Egyptian newspaper praises President Ho Chi Minh

The article praising President Ho Chi Minh and Vietnam – Egypt relations on Egypt’s Al-Ahram online newspaper. 

Egypt’s Al-Ahram online newspaper has run an article praising President Ho Chi Minh and Vietnam – Egypt relations.

The article, which was written by Egyptian reporter Kamal Gaballah and published on October 14, aimed to celebrate 55th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

The reporter emphasised his impression on President Ho Chi Minh through information of his visits to Egypt, in 1911 and 1946, as well as his ability to lead Vietnamese people in fighting against French and US invaders.

The article has noted that President Ho Chi Minh has left a special love with Egypt and was admired by millions of people in the world, particularly Egypt.

Egypt is one of the first countries in the world to establish full diplomatic relations with Vietnam in 1963. Two leaders Gamal Abdel Nasser and Ho Chi Minh nurtured the friendship between the two nations.

The Vietnam – Egypt bilateral relationship has witnessed the development, particularly in 2017 and 2018, through high-level visits and agreements.

Many Vietnamese companies are committed to investing in Egypt in the fields of agriculture, fisheries and shipbuilding as well as boosting cooperation in tourism, education and culture.

More than 1,000 entries sent to press contest on mass mobilisation

Politburo member Truong Thi Mai (fourth from left) and outstanding entrants of the contest (Photo: bienphong.com.vn) 

More than 1,000 entries have been sent to a press contest on honouring outstanding examples in mass mobilisation after one year of its launching, announcing the organising board at a conference held in Hanoi on October 15 to review the contest.

The contest is hosted by the Party Central Committee (PCC)’s Commission for Mass Mobilisation and the Vietnam Journalists’ Association. It included four entry categories of printed and online media, and television and radio.

The entries vividly reflected the outcomes of mass mobilisation work in all aspects of life and society, across sectors and localities, as well as individuals and collectives standing out in the work.

Addressing the conference, Politburo member, PCC Secretary and Head of PCC Commission for Mass Mobilisation, Truong Thi Mai, stressed that the Party always consider mass mobilisation as a strategic task, which has played a key role in the country’s revolutionary cause and enhancing Party’s leadership.

She praised that the popularisation of outstanding models in mass mobilisation through press agencies has contributed to duplication of good examples and good deeds in the society.

At the conference, the organising board presented gifts to the best 40 entries which were shortlisted to the final round of the contest.

Winners of 2018 Vietnam Women’s Awards honoured

Delegates at the ceremony (Photo: hanoimoi.com.vn) 

A total of 15 winners of the 2018 Vietnam Women’s Awards and 20 best start-up projects founded by women were honoured at a ceremony held in Hanoi on October 15 by the Vietnam Women's Union (VWU).

While congratulating the honourees, Politburo member and permanent member of the Party Central Committee’s Secretariat Tran Quoc Vuong said that the winning projects expressed women’s creativity, activeness and aspiration for innovation and developing their trades in different fields and areas.

He spoke highly of the VWU’s achievements throughout its establishment and development, calling for women’s associations at all levels to renovate their operation and encourage women’s further participation in boosting their localities’ socio-economic development.

He asked the VWU to provide prompt support for women who are living in difficult circumstances and those in need of special care.

He also requested Party committees at all levels, local authorities, ministries and sectors to make greater efforts to realise the national target of gender equality.

Launched in 2002, the Vietnam Women’s Awards aim to encourage creativity, determination and energy. It also certifies women’s devotion, talents and innovation in the process of national construction and defence.

This year’s new-style rural building targets completed ahead of schedule

An aerial view of Bong Lai commune of Que Vo district, Bac Ninh province 

The National Target Programme on New-style Rural Area Building for 2018 has achieved its set targets three months earlier than planned, said Nguyen Minh Tien, head of the programme’s Central Coordination Office.

