U A L R E P O R T 2 0 1 4 .25

International conference on MOFs

On 15-16/11/2014, VNU-HCM (via MANAR Center), in conjunction with the University

of California Berkeley (via the Greater Good Science Center), organized the internationalconference on Metal-Organic Frameworks (MOFs) namely "150 Years of BeautifulStructures and Defects" The conference presentations focused on issues related to GreenTechnology, which has drawn the world's attention The event marked a success in thepartnership between VNU-HCM and the University of California Berkeley via MANARprogram

Achievements of MANAR

In 2014, MANAR successfully conducted the research on a new highly porous material,

which can selectively capture CO2 and has a high durability under humid conditions The

study was much appreciated in the reputable science journal Angewandte Chemie International

Edition with IF = 11,336.

When mixing CO2 and N2 gasses in ZIF-301 for over first 200 seconds, CO2 is captured,

while N2 diffuses This new material will capture CO2 emitted from factories

Scientists at the conference "150 Years of Beautiful Structures and Defects"

Photo: MANAR

A N N U A L R E P O R T 2 0 1 4 25

A N N U A L R E P O R T 2 0 1 4 .27

ADDRESSING GLOBALIZATION AND BIG DEMANDS OF THE SOCIETY IN THEINTELLECTUAL ECONOMY, THE VIETNAMESE EDUCATION IN GENERALAND THE HIGHER EDUCATION IN PARTICULAR ARE FACING NEWCHALLENGES RELATED TO QUALITY ASSURANCE, RESEARCH, ANDTECHNOLOGY TRANSFER

The Resolution 29-NQ/TW regarding a

comprehensive reform of education was a

significant event of the education system

nationwide It was acknowledged as a suitable

strategy to develop education, especially higher

education, making a direct and considerable

impact on socioeconomic transformation, as

well as meeting the need for industrialization,

modernization and international integration

Approaching state-of-the-art research

As a high quality multi-disciplinary institution

of education, research and technology transfer,

VNU-HCM is assigned by the Vietnam's

Communist Party and the government to play

the key role with high autonomy in the education

system It has identified its own role and position

for the socioeconomic development of the

country And such role and position have been

confirmed through specific action plans of a

research university

One of the strategies of VNU-HCM for its

reform and integration is to steadily approach

state-of-the-art research, advanced technologies

and modern educational administration model

through cooperative relationships with potential

partners, such as University of California,

Berkeley (UCB), and University of California,

Los Angeles (UCLA)

The highlight in collaborative programs between

VNU-HCM and UCB was the MANAR one

After 5 years of implementation (2009-2014),

this program had several research groups ofMOF and ZIF technologies at some of VNU-HCM's member institutions Several modernlaboratories were built up The young scientists

of VNU-HCM successfully mastered designand synthesis technology of MOF and ZIFmaterials with 30 new samples The researchgroups of VNU-HCM published 25 ISI articles.The MANAR doctoral training program usingmentoring approach with a close linkage ofresearch and education was successfullyimplemented The national and internationalconferences and seminars on molecular andnanoarchitecture were also organized

VNU-HCM has currently concentrated oninvesting and asking for collaboration inbiomedicine During two years (2013 and 2014),

it actively developed the partnership with UCLA

to implement the programs in cancer andbiomedical science Such collaboration wasresulted from the need of the country to developbiomedicine, and from the fact that the field isUCLA's strength Under this partnership,important specialized courses were delivered byleading professors to VNU-HCM students anddoctoral candidates in both short and long term.The first research on "Drug discovery fromnatural products on cancer stem cell models"was conducted The biomedicine seminars andforums were organized to exchange informationand initiate new research ideas in consideration

of the two parties' strengths

Currently VNU-HCM continues working

with its partners to develop specific action

programs in order to expand the breadth and

depth of the partnerships, human resources and

financial resources It also calls for the support

in resource mobilization from other universities, organizations, partners and

international projects for the sake of its growth

and reform.

