Russia - Vietnam cooperation in the fields of cadre training and scientific research

The form of joint scientific and educational activities between Russia and Vietnam are becoming more diverse and popular. However, the potential for developing our friendly relationships has not been fully exploited, thereby requiring us to seek additional opportunities to enhance the knowledge exchange mechanisms.

Cooperation in education and science is a traditional direction of cooperation between Russia and Vietnam. Its origins can be traced back to the 20s of the last century. At that time, about 70 Vietnamese people received training from the system of international universities, the most famous of whom is Ho Chi Minh, the first President of Vietnam, and Tran Phu, the General Secretary of the Central Executive Committee of the Indochinese Communist Party.

After the two countries had established diplomatic relation in 1950, during the difficult years of the struggle for independence from French colonialism, American aggression and especially during the post-war reconstruction period, the Soviet Union trained for Vietnam more than thirty thousand Vietnamese citizens. Many of them became highly qualified experts, including doctors, teachers, engineers and scientists who built a brilliant career in the cause of serving the country. We can still feel their positive contribution towards strengthening brotherhood between the two nations.

Cooperation in science and technology between the Soviet Union and Vietnam grew strongly. The Soviet Union supported the development of major sectors such as heavy industry, agriculture and transportation infrastructure. Significant researches in space exploration and atomic energy were conducted in Vietnam. With the support of Soviet experts, Da Lat nuclear reactor was restored, the geographical and geological maps of Vietnam were drawn. From July 23 to July 31, 1980, the Soviet Union conducted a spaceflight with the “Soyuz-37” spacecraft and the participation of astronauts Viktor Gorbatko and Pham Tuan, who carried out space exploration for peaceful purposes.

In fact, no field of scientific research and discovery was undertaken within the framework of the Academy of Sciences of the Soviet Union without the transfer of results to Vietnamese colleagues. The Soviet Union also helped organize the Commission for Science of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam, based on which the Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology and the Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences were established.

The first fundamental legal document in bilateral educational and scientific relations during this period is the Treaty on fundamental issues in the friendly relation between the Russian Federation and the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, which was signed on June 16, 1994. Article 6 of this Treaty notes that “the two countries will develop relations in science and education based on stability and mutual interests”. During the first state visit to Vietnam of the Russian President V.V. Putin in 2001, the Joint Statement on Strategic Partnership was signed, in which it was emphasized that the parties were determined to promote cooperation in these areas. The Joint Statement on Strengthening Comprehensive Strategic Partnership signed during the state visit to Russia of the President of Vietnam Truong Tan Sang in 2012 also noted that “it is admittedly necessary to expand cooperation in the fields of science and technology, education and training, considering Vietnam’s growing demand for skilled professionals in high-tech industries of the economy”.

The next important step to creating treaty - legal foundation is the 2002 conclusion in the agreement to train Vietnamese citizens at professional higher education institutions of the Russian Federation within the framework of the “support - debt clearance” program (a new intergovernmental agreement was signed in 2013 and continues in effect until 2022). In 2005, the Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation and the Ministry of Education and Training of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam signed an agreement on cooperation in the field of education. This document focuses on expert training and professional skill development, designing of joint programs, student exchanges, and support for research into language. In 2010, an intergovernmental agreement on the recognition and equivalence of educational qualifications and academic titles was signed. In 2014, the governments of the two countries signed an agreement on strategic partnerships in the fields of education, science and technology, under which joint research groups and international laboratories were established, and various Olympiad competitions for students were organized.

Currently, there are about 6,000 Vietnamese students studying in more than 150 universities in Russia, and more than 150 students with Vietnamese Studies major studying in educational institutions of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam. These young people, who experience life in another country first-hand while receiving a quality education, together with their parents, will work for the interests of the two countries and support the cooperation development in the 21st century.