The programme, initiated by the government in 2010, laid out 19 criteria on socio-economic development, politics, and defence, aiming to enhance the development in rural regions of Vietnam. The list of criteria includes the development of infrastructure, the improvement of production capacity, environmental protection, and the promotion of cultural values.      

To date, the entire nation now has 3,542 communes that meet the standards of new-style rural areas (or 39.7% of all communes nationwide). Meanwhile, 55 districts in 28 provinces and cities have received the prime minister’s accreditation for fulfilling all criteria and completing their assigned mission in new-style rural building.

According to Tien, the goal set for this year was to have 3,500 communes (or 39% of all communes) recognised as new-style rural areas and at least 54 districts obtaining the PM’s accreditation. 

The official said the steering committee for the programme will focus on directing localities to continue their measures and efforts next year in a bid to realise the National Assembly’s goal for the 2016-2020 period.

Talking about this year’s outcomes, Tien said many localities have increased resources, innovations, and quality guarantees by developing value chains in line with food safety standards and production restructuring.

Many of them intensified their work to tackle environmental pollution and came up with effective solutions to their accrued liabilities that had arisen from the programme’s basic construction plans, he added.

Tien also pointed to a significant gap in building new-style rural areas among certain regions. While localities like Ho Chi Minh City, Da Nang, and Dong Nai have completed their set works and are now advancing into even further construction, others such as Dien Bien, Bac Kan, and Cao Bang have recorded very low numbers of communes that meet standards.

According to Tien, environmental pollution (especially water pollution) is getting worse in some areas, while food safety, despite the country’s progress in ensuring farm produce’s quality, remains a pressing issue.

Hanoi: RoK-backed project helps ensure traffic safety for students

Helmets and first aid kit bags were presented to high school students in Hanoi on October 15, part of a traffic safety project funded by Global Civic Sharing – a non-governmental organisation from the Republic of Korea.

The beneficiaries were students of the Nguyen Tat Thanh High School in Cau Giay district.

Addressing the event, Chief Representative of Global Civic Sharing in Vietnam Choi Eui-gyo said that the country has a very high rate of motorcycle use, with about 50 million motorcycles nationwide at present. It has also taken the lead in forcing commuters to wear helmets. However, more than 50% of the helmets used by commuters have been found to be impractical and unsafe.

With the hope of helping to reduce traffic accidents and their consequences, Samsung Life Insurance coordinated with Global Civic Sharing to carry out a traffic safety project this year.

The project, worth VND6 billion (US$257,000), will provide first aid kits and protective helmets for about 5,500 motorised vehicle users in Hanoi, including about 5,000 students and 500 motorcycle taxi drivers, he noted.

Targeted students are in the Hanoi National University of Education, the Nguyen Tat Thanh High School, the Thuong Mai University, the Academy of Journalism and Communications, and the Quoc Oai High School. Each school will receive 1,000 quality helmets and 1,000 first aid kit bags.

Each beneficiary will be given one helmet and one first aid bag.

Number of Vietnamese students in RoK grow fastest in the world

Vietnamese students are the fastest growing group in Korean universities, second only to China in enrollment numbers.

Vietnam sent nearly 15,000 students to the Republic of Korea (RoK) last year, three times higher than the number in 2015, making it the fastest growing market for international education in the Northeast Asian country. 

In reporting this information, the Yonhap News Agency cited figures from the National Institute for International Education under the Korean Ministry of Education.

As of April this year, the number of international students registered in Korean universities and graduate schools jumped to 142,205, a 14.8% increase from a year ago. Of these, 70,232 were enrolled in higher education programs and the other 51,856 in non-degree programs.

China has retained the top spot as the country with the maximum number of students in RoK. At 68,256, Chinese account for 48.2% of total foreign students in the country.

Vietnam ranks second with 27,061, accounting for 19% of total international students, followed by Mongolia (4.7%), Japan (2.79%), and the US (1.93%).

For non-degree courses such as Korean language classes at universities, Vietnamese students accounted for 34.3%, or 19,260 of the total, surpassing Chinese peers (29.8%).