After initial success, the two institutions discussed

and reached an agreement on human resource

development, research and information exchange

through conferences and seminars On 30/6/

2014, the top leadership of UCLA and

VNU-HCM signed a cooperation agreement in

biomedicine with the two main points as follows:

- Establishment of the Center for Fundamental

Biophysics and Biochemistry Science (CFBBS)

Developed from the Center for Global

Mentoring, the CFBBS focuses on basic science

and provide training for young scientists who

would return to VNU-HCM and do research

- Cancer research The activities will focus on

developing the laboratory for natural product

discovery, followed by the establishment of Stem

Cell Laboratory, which would become

Comprehensive Cancer Research Center

Heightening higher education administration

capacity

In addition to promoting state-of-the-art science,

VNU-HCM has concentrated on developing

higher education capacity for administrators

Fully aware of its importance, the University

facilitated to build the capacity through

workshops in the country and beyond, working

with international partners such as Loyola

University Chicago, California State

University-Fullerton, and University of Philippines

VNU-HCM is currently working with the

Singapore Management University (SMU), the

leading public university for management

education, which is famous for interactive andcomprehensive teaching methodology based onadvanced models The objectives of such apartnership are to develop a pool of qualifiedand professional administrators, to apply anadvanced administration approach, to facilitateresearch-oriented activities within the memberinstitutions, and to move towards an interactiveeducation closely associated with managementdemands of enterprises

Simulations used in teaching activities wouldcontribute to change teaching methodologies,which currently focus mainly on lectures, in away that is close to international standards, andhelps improve interaction, theory applicationinto practice, and learner's judgement and criticalthinking; thereby, satisfying human resourcedemands of enterprises The fulfillment of suchobjectives at a multi-disciplinary university withhigh autonomy and strong internationalreputation would lay a foundation for theimplementation of research outputs, and explore

a feasible model and practical solutions for theVietnamese higher education

UCLA, UCB and SMU are important partnerswho are giving supports to VNU-HCM todevelop its management capacity, educationquality, and research quality, making it anexample for the Vietnamese higher educationreform The achievements showed that VNU-HCM was right to work with those partners Atthe same time, the fact that many top universities

in the world chose VNU-HCM to be theirpartner in education, research and technologytransfer has emphasized the position andreliability of VNU-HCM in the world

A N N U A L R E P O R T 2 0 1 4 .29

THE SOUTHWEST REGION HAS AN

IMPORTANT ROLE IN

SOCIOECONOMIC GROWTH AND

FOOD SECURITY OF THE NATION

HOWEVER, THE APPLICATION OF

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY INTO

PRODUCTION AND FARMING HERE IS

STILL LIMITED IN THAT CONTEXT,

THE VIETNAM ACADEMY OF SCIENCE

AND TECHNOLOGY (VASS) AND

VNU-HCM SUBMITTED TO THE

GOVERNMENT THE SOUTHWEST

PROGRAM FOR SUSTAINABLE

DEVELOPMENT (HEREINAFTER

CALLED "PROGRAM")

A N N U A L R E P O R T 2 0 1 4 29

THE SOUTHWEST PROGRAM

Objectives of sustainable development of the

Southwest

The program is aimed at application of science

and technology into addressing urgent and

long-term problems of the Southwest region, from

theory to practice The highlight is to apply

science and technology in the living and

production in order to facilitate socioeconomic

growth, design the value chain, develop a

sustainable supply and demand chain, boost

product values, increase regional competition,

assure environmental protection and address

climate change

The Southwest program was approved in late

April 2013 It was resulted from the dedication

of many administrators and scientists after two

years of working hard It was developed based on

the experts' inputs and the real needs of the

Southwest region It was also done carefully in

recruiting scientists, identifying research agenda

and tentative products, organizing seminars,

conducting independent reviews, and presenting

to Science Committee of VNU-HCM and

VASS before submitting to the Ministry of

Science and Technology, and the governmental

Committee on Science and Technology

The program has three goals: to provide

scientific arguments for planning and

implementing strategies and policies of

Southwest sustainable development (up to

2030) and vision 2050; to recommend

inter-sector science and technology solutions for

facilitating regional and inter-regional

collaboration in Southwest sustainable

development; to effectively implement science

and technology solutions for Southwest

socioeconomic growth as identified in theDevelopment Strategy of Science andTechnology 2011-2020

