HCM City aims to develop innovative urban area

More than 600 experts, scientists, intellectuals and representatives of firms from in and outside the country will debate how to enhance links among enterprises, research institutes and authorities to develop the eastern region of Ho Chi Minh City into an innovative urban area. 

The information was announced at a press conference in the city on November 14 to introduce the HCM City Economic Forum 2018, which will take place on November 23.  

According to Chu Tien Dung, Chairman of the HCM City Union of Business Associations, the forum will focus on issues related to the 4th industrial revolution and innovative urban development. 

It will highlight the role and impact of innovative urban areas in promoting rapid and sustainable development. 

Municipal authorities plan to build the city’s eastern area into an innovative urban area, thus attracting investment from local firms, especially in renovation and startups. 

At the event, participants will also suggest measures to drive innovative activities in local enterprises. 

Besides the main discussion sessions, a 70-booth exhibition featuring smart services and technologies and other products will be included in the event. 

According to Pham Tran Thanh Thao, assistant director of the municipal Department of External Affairs, deputy head of the organisation board of the forum, about 100 foreign delegates will attend the event, including prestigious scholars and representatives from innovative urban management agencies, enterprises and financial institutions in HCM City. 

The event is expected to collect proposals for economic development policies of the city, thus mobilising resources from businesses and investors for the locality’s development programmes.

Sprout ginseng festival to take place in Ha Noi from November 16-30     

InterContinental Hanoi Landmark72 will introduce sprout ginseng to Vietnamese diners with a variety of dishes and activities from November 16-30.

Sprout ginseng is popular in Korea as an ingredient for healthy food and beverages. It is cultivated using a hydroponic method which makes it more controllable than the normal ginseng.

Normal ginseng takes five or six years to reach maturity, while sprout ginseng needs only two to four months to be harvested. Saponin is the core value of ginseng which has several benefits, and the concentration in the leaves of sprout ginseng is high, which is one of the reasons it is used in daily meals.

During the event, 3Spoons restaurant will present a limited edition of Bun Cha with Sprout Ginseng, bringing an exotic flavour to a popular dish. Meanwhile, the Teppanyaki micro restaurant will also offer Razor Clams with Chrysanthemums and Ginseng.

On November 23, Q Bar will hold a party themed “Green Light” to encourage people to show their love. All couples who share a kiss at the door will get free entrance and free flow of a special sprout ginseng cocktail. 

300 kg bomb removed in Nghệ An

The bomb being removed. — Photo zing.vn

 A 300 kg unexploded bomb found in an irrigation canal near Đào River in Đô Lương District, the central province of Nghệ An was safely removed on Tuesday, the online news outlet zing.vn reported.

The bomb was 1.6m long and still had a detonator inside.

It took Đô Lương District Military Steering Committee and related agencies a week to plan and execute the removal and destruction of the bomb.

According to local authorities, the bomb was left over from the American war.

It is estimated that at least 350,000 tonnes of live bombs and mines remain in Việt Nam and that it will take the country 300 years to clear them at the current rate.

The high number of explosives also accounts for the large number people who have been killed or rendered disabled by exploding mines. Nearly 40,000 Vietnamese have been killed since the end of the war in 1975 and 67,000 have been disabled by land mines, cluster bombs and other ordnance. 

Schools, enterprises join hand to train students for abroad working

The Department of Overseas Labor under the Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs and the Tien Phong newspaper yesterday jointly held a seminar of how to improve labor quality to work overseas.

At the seminar, Vu Van Tien - head of the Continuous Training Department under the Directorate of Vocational Education and Training – said that to improve labor quality, schools and enterprises should join together.

Enterprises will provide information of studying program and working opportunities in each market to schools which will make good preparation for students.

Schools will liaise with enterprises to provide vocational training to help students in studying and working well when they perform abroad. Simultaneously, schools should cooperate with labor export companies to send students to foreign countries to work and study.

Under the cooperation programs, graduates can improve studying and working quality overseas, contributing in the country’s growth.