Anticipation is building that Vietnam will beat China to become the largest group of students in South Korea by 2020, the Yonhap reported.

Vietnamese families are spending as much as US$3-US$4 billion each year on sending their children abroad to study, education minister Phung Xuan Nha told the National Assembly session in Hanoi last June.

Last year, there were around 130,000 Vietnamese studying abroad at all levels, and their top five destinations were Japan, the US, Australia, China and the UK, according to government data.

A meeting was held in Hanoi on October 15 to announce the presentation of a friendship medal to Katrin Kandel, Executive Director of the UK-based charity Facing the World, in recognition of her contributions to changing the lives of thousands of Vietnamese children with facial deformities.

Facing The World - UK Charity for Children with Facial Disfigurement, gathers world leading experts in orthopedic surgery.

Led by Ms Katrin Kandel, Facing the World has, over the last 10 years, has helped Vietnam treat and provide craniofacial surgeries for thousands of vulnerable Vietnamese children and held training courses for Vietnamese medical doctors in Da Nang and Hanoi.

Authorized by acting President Dang Thi Ngoc Thinh, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh presented the friendship medal to Ms Katrin Kandel on October 9 during his official visit to the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

Tay Ninh, Cambodia’s localities push up search for soldiers’ remains

The southwestern province of Tay Ninh and five Cambodian provinces of Tbong Khmum, Kampong Cham, Siem Reap, Banteay Meanchey and Oddar Meanchey will enhance cooperation in the search for remains of Vietnamese volunteers who died on battlefields in Cambodia during wartime.

Under an agreement inked between the provincial Steering Committee on the Search and Repatriation of Remains of Fallen Soldiers (Steering Committee 515) and the five Cambodia localities in Oddar Meanchay on October 15,  the Cambodian side will support and exchange information with Vietnamese competent authorities in the search and repatriation for martyrs’ remains.  

They will also give their opinion on the progress and achievements attained in the search and repatriation efforts.

According to a report in 2017 by the Cambodia’s national committee for the search for martyrs’ remains, around 4,000 Vietnamese volunteers and soldiers are still unaccounted for in Cambodia. Both Vietnam and Cambodia have been accelerating plans to finish the search by 2020.

Hue hospital, RoK’s medical centre cooperate in liver transplant

Scene at the event

The Hue Central Hospital and the Republic of Korea (RoK)’s ASAN Medical Centre signed a cooperation agreement on regional- and international-level liver transplant programme in Hue city on October 16.

Attending the signing ceremony were Prof. Dr. Pham Nhu Hiep, Director of the Hue Central Hospital, and Choi Ki-dong and Kim Dong-kwan, officials from the ASAN Medical Centre.

Under the agreement, the ASAN Medical Centre will create conditions for the Hue Central Hospital to train high-quality human resources; send its leading experts to the Vietnamese hospital to share experience in liver examination, treatment and transplant; and offer remote consultations in complex cases.

The signing is considered an important milestone in the two sides’ cooperation to help the Hue Central Hospital become a specialised medical centre on organ transplantation that meets regional and international standards.

In addition, the two sides have also collaborated in several international-level liver transplantation programmes as well as organised conferences and seminars to share experience in liver examination and treatment in Vietnam.

The ASAN Medical Centre, with its ASAN Central Hospital, was set up in 1989. The centre conducted living-donor liver transplants for adults in 1999, dual living-donor liver transplants in 2000, and ABO-incompatible dual-graft adult living donor liver transplantation in 2003.

It recorded the highest number of liver transplants in the world in 2012 with 379 cases and the figure increased to 468 in 2017.

In addition to the Hue Central Hospital, the centre has cooperated with other Vietnamese hospitals like Cho Ray Hospital, HCM City Oncology Hospital and Bach Mai Hospital in the field.

World Food Day, FAO’s 40-year presence in Vietnam celebrated

FAO Vietnam representative Albert Lieberg addresses the ceremony in Hanoi on October 16 

A ceremony was held in Hanoi on October 16 to mark the 38th World Food Day and 40 years of the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO)’s presence in Vietnam.

