Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology affirms its core role in Viet Nam–Russia scientific cooperation at the Vietnam–Russian Federation Forum on Science and Education: 75 Years of Cooperation
On the sidelines of the Forum’s official program, the VAST delegation held a restricted meeting with Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation Dmitry Chernyshenko, Chairman of the Russian Subcommittee of the Russia-Vietnam Intergovernmental Committee, and First Deputy Chairman of the Federation Council of the Russian Federation Andrei Yatskin. Despite the limited time available, the senior Russian leaders accorded the delegation a respectful and warm reception, affirming the special position of VAST within the framework of Vietnam–Russia scientific and technological cooperation over many decades. At the meeting, the two senior Russian leaders expressed their support for further deepening relations between VAST and Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS), promoting the development of joint research groups in key scientific fields, expanding cooperation in the training of young researchers, and accompanying the implementation of strategic research programs of mutual interest to the two countries.
Standing Vice President of VAST Tran Hong Thai meets with Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation Dmitry Chernyshenko, Chairman of the Russian Subcommittee of the Russia–Viet Nam Intergovernmental Committee, and First Deputy Chairman of the Federation Council of the Russian Federation
At the opening session of the Forum, Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation Dmitry Chernyshenko and First Deputy Chairman of the Federation Council of the Russian Federation Andrei Yatskin highly valued the long-standing tradition of cooperation between Vietnam and the Russian Federation in the fields of science and education. The Russian leaders affirmed that science and technology constitute an important pillar of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, and expressed their readiness to support Vietnam in the training of high-level human resources, basic research, technological development, and the expansion of new cooperation programs, as well as to strengthen Russian language training at the Pushkin Branch located in Ha Noi, Vietnam. On the Vietnamese side, Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha, Chairman of the Vietnamese Subcommittee of the Vietnam–Russia Intergovernmental Committee, emphasized the role of science and technology in the national development strategy, particularly in the context of digital transformation, innovation, and the need to build endogenous capacities. The Deputy Prime Minister affirmed three strategic pillars of cooperation, including basic research and core technology development, high-quality human resource training, and technology transfer for sustainable development, while highly appreciating the contributions of VAST as the core force in the substantive implementation of bilateral scientific cooperation between the two countries.
Contributing to shaping the message of the Forum, Standing Vice President of VAST Tran Hong Thai delivered the opening address, emphasizing that 75 years of Vietnam–Russia cooperation represent a particularly significant journey, leaving behind an invaluable legacy of enduring friendship and a large contingent of Vietnamese intellectuals trained within major Russian scientific schools. From historically significant cooperation such as the Intercosmos space flight of Hero Pham Tuan to modern fields including mathematics, physics, chemistry, biology, biotechnology, materials science, and marine science, cooperation between the two countries has contributed to the formation of Viet Nam’s important scientific capacities. The Standing Vice President of VAST underscored that scientific and technological cooperation is not merely external support, but a strategic lever enabling Vietnam to unlock its internal strengths and build endogenous scientific capacity; he also noted that Vietnam–Russia cooperation is increasingly oriented toward linking academic research with the resolution of practical development challenges, with many joint research groups already established and delivering tangible results in areas such as marine technology, energy, materials, biotechnology, pharmaceutical chemistry, and Earth observation satellites.
At the plenary session on “The Strategic Partnership between Russia and Vietnam: Prospects for Vietnam–Russia Cooperation,” Standing Vice President of VAST Tran Hong Thai shared the trajectory of cooperation in research and training between VAST and RAS, as well as Russian research institutes and universities, underscoring the accompanying role of Russian partners throughout the 50 years of VAST’s establishment and development. He affirmed that VAST has consistently regarded cooperation with Russia as one of its most important strategic partnerships, not only in basic research but also in marine research, materials technology, energy, digital technologies, climate, environment, and many emerging research areas. On this occasion, Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, Russian Academy of Sciences – Far Eastern Branch, and the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation signed the Roadmap for Marine Research Cooperation 2026–2035, demonstrating a strong commitment to continuing close collaboration in implementing key research directions between the two academies over the past 50 years.