According to the Department of Overseas Labor’s statistics, the rate of trained laborers overseas was 35 percent before 2006 but now it is 50 percent.

The Ho Chi Minh City Center of Forecasting Manpower Needs and Labor Market Information’s figure showed that 46 companies and branches in the city are eligible to send Vietnamese laborers to work abroad.

It is forecast that demands of skilled workers will increase. From now to 2025, of around 110,000 Vietnamese people will go abroad to work annually.

Vietnam strives to expand family doctor model by 2020

An average of at least 80 percent cities and provinces in Vietnam will implement family practitioners by 2020, said Associate Professor Luong Ngoc Khue, head of the Health Ministry's Department of Medical Examination and Treatment at a conference on family healthcare on November 9.

The conference was the second international family medicine workshop held by Wallonie – Bruxelles in Vietnam, the Vietnam Family Doctor Association and Pham Ngoc Thach Medicine University in Ho Chi Minh City.

Speaking at the conference, Associate Professor Luong Ngoc Khue said that the family doctor project was set up in 1999. Till now, the country has eight education institutions which provide family practitioner training

Vietnam tries to implement the family doctor project in at least 80 percent cities and provinces by 2020, said Dr. Khue. Many family doctors are given practicing licenses; however, just half of them have practiced their skills while in some places, untrained doctors are working in family doctor clinics.

Additionally, family doctor networks have not liaised with hospitals in exchanging patients’ illness record and insured patients are facing difficulties in paying when using family doctors.

Worse, people have little knowledge of family physicians who provide immunizations and screening tests, perform comprehensive wellness exams and health-risk assessments, and diagnose and treat illnesses; hence, they refuse to use it.

In spite of that, the Ministry of Health determines family doctor model is the best choice to develop the health sector; therefore, the Ministry will expand the model nationwide.

The family doctor model will provide basic and comprehensive healthcare services to individuals, families and the community, contributing to primary healthcare quality and easing patient overload in big infirmaries, Dr. Khue emphasized.

Tens of construction projects encroach Saigon River

The Saigon River plays an extremely significant role to HCMC, supplying fresh water, being an important waterway traffic route with many seaports and beautifying the city. Still, many sections alongside the river have been reclaimed and encroached with lot of houses and tens of construction projects.

The river starts from Binh Phuoc province, running through Tay Ninh, Binh Duong provinces and Ho Chi Minh City. The stretch in HCMC is approximately 80 kilometers long.

Alongside the riverbanks, lot of houses and other construction works have been built. Specifically, tens of houses are found encroach the riverbed along the riverbank from District 12 to Binh Thanh, Go Vap, Thu Duc districts and District 2. The worst transgressed area is in Thu Duc district with tens of houses and villas.

The riverbank area in Thao Dien ward, District 2 has been handed over to investors of housing and high class villas projects. They have surrounded their projects with solid fence wall in the river edge, blocking the river’s access way.

The river embankment in the right bank of the river in Districts 12, Hoc Mon and Cu Chi districts has been built for traffic also, still the route has been cut off at some spots. Specifically, a house is built right on the embankment in An Phu Dong ward, District 12. Adjacent to the house is a land plot being filled up for construction.

When the embankment project was implemented, site clearance was not completed. So many sections of the embankment now go through residents’ properties.

To tackle the river encroachment, HCMC People’s Committee has assigned the Department of Planning and Architecture to work with the Department of Tourism, the Department of Transport, HCMC Institute for Development Studies, Steering Center for Urban Flood Control Program, the management board of the urban area south of the city, nine districts and Tan Thuan Industrial Development Company to review Saigon River plan and control construction along the river.

After reviewing, they reported that the riverbank has been covered with 83 construction projects over about 454 hectares to build houses, trade and service centers and parks. Of these, 76 projects reported to affect the riverbank safety corridor as per city regulations.

Some works have been built before 2004 and some after 2004 when the city issued Decision 150 on protecting riverbank corridor.

According to the decision, rivers have a 30-50 meter wide riverbank protection corridor that is same for canals and public ponds. However many construction projects have been licensed narrowing the safety corridor to only 7.5 meters at some places.

