Vietnam Academy of Science and Technlogy and Bulgarian Academy of Science commit to further promoting joint research and training cooperation
Prof. Dr. Tran Hong Thai, Standing Vice President of Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology (VAST), and Prof. Emmanuel Moutafov, Vice President of Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (BAS), signed the Cooperation Plan for the 2027-2029 period
Officially establishing cooperative relations in 2013, over the past decade VAST and BAS have maintained a strong partnership built upon the long-standing tradition of friendship between the two nations. Since 2014, the two sides have jointly funded and implemented dozens of bilateral projects across diverse fields such as biotechnology, biological resources, advanced materials, information technology, space science, and oceanography. They have co-published 32 joint scientific papers in domestic and international journals, supported the training of 20 bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral students, and co-organized multiple international scientific conferences, contributing to the expansion of scientific cooperation networks between Vietnam and Bulgaria.
The Cooperation Plan for the 2027-2029 period, agreed upon based on the 2022 VAST-BAS Cooperation Agreement, concretizes coordinated activities between the two academies with new development steps. It aims to jointly implement basic and applied research projects in priority areas such as oceanography and climate change, energy and nuclear physics, new materials, remote sensing and space technology, biotechnology and pharmaceutical chemistry, as well as training and exchange programs for lecturers and students. Both sides agreed to maintain mechanisms for co-evaluation, co-funding, and co-implementation of projects; enhance data sharing, researcher exchanges, and coordination in organizing international scientific conferences. They also agreed to strengthen connections among affiliated research institutes and universities, creating bridges for collaboration with research and training institutions in each country, particularly through joint PhD supervision programs and the development of joint research groups. The two academies will work toward expanding multilateral cooperation through European Union-funded programs such as Horizon Europe and ERASMUS+, and developing a network of associated laboratories to enhance research capacity and international integration of their scientific teams.
The signing ceremony and high-level meeting between VAST and BAS stand as testimony to the determination of both academies to continue their tradition of close cooperation, while opening a new phase of deeper, more substantive, and more interconnected collaboration aligned with each nation’s sustainable development goals, contributing to strengthening the Vietnam-Bulgaria friendship as the two countries celebrate the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations.
Translated by Phuong Ha
Link to Vietnamese version