There have been new coordination mechanisms recently, such as the first forum for the university presidents of the two countries held on May 28 this year. This event took place at National Economics University in Vietnam with the participation of representatives from nearly 70 leading national universities. The forum participants had extensive discussions on cooperation issues in the fields of science and education. They also expressed their opinions on strengthening academic (students) exchanges and joint research, conducting innovative educational programs for the most demanding industries in Vietnam’s labor market, and launching “start-up” program’s at local universities. A significant result achieved in the forum was the decision to establish the Association of Russian and Vietnamese university presidents, which will regularly organize the Forum for University Presidents (its second event is expected to take place in Moscow in 2021). Sixteen interuniversity agreements have been signed, resulting in the total number of agreements exceeding ninety. There were also delegations led by Mr. A.M. Medvedev, Deputy Minister of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation, and Mr. Le Hai An, Deputy Minister of Education and Training of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.

Pursuant to the Russian Federation Government Decree No. 891 dated October 8, 2013 on “establishing quotas for the education of foreign citizens and persons without citizenship in the Russian Federation”, 15,000 state scholarships for the work of professional training at Russian universities are granted annually, of which 965 scholarships for the 2019-2020 school year are available to Vietnamese citizens. The Russian Federation Government aims to increase the number of Vietnamese people receiving a quality education in Russia, and this number is expected to reach 1,000 students in 2020.

One of the mechanisms that attract young people to study in Russia is the Olympiads. The Russian Center for Science and Culture in Hanoi organizes Russian, Mathematics, Physics and Informatics Olympiads for students of Vietnamese educational institutions every year. In 2019, about 3,200 Vietnamese people from all over the world participated in these competitions. Olympiads winners will have the opportunity to continue their study at Russian universities.

Regarding the expansion of Russia-Vietnam economic and trade operation in the fields of education, enterprises are increasingly active. Enterprises such as “Vietsovpetro”, “Rusvietpetro”, “Gazpromviet” and “Vietgazprom” have sent their employees to study and receive advanced training at Russian universities.

Therefore, Vietnamese students have a number of options to receive education in Russia: within the framework of intergovernmental agreements between the Russian Federation and the Socialist Republic of Vietnam or agreements between universities, with Vietnam’s state budget, selected and sent by joint-venture enterprises, following the Russian Federation Government quotas, or with personal finances.

Both Russia and Vietnam have implemented the information policy to attract Russian and Vietnamese students to experience the culture of the two countries. Events such as Russian Language Week in Vietnam, Russian Cultural Day in Vietnam, Vietnam Cultural Day in Russia, Moscow and Hanoi Days, National Film Week, painting and photo exhibitions, performances by art troupes, “Multifaceted Vietnam, multifaceted Russia” festivals are regularly organized.

Relations in science are being expanded. Therefore, the second session of the new coordination mechanism - the Russia - Vietnam Cooperation Committee on Education, Science and Technology held in Hanoi in May 2019 has become a vital tool for the implementation of agreements on expanding cooperation at the highest level.

Joint research projects are being conducted effectively within the framework of the Russian Federation’s target program “Research and development directed at prioritizing the development of Russian science and technology complexes for the period 2014 - 2020 “. Bilateral cooperation in science and technology is also carried out within the framework of interaction between scientific research institutions and universities. For example, a cooperation agreement between the Russian Foundation for Basic Research and the Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology was signed in March 2016. Since the benefits of interaction expansion are recognized as reasonable, eight joint scientific projects got the approval for support within the framework of the above agreement in 2018.

The Russian Foundation for Basic Research is also actively cooperating with the Ministry of Science and Technology of Vietnam to support joint research programs. The lists of projects to be funded by Russia and Vietnam have been agreed, with priority given to applied projects.

The Russia-Vietnam Tropical Center for scientific and tropical research plays a leading role in bilateral scientific and technological cooperation. It is a unique interactive project between the two countries and has great potential for resolving urgent issues for the socio-economic development of Russia and Vietnam, ensuring biological and health security and strengthening military technical relations. The Center is currently focusing its efforts on the U.S use of chemicals in the war, Vietnam’s biodiversity problems and global climate change. It is also organizing internships of Russian and Vietnamese experts and implementing new projects with the participation of young scientists.