Research agenda

Developing scientific arguments:

The program will reflect on the socioeconomicgrowth of the Southwest region for the past 30years of reform and development, based onwhich it will recommend viewpoints, models,directions and solutions for the sustainabledevelopment of the Southwest and otherneighborhood regions It will also forecast thenew situation in the country and beyond, togetherwith its impact on the regional sustainabledevelopment

The program will evaluate various programs, aswell as science and technology projects associatedwith the regional sustainable development from

1986 to present The evaluation will be alsodone for combined national programs,implementation of plans and solutions abouteconomic institutions, infrastructure and humanresource development for industrialization andmodernization in the Southwest region

It will comprehensively evaluate the currentsituation of economic structures, productiontypes and livelihood transformation in theSouthwest region, as well as application of scienceand technology in developing the regionaleconomy in a sustainable way

Moreover, it will assess basic issues of nationaldefense and security in association with economy,politics, culture, society and environment.Lastly, it will develop sustainable developmentindicators of the Southwest region, andrecommend the framework and the model forregional sustainable development

Studying science and technology solutions:

Recommending scientific arguments to developschemes and institutions for collaboration, aswell as policies for regional and inter-regionalconnections so as to boost the competitiveadvantages of every province and the region.Building value chain models for manufacturingtypical products of the region, assuringinterconnections among sectors, regions andstakeholders, as well as integration ability

The Ministry of Science and Technology worked with VNU-HCM and VASS on

the program framework Photo: Science and Technology

A N N U A L R E P O R T 2 0 1 4 .31

Generally evaluating impacts of construction

sites to prevent erosion and river avulsion,

together with conservation and restoration of

mangroves and biosphere reserves in order to

foster the sustainable economic development of

the region and to respond to climate change and

surging seas

Creating linkages of science and technology

with manufacturing, business, education,

economy and culture to design value chains for

maximizing advantages of the Southwest region

Developing and transferring database of natural

resources, environment, economy and society to

the Southwest region by advanced and easily

accessible softwares Developing e-Atlas for

management activities of administrators

Building the information infrastructure, training

administrators, and designing schemes for

updating database to serve territory management

Implementing science and technology solutions:

Applying science and technology solutions for

spearhead economic sectors such as rice

production, orchard plantation, aquaculture,

agricultural product processing, and mechanized

agriculture Providing the Southwest region

with synced solutions for issues related to

transportation, preservation, processing,

consulting services, marketing, branding and

export, etc

Applying and transferring biotechnology into

several core sectors such as agriculture, forestry,

fishery, medicine, pharmacy, processing industry

and environmental protection for the region

Implementing the design and invention ofequipment, and automated chains forprocessing, preserving and diversifyingproducts of agriculture, forestry and fishery,which would contribute to the branding ofexported goods in the region Applyingadvanced and suitable technologies toeffectively use natural resources and windenergy Renovating the technologies to saveresources and energy for the region

Reports on scientific arguments, viewpoints,directions and solutions for developing coreeconomic sectors and spearhead products of theSouthwest region to boost inter-regional

connections, and international integration tosuit the regional features and strengths.Scientific arguments of general planning forsustainable development of the Southwest region

to increase the connections within localities andregions

Recommendations of schemes and policies forcooperation in the region and inter-region on

Launching the Southwest Program

On 16/12/2014, in Cantho, VNU-HCM and VASS organized the information session and officially launched theSouthwest Program

In the event, VNU-HCM and VASS introduced the Charter on program administration, and the Decision of objectives,contents and expected outcomes of the program The Management Board of the program and its office were alsointroduced Moreover, event participants discussed processes for recommendation, order, as well as identified tasksand recruited individuals for the program The role and responsibilities of Southwest localities, and issues related topublished documents and the program activities were discussed under the host of the Program Management Board, theMinistry of Science and Technology, and the Southwest Steering Committee

