Half-century development of Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology

28/02/2013

The third National Party Congress in 1960 proposed a policy of building socialism in northern Vietnam which meant to simultaneously conduct three revolutions, including a revolution in production relations, a technical revolution and an ideological culture revolution. The technical revolution is a key. To make a technical revolution, science must be developed to be the foundation. Therefore, right in 1960, the Government invited a senior scientific delegation from the Soviet Union to visit Vietnam to contribute ideas to our state about policies on Vietnam’s scientific development. The delegation, led by Academician Alexandr Kotelnikov, member of Presidium of the Soviet Union Academy of Science (later vice president of the Soviet Union Academy of Science), paid a visit to Vietnam and proposed the establishment of basic study units under the State Committee of Science. Having adequate maturity, these units would be separated to become the Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, which has similar functions and tasks as academies of sciences in socialist countries at that time. The proposal was acquired by our Government. In 1961, the Government sent a delegation of Vietnamese scientists led by Prof. Ta Quang Buu, vice chairman and secretary-general of the State Committee of Science, to discuss and sign the Soviet Union – Vietnam science cooperation agreement with the Soviet Union Academy of Science. Accordingly, the Soviet Union would help Vietnam train scientific researchers and build technical facilities in order to establish basic study units, working towards the establishment of the Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology. The agreement was carried out from 1962. From 1964, due to the US destructive war, the work was slowed down but still went on. The two first basic academies were set up. They were the Institute of Natural Science in Hanoi and the Institute of Marine Study in Hai Phong.

With the prediction that the US would soon de-escalate the war and stop bombing in northern Vietnam, in 1967, the Government sent a science and technology delegation led by Academician Tran Dai Nghia, chairman of the State Committee of Science and Technology, and Tran Quynh, vice chairman of the State Committee of Science and Technology, to the Soviet Union to consult with the State Committee of Science and Technology and the Soviet Union Academy of Science on making a master plan for the development of Vietnam’s science and technology after the US destructive war ended. The master plan consisted of plans, in turn, for the establishment of basic study units under the State Committee of Science and Technology, to be separated into the Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology when having enough force. Implementing this plan, at the beginning of 1969, the Prime Minister decided to establish the Institute of Mathematics and the Institute of Physics. Later, the State Committee of Science and Technology decided to establish the Department of Electronic Computer and the Department of Mechanics under the Committee, and the Department of Natural Products Chemistry, temporarily under the Institute of Physics, and operated exceptionally according to the self-control mechanism. In 1971, when strong enough, the Department of Natural Products Chemistry was separated from the Institute of Physics to be under the Committee. In the same year, the Institute of Natural Science was also divided into the Departments of Plants, Animals, Microorganism, Geography, Geology, Geophysics and Tropical Technology under the Committee, preparing for the establishment of the Institutes of Biology, Earth Sciences and Tropical Technology. At that time, a synchronous and complete National Centre for Science Studies was established in the State Committee of Science and Technology and operated according to the self-control mechanism and was self responsible, under the direct management of the State Committee of Science and Technology.

After the southern liberation, on May 2^nd 1975, the State Committee of Science and Technology received a decree of Prime Minister Pham Van Dong on sending the Government a proposal to establish a National Centre for Scientific Research under the Government, based on institutes and departments separated from the State Committee of Science and Technology. At that time, the Prime Minister temporarily gave to National Centre for Scientific Research the name Vietnam Institute of Science. On May 20^th 1975, Prime Minister Pham Van Dong signed a decree establishing the Vietnam Institute of Science. On July 4^th 1975, Pham Hung, secretary of the Central Office for Southern Vietnam signed a decision on the establishment of the Institute of Science and Technology B2 under the Central Office for Southern Vietnam. In 1976, after the National Assembly (term VI) announced national unification, the Institute of Science and Technology B2 merged into the Vietnam Institute of Science, and became the first branch of the Vietnam Institute of Science in Ho Chi Minh City.

After nearly 20 years, during the national economic renovation and realizing that apart from its tasks of national basic science, the Vietnam Institute of Science had to be a pioneer and play a pillar role in the cause of building and developing new high technologies supporting modern achievements of natural science, such as information technology, biotechnology and new materials technology, the Government decided to expand science and technology activities of the Vietnam Institute of Science and restructure the Institute into the National Centre of Natural Science and Technology, afterwards renaming into the Vietnam Institute of Science and Technology.

So far, after half century of building and development, the Vietnam Institute of Science and Technology has become powerful in every aspect and truly is a pillar of the natural science and high technology sector of the country, and the name of the Institute has just become Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, as Prime Minister Pham Van Dong expected in 1975.

The history of Vietnam’s science will start a new glorious period with full prospects.

The history of Vietnam’s science will start a new glorious period with full prospects

Hanoi, Spring of the Snake Year

Acamedician Nguyen Van Hieu

Translated by Tuyet Nhung

Link to Vietnamese Version

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