Estimating construction situation along the Saigon River, the Department of Planning and Architecture said that projects have been approved both before and after 2004, so the riverbank corridor width has not accorded with current regulations of 30-50 meters. That has impacted riverside landscape exploitation to serve the community.

The agency proposed the city People’s Committee to estimate the status quo of riverbank encroachment, intensify inspection to handle violations, review to have overall estimation of projects and call on experts’ opinions to have plan management regulations concerning the riverside landscape.

Architecture Ngo Viet Nam Son said that the safety corridor encroachment would affect the river flow and pose a danger of landslide. To settle the issue, he said it needed to specifically consider each work and project to make clear which projects were licensed in the past and which have been licensed after the city’s issue of Decision 150 to have solutions. Those licensed after the decision issue time must be removed to return the riverbank safety corridor as per regulations.

Vietnam’s culture introduced to ASEAN community in Ankara

Ambassadors and their spouses at the 2018 ASEAN Family Day in Ankara (Photo: vietnamplus)

Vietnam’s cultural identities were introduced at the 2018 ASEAN Family Day, which was held in Ankara, Turkey, on November 10.

The event featured the participation of Ambassadors as well as staff members and their families from the embassies of seven ASEAN countries in Ankara, including Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

Vietnamese Embassy in Ankara displayed traditional handicrafts, such as Dong Ho paintings, lacquer paintings and water puppetry.

In addition, visitors to Vietnam’s booths were introduced to the country’s history, culture and socio-economic development achievements as well as Vietnam – Turkey diplomatic relations.

Friends from other ASEAN countries were also interested in Vietnamese food, notably ‘pho bo’ (noodle with beef), ‘che dau xanh’ (sweet green bean soup) and ‘che bi ngo’ (sweet pumpkin soup).

ASEAN Family Day is an annual event organised by the ASEAN Ankara Committee (AAC), aiming to enhance the solidarity and cohesion among the community in Ankara.

New Zealand providing study opportunities to Vietnamese students

Riding the momentum from tremendous increases in international student numbers to New Zealand, Education New Zealand (ENZ) has rolled out its newest digital campaign, Future Proof 2.0, which drills down into what makes New Zealand’s style of teaching so powerful in influencing students’ future success.

As part of the campaign, Vietnamese students are given dedicated opportunities to win a seven-day trip to New Zealand to meet excellent teachers and experience first-hand the future-focused style of teaching in the country.

Showcasing leading New Zealand teachers and academics, the Future Proof 2.0 campaign highlights the quality of New Zealand’s teachers and academics and the role they can play in helping people prepare for a significantly different world. All of these experiences are available for Vietnamese students to explore when joining the “MyFutureNZ” online competition.

The latest research shows that international education contributes $5.1 billion to New Zealand’s economy, making it the country’s fourth-largest export industry. The number of international students stands at 131,000 and is increasing steadily. The positive result is attributed to the government’s recent developments, including the release of an International Education Strategy for New Zealand in August 2018.

“The Economist Intelligence Unit highlighted what New Zealand teachers have been championing for some time, that to be prepared for the future, it’s not just about what students know,” said Mr. John Laxon, ENZ Regional Director. “Students need to acquire a set of flexible skills, like creative and analytical skills, entrepreneurial skills, leadership skills, digital and technical skills, and global awareness.”

“Our universities and other tertiary institutions offer world-class teaching and research resources and strong industry collaboration. From early school days, students here are encouraged to think independently, critically and creatively, which, in turn, builds confidence and leads to high levels of innovation.”

One of the hero Kiwi teachers introduced in the Future Proof 2.0 campaign is Professor Kathleen Campbell from the University of Auckland, who investigates the origins of life on Earth and asks whether life might exist on other planets. A former researcher at NASA, she gives her students opportunities to collaborate nationally and internationally.