Event participants included representatives from the Ministry of Science and Technology, the Southwest SteeringCommittee, research institutes, universities, regional people's committees, VNU-HCM and VASS

the basis of maximizing competitive advantages

of each province and the region

Sustainable development indicators for the

Southwest region, including general indicators,

indicators of economy, society and environment,

and institutions complying with the national

indicators, reflecting characteristics of the region

and associated with international integration

Intersector science and technology solutions and

database

Science and technology solutions to increase the

value of agricultural, forestry and fishery

products

Science and technology solutions to prevent

erosion and river avulsion, preserve and develop

mangroves and biosphere reserves to serve the

regional economic sustainable development and

respond to climate change and surging seas

Database of natural resources, environment,

economy and society to the Southwest region by

advanced and easily accessible softwares E-Atlas

for management activities of administrators

Information infrastructure, administrators'

training courses, and schemes for updating

database to serve territory management

Implementing models for science and technology

solutions

A model to effectively apply science and

technology solutions for spearhead economic

sectors in the Southwest region

A model to implement the application and

transfer of biotechnology into several areas in

the Southwest region

A model to effectively implement designtechnology and invention of equipment andautomated chains for processing and preservingagricultural, forestry and fishery products in theSouthwest region

A model to effectively apply modern technologiesinto efficient usage of natural resources andenergy in the Southwest region

A model to link science and technology withmanufacturing, business, and education for theSouthwest region

In order to quickly implement the program, theMinistry of Science and Technology issuedimportant decisions such as the Decision 1337/QD-BKHCN regarding the establishment ofManagement Board of the Southwest Program,and the Decision 3138/QD-BKHCN regardingthe charter of program administration andoperation

According to the charter, the Ministry of Scienceand Technology assigned VNU-HCM and VASS

to be mainly responsible for organizing andadministering the program As such, VNU-HCM is taking charge of natural science activities,while VASS is going with activities of socialscience and humanities, and sustainable regionaldevelopment The program is implemented andadministered by the Management Board, ofwhich the Office is located at the VNU-HCMUniversity of Technology

The fulfillment of assigned tasks under theSouthwest program not only helps address urgentissues of sustainable socioeconomic development

in the region, but also enables VNU-HCM toaffirm its role and position in terms of educationand research in the Southwest region and beyond

A N N U A L R E P O R T 2 0 1 4 .33

FOR MANY YEARS VNU-HCM HAS BEEN IMPLEMENTED THE COMMUNITYENGAGEMENT STRATEGY WITH SPECIFIC GOALS AND PROJECTS FOR THE SAKE OFSOCIOECONOMIC GROWTH IN THE COUNTRY

VNU-HCM and An Giang People's Committee signed the agreement.

Photo: University of

Science

A workshop on teaching natural science courses in An Giang schools.

Photo: University of Science

in An Giang and Dong Thap

Developing instructional capacity for teachers

in An GiangThe University of Science worked with AnGiang Province to deliver postgraduate programsfor local human resource development, to build

a practice center for natural science courses at AnGiang University, to improve instructionalcapacity for teachers at secondary and highschools, and to provide career counselling forstudents, etc

Representatives from the University of Social Sciences & Humanities, and Dong Thap Department of Education & Training exchanged the agreement.

The highlight of the partnership in the academic

year 2013-2014 was to successfully create

linkages between universities and secondary/

high schools Specifically, the University of

Science arranged agenda for teachers' meetings

about teaching methodology, research and

excellent student training During this period,

the two parties successfully organized the 1st

conference on teaching methodology for natural

science courses in An Giang schools The event

attracted over 150 participants with 15

presentations, addressing related theoretical

and practical issues

The University of Science awarded scholarships

for economically disadvantaged good students

in the province, and gave two solar batteries and

35 laboratory products for secondary and high

schools The Robot and Electronics Club was

also built in Thoai Ngoc Hau High school

In 2014-2015, the University of Science

continued, in partnership with An Giang

Province, to organize mathematics, physics,chemistry, biology and computer science courses,and deliver training for excellent students to sitnational contests The project budget was aroundVND 1.5 billion withdrawn from the provincialfund

Introducing new teaching methods forteachers in Dong Thap

In 2014, Dong Thap Province collaboratedwith VNU-HCM to conduct the project

"Reforming teaching methodology for naturalscience courses in secondary schools in DongThap" in order to find out long-term solutionsfor the local education

This binary collaboration was valid for 2 years(7/2014-6/2016), and simultaneouslyimplemented in 3 places: Cao Lanh, Sa Dec andHong Ngu

Directly involved in the project, the University

A N N U A L R E P O R T 2 0 1 4 .35

Granting laboratory equipment to secondary and high schools

Photo: University of Science

Seminar on improving teaching

methodology for social science courses

at high schoaols in Dong Thap.