The event was organised by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) and FAO Vietnam.

This year’s World Food Day (October 16) is themed “Our Actions are our Future” and is working towards a ‘Zero Hunger World’ by 2030.

Global figures recorded a rise in world hunger and the population of malnourished people in 2017 for the third consecutive year, with a total of 821 million suffering from hunger (equal to 11 percent of the global population). Meanwhile, other forms of malnutrition have also increased, with at least 1.5 billion people having suffered from micronutrient deficiencies that undermined their health and lives last year.

The World Food Day and its ‘Zero Hunger’ goal also reflects the spirit of the FAO and the Government of Vietnam's fruitful partnership over the past four decades to transform the country from a food importer to an exporter, as well as ensure its population’s access to enough high-quality food to lead active and healthy lives.

A report at the ceremony noted that during the past 40 years, the FAO has assisted Vietnam to implement almost 500 projects to support hunger eradication; poverty reduction; and ensure food and nutrition security in areas such as crop production, animal husbandry, animal and plant health, forestry, and fisheries.

Despite significant progress, Vietnam still faces key challenges to ensuring food and nutrition security, especially in isolated areas. Meanwhile, climate change and natural disasters are becoming increasingly critical threats.

FAO Vietnam representative Albert Lieberg stated: “The people of Vietnam are an extraordinary example of a success story both in nation and economy building. Nevertheless, we need to be extremely cautious and remain on top of the current agenda of constantly changing parameters, in particular the accelerating impact of climate change that is provoking serious challenges for our lives and livelihoods as well as the increasing complexity of trade, both nationally and globally.”

He added that going forward, the FAO remains committed to supporting Vietnam to achieve the 2030 Development Agenda and SDGs, as well as remain fully responsive to national changes, including broader regional and global issues.

MARD Deputy Minister Le Quoc Doanh said that since opening its economy in 1986 with effective assistance of international partners, including the FAO, Vietnam has not only produced enough food for domestic consumption but also exported approximately 5-7 million tonnes of rice each year overseas.

Agriculture plays a crucial role in ensuring food security for nearly 95 million people in the country, and in ensuring social stability and livelihoods for almost 65 percent of rural population. It makes up 17 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) of Vietnam.

Doanh noted that Vietnam is ready to share experience with other developing nations. A wave of Vietnamese experts have brought new species and appropriate technologies to several countries in Africa, Latin America, and Asia to help carry out food security programmes.

At the ceremony, the MARD presented the “For the cause of Agriculture and Rural Development” insignia to FAO staff in Vietnam. 

Final round of IoT start-up competition held in HCM City

At the event

Seven start-ups competed in the final round of the Internet of Things (IoT) Start-up Competition in Ho Chi Minh City on October 16. 

Organised by the Saigon High-tech Park’s Incubator Centre, the competition took the theme “Building IoT-based Smart City” with a view to promoting start-up spirit in IoT and seeking excellent start-up ideas to build a sustainable IoT start-up ecosystem. 

The event was in response to the Ho Chi Minh City Innovation, Startup and Entrepreneurship Week 2018 and the government’s smart city development plan. 

Le Thanh Nguyen, Director of the centre, said over the past 12 years, the centre has become a prestigious destination for start-ups in Vietnam. 

He said the competition, launched in May 2018, attracted over 60 projects. Seven of them in Group A for students were honoured and seven others in Group B for start-ups competed in the final round. 

Outstanding projects in Group B include IoT Kit – Blocky that facilitates connectivity, NRobot for education, and G-Smart that helps parents monitor children’s access to the Internet.

Quang Ninh to welcome Vietnam’s 15 millionth foreign tourist

Welcome ceremony was held for foreign tourists arriving in Ha Long City on the first day of 2018 

Vietnam expects to welcome its 15 millionth foreign visitor of 2018 in Ha Long City, the northern coastal province of Quang Ninh, in late November or early December.