Tan Duc Do is a Vietnamese student who did his Bachelor, Bachelor Honors, Masters’ and PhD degrees in Mathematics at the University of Auckland because of the inspiring teaching of his supervisor. “My supervisor, Associate Professor Tom ter Elst, is a great researcher and has released lots of publications,” he said. “Most of the lecturers here are working mathematicians, so they can give insight and inspiration into the subject.”

As part of the Future Proof 2.0 campaign, ENZ has organized the “MyFutureNZ” online competition for Vietnamese students, so they can explore more about the New Zealand’s world-class education. The contest has been kicked off and runs until November 30.

Besides these on-going activities, ENZ will also be collaborating closely with different partners in Vietnam to promote bilateral cooperation between the two countries in the area of education and bring more benefits to local students in the future.

Điện Biên to host VN-Laos festival

Deputy minister of the ministry Nguyễn Minh Hồng speaks at a press conference held in Hà Nội on November 13.— Photo vietnamnet.vn

The northwestern province of Điện Biên will host a festival to strengthen the friendship between Việt Nam and Laos on December 4 and 5, leaders from the Ministry of Information & Communications announced at a press conference held in Hà Nội on November 13.

The event, the first of its kind, is a joint effort between the ministry and the provincial authorities, said Đoàn Công Huynh, head of the organising board and director of the ministry’s Authority of Foreign Information Service.

According to Nguyễn Minh Hồng, deputy minister of the ministry, the event aims to promote the image of Việt Nam, with advances in renovation, development, and strong international integration to Laotian friends as well as strengthen the solidarity, friendship and special and comprehensive co-operation between Việt Nam and Laos.

The event also celebrates the 56th anniversary of the two country’s diplomatic ties (1962-2018), as well as the 41st anniversary of the Friendship & Co-operation Treaty between the two countries (1977-2018).

“Organised in Điện Biên City, the event includes a series of art shows, exhibitions, and trade fairs,” Hồng said. “It will offer a chance for domestic and Laotian enterprises to exchange with those based in Điện Biên.”

A photo exhibition on the Việt Nam – Laos relationship will be a highlight, together with a fair introducing tourism, culture, local delicacies, and an art exchange. Workshops on promoting investment, trade and tourism for Điện Biên Province will gather representatives from the National Authority of Tourism (Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism), Việt Nam Trade Promotion Agency (Ministry of Industry and Trade), enterprises with experience in developing economies in mountainous regions and concerned agencies in Điện Biên Province.

“The event will help enhance international relationships in border provinces, in order to ensure national sovereignty, independence and peace in the region and enhance Việt Nam’s prestige in the region and the world,” Hồng stressed.

Nguyễn Hùng Cường, deputy director of Điện Biên Province’s Information & Communications Department told Việt Nam News that the organising board intends to invite hundreds of leaders and representatives from some provinces and enterprises in Laos.

The event expects to receive thousands of tourists as well.

Last year, the province received 600,000 tourists, a 25 per cent increase against 2016.

Total income from tourism last year accounted for VNĐ950 billion (US$40.680 million), a 33.8 per cent increase against the previous year.

The province intends to develop tourism into a key economic sector, according to Cường. 

University health workers combat infectious diseases

Lê Thị Hương Dean from the Preventive Medicine and Public Health School speaks at the conference yesterday in Hà Nội.

Local and international health experts discussed measures to confront infectious diseases at an international conference that opened yesterday in Hà Nội.

“One Health Academic Challenges: Preparing Today’s Workforce to Combat Tomorrow’s Infectious Diseases”, was organised by the Hà Nội Medical University, the Preventive Medicine and Public Health School and the Southeast Asia One Health University Network (SEAOHUN).

“We live in a fragile and connected world where a disease can easily transmit across the globe in just a matter of days. Experts say that the next outbreak or epidemic is inevitable, but preventing it from becoming a pandemic is possible,” said Lê Thị Hương, dean of the Preventive Medicine and Public Health School.

Hương said university members needed to strengthen the One Health network to provide education and training for students and in-service health professionals

“Today I ask you to join with many others to explore the academic challenges and strengthen the One Health project to prepare the current and future workforce to combat any global health security threats that will hit us,” said Hương.  