Photo: Dong Thap University

VNU-HCM and Dong Thap province organized the exchange program about

teaching profession Photo: University of Social Sciences & Humanities

of Social Sciences & Humanities introduced

and guided teachers at secondary schools about

teaching methodology, testing and assessment

of social science courses in the new age,

especially literature, civic education, geography

and history courses

The University also held various activities such

as training courses, professional forums, site

visits and Master's training for educational

administrators

In the forum "Application of new teaching

methods for social science courses, and

development of assessment and testing in Dong

Thap", many teachers highly appreciated such

an application upon completion of the training,

and proposed to add more practical topics in the

educational reform in Dong Thap

Similarly, field trips to Ho Chi Minh City and

the Southeast region were also highly appreciated

by the teachers in Dong Thap For them, the

chance helped approach the educationalpractice in different localities, and expandtheir vision of diverse educational methodsand types

Dr Ho Van Thong, Director of Dong ThapDepartment of Education & Training,confirmed the effectiveness of the partnershipwith the University of Social Sciences &Humanities as follows: "For exams of literature,history and geography, open questions weregiven so that examinees would not have to learn

by heart, and could integrate their general andinterdisciplinary knowledge, and life experienceinto the paper (e.g the literature test requiringknowledge of history, geography and civiceducation, and vice versa)

THE APPLICATION OFLASER IN MEDICINE LED

TO NEW PROSPECTIVES IN

DIAGNOSIS ANDTREATMENT ACCORDING

TO MANY SCIENTISTS, INTHE 2OTH CENTURY,LASER SCALPELS WOULDTOTALLY REPLACETRADITIONAL ONES

BREAKTHROUGH IN LASER

TECHNOLOGY IN BIOMEDICINE

Aware of such an importance, in

1979, the VNU-HCM University

of Technology established the

Laboratory for Laser Engineering,

which is now the Laboratory for

Laser Technology

Timely transformation

Initially the Laboratory for Laser

Technology was mainly home to

faculty of general physics and

precision engineering to deliver

courses of laser technology and

application for students of Precision

Engineering and Electronics…

However, in 1985, the Lab changed

its study direction from application

of semiconductor laser intoengineering to application ofsemiconductor laser into medicineand biology This was considered itsright and timely transformation

Sharing about such atransformation, Assoc Prof Dr

Tran Minh Thai, Director of theLaboratory for Laser Technologysaid "At that time, the World HealthOrganization gave a warning againstusing drugs for treatment tominimize side effects, and we wanted

to inherit acupuncture and orientalmedicine in the country Therefore,

we were thinking about applyinglowpower semiconductor laser

technology to facilitate production

of oriental medicine" The firstbreakthrough in this research was tostudy about application ofsemiconductor laser into theOriental traditional acupuncture

In late 1988, two importantequipments were invented: 12-outletsemiconductor laseroptoacupuncture, and 1-outletsemiconductor laser phototherapy.Since then, the Laboratory for LaserTechnology became a leading unitfor research, technology transfer andeducation in application oflowpower semiconductor laser intomedicine and biology in Vietnam,

A N N U A L R E P O R T 2 0 1 4 .37

Assoc Prof Dr Tran Minh Thai, Director of Laboratory for Laser Technology.