The information was released at the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism’s regular press conference for the third quarter of this year, which was held in Hanoi on October 16.

Nguyen Van Tuan, General Director of the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism, praised dynamic tourism promotion activities this year, noting that they have reached a number of new markets. 

According to Tuan, the country has counted 11.7 million foreign arrivals to date. At the current pace, the figure would reach about 15.7 to 15.8 million by year’s end. Vietnam aims to serve between 15 and 16 million foreign tourists in 2018.

Currently, 52 international airlines have entered the Vietnamese market, and air travellers account for 84.4 percent of total foreigners to Vietnam. 

The National Tourism Administration reported that the rate of second-time visitors reached 40.4 percent last year, and average daily spending by foreign visitors from most markets increased. Spending by visitors from the Republic of Korea rose from 133.4 USD to 171.5 USD a day, while that of Chinese visitors went up from 118.6 USD to 130.1 USD per day. 

Cheap tours, which offer low prices but encourage tourists to use more shopping, food and entertainment services at the destinations, was a hot topic at the press conference.

Concerning the issue, Tuan said the management of low-cost tours should meet the market demand, control their quality as well as protect tourists’ interests and the image of destinations. 

He said tighter monitoring and strict fines, including revoking operation licences of violated businesses and tour guides, should be applied.

Vietnamese, Cambodian youths strengthen friendship

Young people from the Central Highlands province of Dak Nong and the Cambodian neighbouring province Mondulkiri gathered in an exchange programme in Gia Nghia, the capital of Dak Nong, on October 16.

The programme, held by the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union of Dak Nong and the Union of Youth Federations of Mondulkiri, was part of events to celebrate the 15th anniversary of the founding of the Central Highlands province (January 1, 2004 – 2019).

The event featured music performances by young people from both sides in Vietnamese and Cambodian. They also shared experience in business development, studying and international integration.

H’Vi Eban, Secretary of Dak Nong’s HCM Communist Youth Union, said the event aims to strengthen friendship between the youths of the two provinces that share a border.

It is also an opportunity to expand foreign relations, contributing to bolstering socio-economic and cultural development and reinforcing security in border areas between Vietnam and Cambodia.

Chhim Cann, deputy governor and chairman of Union of Youth Federations of Mondulkiri, lauded the event, saying he believes the young people of Dak Nong and Mondulkiri will inherit the long-standing friendship between the two countries.

The exchange programme, which will run through October 17, also provides the youths a chance to learn firsthand from successful business models as well as a nature reserve and tourist spots in Dak Nong. 

Hanoi’s rural development efforts improve local living standards

A road in Lien Trung, a new-style rural commune in Dan Phuong district, Hanoi (Photo: hanoimoi.com.vn)

Hanoi has invested greatly in building new-style rural areas over the past few years, helping improve the living standards of rural residents, said a municipal official.

Building new-style rural areas is a national target programme launched in 2010 that aims to promote the development of rural regions of Vietnam.

At a meeting on October 16, Deputy Secretary of the municipal Party Committee Ngo Thi Thanh Hang lauded the programme’s outcomes across the capital city.

Hanoi has invested more than 26.8 trillion VND (1.14 billion USD) in building new-style rural areas since 2016, including nearly 10 trillion VND (427.9 million USD) in the first nine months of 2018. That has helped improve people’s living conditions, ensure security in rural areas and boost the city’s agricultural development and economic growth.

Four districts and 294 communes, or 76 percent of total communes in the capital city, have been recognised as new-style rural areas so far.

According to the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, Hanoi has 126 models using high technology in agricultural production, up 20 from 2017.

It has also paid attention to forming value chains from production to consumption in agriculture, raising the number of these models to 118, up 47 from last year.

Local farmers’ living standards have been improved, with per capita income estimated at 43.17 million VND (more than 1,800 USD) per annum as of June 2018. Notably, this figure reaches 52 million VND (more than 2,200 USD) in Thach That district and 47 million USD (2,000 USD) in Dong Anh district.