Great experience has been accumulated from the interaction between Russian and Vietnamese scientists and engineers at the Joint Institute of Nuclear Research (JINR) in Dubna. Necessary efforts are being made to most effectively unlock the JINR’s scientific and educational potential because the benefits of Russia-Vietnam cooperation are derived from the uniqueness of fundamental scientific researches and research tools as well as leading projects, of which the Superheavy Element Factory and NICA heavy ion collisions machine are being constructed. High expectations in this field are linked to the plans of the state-owned company ROSATOM for establishing the Center for Nuclear Science and Technology in Vietnam.

The cooperation of the Russian Academy of Sciences and its branches with the Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology and the Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences is characterized its high efficiency. The Vietnamese side has expressed particular interest in marine and geological research. Russia-Vietnam joint research expeditions are organized every two years on the Akademik Oparin ship of the Russian Academy of Sciences’ Far East Branch (the most recent one took place in June and July 2018 in the East Sea), then the experts of the two countries would conduct scientific conferences.

The current scientific collaboration plan between the Russian Academy of Sciences and the Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences sets out to conduct research in areas such as development of countries in East and South Asia; peace, security and cooperation in the Asia-Pacific region; the rule of law in the transition to a market economy; social and ecological modernization; Russia-Vietnam relations and cooperation in politics and culture; ethnic relations in Russia and Vietnam; research into language; etc.. Many Vietnamese scientists were elected as foreign members of the Russian Academy of Sciences while Russian scientists were elected as foreign members of the Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences.

The successful development and deepening cooperation process between social scientists of the two countries are most clearly seen in the work of Vietnam-ASEAN Research Center established in 2008 pursuant to the decision of the Director of the Institute of Far Eastern Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences. Its scientific activities program covers the following areas:

Analysis and general forecast of political and socio-economic development of contemporary Vietnam;

Research into the new and recent history of Vietnam;

Russia-Vietnam strategic partnership. Prospects in Russia-Vietnam cooperation;

Experience in the history of relationship development between the Soviet Union, Russia and Vietnam;

Main directions of formation and development of ASEAN as one of the region’s largest political and economic organizations;

The State and prospects of relations between Russia and ASEAN. Benefits for Russia in Southeast Asia; regional security issues;

The regional integration process in Southeast Asia. The optimal path to admitting Russia, initially its eastern regions, into this process.

The Vietnam-ASEAN Research Center annually organizes scientific and practical workshops on “Issues in practical research into Vietnam” with the participation of experts in Vietnamese Studies from Moscow, St. Petersburg, Vladivostok and famous scientists from Vietnam. After each event, the Center publishes a collection of the participants’ reports. Symposia are held regularly in conjunction with essential events in bilateral relation. For example, before the state visit to the Russian Federation of the General Secretary of the Party Central Executive Committee of Vietnam Nguyen Phu Trong, a round table conference on “Relations between Russia and Vietnam: prospects and development” was held on August 30, 2018 with the participation of Russian and Vietnamese scientists.

The agreement between the Institute of Far Eastern Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences and the Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics on scientific cooperation for the years 2018-2020 is being implemented effectively (the Cooperation Agreement signed in 2013 has been extended). The agreement stipulates joint researches, symposia, exchange of missions, information and publications. The seminar on “The relationship between the Communist Party of Vietnam and the Communist Party of the Soviet Union in the two resistance wars of the Vietnamese people (1945-1975): history and experience” is expected to be held in 2019, and the seminar on “The impact of Chinese factors on Southeast Asian situation and the development of Russia-Vietnam relations” in 2020.

In summary, it should be noted that the cooperation between the Russian Federation and the Socialist Republic of Vietnam in the fields of training and research is a vital factor in the development of the comprehensive strategic partnership. Cooperation in these fields will serve the national interests of both countries and contribute to the development of the Russia-Vietnam bilateral relations.H.E. Mr. Konstantin V. Vnukov

The Ambassador of the Russian Federation to Vietnam