Delegates will also share their research and experience in building a sustainable One Health workforce to ensure that each country can effectively respond to any infectious disease threat.

Established in 2011, SEAOHUN currently has four national country networks in Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Việt Nam, with 67 member universities. The network’s mission is to link and empower leading universities in Southeast Asia to generate social and intellectual capital on One Health against infectious disease threats.

Dutch culture introduced at festival in Can Tho

Dutch singers performing at the opening ceremony 

The Dutch Cultural Festival opened in the Mekong city of Can Tho on November 10, as an event to mark the anniversary of Vietnam-Netherlands diplomatic relations (1973 – 2018).

The opening ceremony attracted a large number of locals and visitors, who excitedly took part in a range of activities, including arts performances, a parade of orange bicycles, a photo exhibition, and a space highlighting the Netherlands’ cuisine.

There are also activities seeking to strengthen the trade and educational connectivity between Vietnam and the Netherlands, a Dutch education workshop, and film screenings on the Dutch culture.

Dutch Ambassador to Vietnam, Elsbeth Akkerman, affirmed that, with their close relations over the past 45 years, Vietnam and the Netherlands will make new strides in fostering bilateral links in trade, culture, tourism and education.

The Netherlands will exert efforts and implement plans to help Vietnam improve the livelihood of people in regions which are prone to climate change and increase the application of technology in agricultural production, she asserted.

For his part, Vice Chairman of the Can Tho city People’s Committee, Truong Quang Hoai Nam, emphasised that the Netherlands is a strategic partner of Vietnam in general and the Mekong Delta in particular.

Therefore, as the centre of the region, the Can Tho city authorities will roll out efforts in attracting investment, upgrade infrastructure and reform administrative procedures to strengthen the trade and cultural exchanges with the Netherlands, he stressed.

Mekong delta inhabitants to receive assistance in flood season

Fishing is the main source of livelihood for many people in the Mekong delta in flood season but many farmers face crop losses during this time.

Over 3,100 hectare of rice field has been destroyed in the 2018 flood season in An Giang, Long An, Dong Thap and Kien Giang provinces.

Of the amount, rice farmers in An Giang province suffer loss much because nearly 1,300 hectare of rice was destroyed making up over 40 percent of total paddy fields in the province.

To cope with the situation in the next time, the Management Board for Natural Disaster Prevention and Rescue in An Giang province petitioned education institutions, agencies and organizations to provide sustainable livelihood models in the flood season.

Simultaneously, agencies and organizations should supply water reservoirs in the season for production. The management board expected to receive more assistance in evacuating residents in disaster vulnerable areas to safer places. Total estimated cost is around VND500 billion ($21.4 million) for the period 2019-2020.

Some 1,950 houses in An Giang province are still located in disaster risk areas.

Vietnam team well prepared for WRO 2018

16 teams who will represent Vietnam in the World Robot Olympiad 2018 (WRO 2018) have joined in the farewell ceremony held in Hong Bang Junior-High in District 5 of Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC).

In this event, leaders in the HCMC Department of Education and Training encouraged contestants to try their best in this international competition.

All teams have taken a chance to introduce their finished projects on this occasion. They will enter the contest in 5 groups to fight against more than 500 teams of people 8 – 20 years old from 66 nations and territories worldwide.

This is the first time Vietnam has participated in the category ‘Robot footballer’, with fully automatic and complicated robots.

The WRO 2018 themed ‘Robot – Solutions for Food Issues’  will take place from November 16 – 18, 2018 in Chiang Mai City of Thailand.

QTSC launches free wifi service

Quang Trung Software City (QTSC) said it is implementing free wifi service to add more convenient services to its customers, staff and students who are studying and working here.

This service will be launched for the 1st phase at Helios Building, SBI Building, Hall 6A, QTSC Building 9, QTSC Building 1 and Halls of 3,5, 8.
In the next time, QTSC continues to expanding this service to other areas, bringing better working conditions for QTSC community.

QTSC wished it would be useful communication channel for enterprises who want to promote information relating to products, solutions and recruitment demands…