In rural areas, the rate of households living under the poverty line has dropped to under 2 percent, even 0.48 percent in Quoc Oai, 1 percent in Gia Lam and 1.41 percent in Thanh Tri district.

In Vietnam, 3,542 communes, or 39.7 percent of the total nationwide, have qualified for new-style rural area status. Meanwhile, 55 districts in 28 provinces and cities have achieved all criteria and completed their mission in new-style rural building, according to the national target programme’s Central Coordination Office.

Ninh Binh farmers say No to dirty food

The Farmers’ Union of the northern province of Ninh Binh has implemented a project named “Ninh Binh farmers say no to dirty food” since 2016 with the goal of raising local farmers’ awareness about their own responsibility for ensuring food safety.

The project has successfully created remarkable changes in union members’ thinking, which has been translated into their actions in producing safe agricultural products.

Chapters at all level of the Ninh Binh Farmers’ Union are working towards the target of ending the use of banned substances in animal raising, cultivation, preservation and processing of agricultural products as well as the consumption of “dirty” food. They have been organising communication activities to educate union members and farmers on legal regulations on food safety, including knowledge contests on the issue, and encouraging cooperative groups and cooperatives to commit themselves to safe food production. The Farmers’ Union of the province has signed commitments with its chapters at districts and towns on implementing the “Ninh Binh farmers say no to dirty food” project during 2016-2020.

Vice Chairman of the provincial Farmers’ Union Nguyen Minh Loc reported that the union has organised a total of 1,740 talks on food safety and persuaded more than 124,000 households to sign commitments on ensuring food safety for their products.

In addition, the union also provided support in the form of seeds, credit and advice for food production and trading establishments to shift to safe practice. The union built 10 models of safe food production and trading, which have been now multiplied to more than 300 across the province.

Ninh Binh now boasts four stores selling clean farm produce, one each in Tam Diep and Ninh Binh cities, and Hoa Lu and Yen Mo districts. The stores offer goods with reliable origins, while serving as coordinators for farm produce trading chains between Ninh Binh and adjacent provinces. The Farmers Union plans to set up more similar stores in other districts.

Furthermore, the province’s Farmers’ Union has created a hotline to receive reports from the public on violations of food safety in the production and trading of food. Since 2016, the union has received 62 calls, prompting it to coordinate with competent agencies to conduct inspections of the production, trading and use of agricultural materials in the province.

The Union will continue with its educational activities targeting farmers and hold more training courses in the proper use of fertilisers and pesticides.-

46 US universities and colleges attend education fair

Forty-six US universities and colleges took part in EducationUSA’s Business and STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) Programs Fair in Hanoi on October 11, hosted by the US Embassy in Vietnam.

Universities and colleges offering strong, accredited undergraduate and graduate programs in the Business and STEM fields participated in the annual event organized by EducationUSA. The fair brought together more than 800 students, parents and working people with representatives from the US universities, who provided accurate and up-to-date information on degree programs, career perspectives, scholarships, and financial aid for international students. A Consular Officer from the US Embassy was also in attendance, providing information on student visas and optional practical training programs for international students.

Opening the fair, Deputy Chief of Mission Caryn R. McClelland praised Vietnamese students in US colleges and universities, who “are among the best prepared and the most motivated” international students in US universities. She also said that it could not be a better time to be studying in the Business or STEM fields. The world is experiencing social, cultural, economic, environmental, and technological changes at a breathtaking pace.

The US remains one of the top destinations for Vietnamese students. According to the Open Doors Report issued by the International Institute of Education (IIE), the US welcomes nearly 28,000 Vietnamese students among more than 1 million international students on US campuses. Vietnam is sixth in place of origin for international students studying in the country.

EducationUSA is a US Department of State-supported network of over 425 advising centers in more than 175 countries. Its advisors provide Vietnamese students and parents with accurate, comprehensive, and current information about how to apply to accredited US colleges and universities. All services are free.