Photo: Ngoc Khanh

with 10 ministerial proposals, of

which 6 were recognized as excellent

More significantly, in 2004, the

Laboratory was honored to receive

the Order of Labor Glory, 3rd class

from the Prime Minister

Wide coverage of products

So far the Laboratory for Laser

Technology invented 12 lowpower

semiconductor laser equipments

which could be used in medicine

such as phototherapy,

optoacupuncture, and treatment

equipments for benign prostatic

hypertrophy, drug detox, stroke,

HIV infection, gynaecology and

hemorrhoids, etc Those

equipments showed that

semiconductor laser technology has

made a great stride in medical field,

causing changes in treatment

methods which avoid infection and

easily implement applications The

Laboratory for Laser Technology

has transferred over 1,000 treatment

equipments, and opened more than

40 training courses for 316 medicalclinics in 30 provinces and 3 centralcities (Da Nang, Ho Chi MinhCity, and Can Tho)

The coverage of laser treatmentequipments in nationallystandardized provincial clinics andhospitals helped prevent the spread

of infectious diseases, decrease

patient load in central hospitals,reduce treatment costs, andminimize medication size effects.Moreover, the laser therapy is simpleand able to overcome weaknesses ofother traditional ones

Reflecting on technology transfer inthe medical sector, Assoc Prof Dr.Tran Minh Thai said "For successfultechnology transfer, we need to callfor investments, and this requiresgood products which meet demands

of the society At the same time, wehave to smartly handle potentialconflicts of interests when investorswant to harvest investments, andscientists need more time for researchand testing What we have done is toguarantee continuous funding forcontinual proposals Our motto is

to boost scientific research byscientific outputs"

In future, "we will expand the supplynetwork of lowpowersemiconductor laser equipmentsinto Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, and

Drug detoxification laser therapy Photo: Laboratory for Laser Technology

Coverage map of semiconductor laser equipments Photo: Ngoc Khanh

especially Africa, which much

suffers from infectious diseases

However, our biggest challenge is

the lack of fund for trademark

registration", said Assoc Prof Dr

Tran Minh Thai

Practical outcomes

A significant success of

semiconductor laser technology is

drug detox equipment This was

studied and used from October 2003

to October 2004 in Binh Phuoc

The result showed that liver

function, kidney function and heart

got improved through tests ofTriglycerid, Cholesterol, SGOT,SGPT and Calcium The associatedillnesses such as sinusitis, back pain,insomnia, digestive disorders andsperm disorders, etc wereconsiderably reduced Theadvantage of this equipment is that

it is made locally, enabling low price,convenient maintenance and easymovement to suit district clinicsand rehabilitation centers Thosewith at least a medical diploma,after three months of training, couldsmoothly run it

In addition to phototherapy andoptoacupuncture equipments, theLaboratory for Laser Technologysuccessfully invented theintravenous semiconductor laser fortreatment of cardiovascular disease,coronary artery disease, angina,arrhythmia, and traumatic braininjury, cerebral palsy of children,cerebrovascular disease,atherosclerosis, hypertension,chronic kidney disease, and gout…

Ms Doan Thi Ot in District 3, HoChi Minh City suffered from lowerback pain resulted from degenerativedisc disease for 3 years, and couldnot get better by Western treatment.Her condition became worse, andshe had to end up in a wheelchair.She was then treated with cast andmassage by Chinese and Japanesedoctors, but in vain However, afterthree weeks of semiconductor laseroptoacupuncture, she could walkwith a guide Two months later, shealmost walked on her own

A departmental unit with limitedbudget and personnel, theLaboratory for Laser Technologysuccessfully affirmed its positionthrough a vast number of scientificproducts and projects Moreover, itbrought a lot of benefits for theeconomy and the community From

2002 to 11/2014, it implemented

100 technology transfer agreements,generating an income of VND 13billion

A N N U A L R E P O R T 2 0 1 4 .39

Phototherapy equipment Optoacupuncture equipment

10-outlet optoacupuncture equipment 12-outlet cerebral palsy equipment

New generation 12-outlet optoacupuncture equipment

HIV treatment equipment

Prostatic hypertrophy treatment equipment

Lowpower semiconductor laser equipments

A N N U A L R E P O R T 2 0 1 4 39

Application of Nanotechnology

Photo: Nguyen Minh Tan

VNU-HCM

AND 30 YEARS OF NATIONAL REFORM