At the thematic sessions, VAST presented numerous outstanding research results on Vietnam–Russia cooperation in basic research and orientations for the development of strategic technologies; nuclear physics research and its applications within the framework of the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research in Dubna; deep-ocean surveys conducted aboard the research vessels Akademik Oparin and Akademik Lavrentiev; studies on marine biodiversity and marine biochemistry; as well as research on materials, climate, emerging pollutants, and genetic diseases using modern molecular tools. The presentations by VAST attracted significant attention from the Russian scientific community, contributing to the demonstration of Viet Nam’s multidisciplinary research capacity and the advancement of its research capabilities in recent years.
In 2025, VAST also commemorates the 50th anniversary - a half century of development closely intertwined with the substantial support of research institutes and universities of the former Soviet Union and the Russian Federation today. The achievements attained by VAST in marine cooperation, basic research, doctoral training, and the implementation of joint projects over the past 75 years stand as vivid evidence of the effectiveness of Vietnam–Russia scientific cooperation.
With a spirit of continuity and a forward-looking orientation, VAST reaffirms its commitment to maintaining a core role in scientific and technological cooperation between the two countries, prioritizing the development of core and strategic technologies, expanding joint research groups, and strengthening the training of young human resources. These efforts aim to further deepen the traditional friendship and the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between Vietnam and the Russian Federation in the new stage of development.
Standing Vice President of VAST Tran Hong Thai delivers the opening remarks at the Forum
In response to Vietnam’s current development requirements, VAST considers scientific and technological cooperation a crucial lever for unlocking internal potential, building endogenous scientific capacity, and promoting innovation. Through cooperation with the Russian Federation, Vietnam has developed a strong contingent of scientific personnel; VAST alone has hundreds of staff members trained in Russia, many of whom are now leading experts and principal investigators of national-level scientific programs. According to the Standing Vice President of VAST, Vietnam–Russia cooperation is undergoing a strong shift from purely academic research toward more direct service to socio-economic development. Bilateral research projects between VAST and Russian Academy of Sciences, particularly in the field of marine science, have yielded significant results. Recent joint expeditions aboard Russian research vessels have helped build valuable datasets on biodiversity, marine biochemistry, and deep-sea geology and geophysics in Vietnam’s maritime areas, supporting resource planning, environmental protection, and the sustainable development of the marine economy. On that basis, the two sides are actively promoting the Marine Science Cooperation Roadmap for the 2026–2035 period.
Signing ceremony of the Marine Scientific Research Cooperation Roadmap for the 2026–2035 period
Alongside research, human resource training continues to be a key pillar of Vietnam–Russia cooperation. At present, training cooperation between the two sides is implemented in close linkage with research groups, laboratories, and science and technology projects, contributing to the formation of strong research teams of regional and international standing. Each year, VAST sends dozens of doctoral candidates and scientific trainees to Russia for training, along with hundreds of academic exchange visits by its staff.
Within the framework of the Forum, VAST participated in plenary sessions and numerous thematic sessions on marine science, nuclear physics and nuclear energy, tropical ecology, biomedicine, pharmaceutical chemistry and biotechnology, and advanced materials. Many research institutes under VAST, such as the Institute of Oceanography, the Institute of Chemistry, the Institute of Biology, the Institute of Energy and Environmental Science and Technology, and the Institute of Materials Science, closely coordinated with partner institutions to present joint research results, thereby affirming VAST’s proactive and substantive role in the implementation of bilateral scientific cooperation.
The year 2025 also marks the 50th anniversary of the establishment of Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology. Throughout half a century of development, cooperation with the Russian Federation has consistently been one of the most important, enduring, and effective pillars of VAST’s international scientific engagement. Through this Forum, VAST once again reaffirmed its commitment to serving as a focal institution for the substantive implementation of Vietnam–Russia scientific and technological cooperation, with a focus on foundational and strategic technologies and high-level human resource training, thereby contributing to the realization of Vietnam’s goals in science and technology development, innovation, and digital transformation in the new development phase.
Translated by Phuong Ha
Link to Vietnamese version
