President of Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology and French Ambassador to Vietnam Support Strengthened Cooperation in Space Technology and Human Resource Training
Overview of the meeting
Attending the meeting from the French Embassy were Ms. Sophie Maysonnave, Cultural Counsellor, and Mr. Jean-Alexandre EGEA, Economic Counsellor. Representing VAST were Professor and Academician Le Truong Giang, Vice President of VAST; Dr. Bui Trong Tuyen, Director of the Planning and Finance Department; Dr. Ngo Duy Tan, Deputy Director General of Vietnam National Space Center; Dr. Nguyen Hoang Duong, Deputy Director of the Department of International Cooperation; and Mr. Dinh Thanh Trung, Officer at the Department of International Cooperation.
During the session, VAST President and the French Ambassador discussed VNREDSat-1, Vietnam’s first Earth observation satellite, which stands as a flagship project of cooperation between VAST and French partners. Both sides expressed a desire to advance satellite-related collaboration. Thanks to French technical expertise, the VNREDSat-1 has operated for more than twice its designed lifespan and has proven highly effective in applying satellite imagery to scientific research and natural resource monitoring. On the occasion of the recent state visit by the French President to Vietnam in May, VAST, Airbus, and CNES signed a Declaration of Intent (DOI) on cooperation in Earth observation satellite development. The signing reaffirmed the parties' readiness to expand cooperation in the development of a new generation of satellites for Vietnam, encompassing technology solutions, human resource training, and application services to support sustainable development.
Ambassador Olivier Brochet also expressed his desire to advance cooperation in developing USTH, another exemplary project of Vietnam-France collaboration, and a destination visited by the French President during his recent official visit.
President Chau Van Minh noted that USTH’s reputation and stature are currently on the rise both domestically and internationally. He added that a modern, fully equipped new campus for the university is actively under development in the Láng – Hòa Lạc high-tech park. The President expressed his hope that the French Embassy and French partners would continue to support USTH in strengthening its growth, diversifying training programs and disciplines, particularly in high-quality human resource training such as doctoral education—not only to serve USTH's academic and research needs but also to benefit other universities and research institutes across Vietnam.
President Chau Van Minh and Ambassador Olivier Brochet during the meeting
Ambassador Olivier Brochet emphasized the long-standing cooperation between VAST and French partners across many fields of science and technology. The success of the VNREDSat-1 satellite project and the USTH university initiative has become a model for France’s collaborative projects with other countries. The Ambassador expressed agreement with VAST's proposals and affirmed his commitment to supporting and promoting deeper cooperation between the two sides.
Commemorative photo
Translated by Phuong Ha
Link to Vietnamese version
