For disabled people, IT a great help in doing business

Information technology is helping everyone including people with disabilities in Vietnam change their lives and the way they do business, delegates told a recent conference in Ho Chi Minh City.

Tran Hoang Yen, a disabled person and owner of Hoang Tam sewing facility, said: “I plan to sell my products online on e-commerce websites such as Shopee and Tiki.”

She was confident selling online would help develop her business steadily.

In the past her facility had orders from many large companies, but they had been dependent on personal contacts, and so they dried up and she had to start from scratch, she said.

She said e-commerce is different and would help resolve this particular problem.

She now exports her products to Japan and Norway.

Another woman with disability said she has been selling cosmetics made from natural materials through Facebook and her own website for the last two years.

These websites enable more people to know about her products, she added.

Other delegates said businesses should use IT to effectively manage their customer relations using data bases.

An attendee from Victoria University in Australia said e-commerce businesses should upload information about their products with attractive photos or videos.

They should also be able to resolve customers’complaints cleverly in order not to lose them, he said.

Nguyen Thanh Tùng of the HCM City Disability Research and Capacity Development Centre said his centre has collaborated with many partners to develop mobile applications to assist people with disabilities.

The centre would roll out an app to provide legal assistance to disabled people next month, he revealed. 

Can Tho: more workers go to work in RoK

The Mekong delta city of Can Tho has seen an increasing number of Vietnamese labourers going to the Republic of Korea as guest workers through joint programmes between the two countries.

In the first nine months of this year, Can Tho sent 252 workers abroad, representing 102.8 percent of its yearly plan. Of the workers, the RoK market received 102 labourers, up 18 percent from the same period last year.

Nguyen Thi Bich Van, Deputy Head of the Can Tho Employment Service Centre, attributed to the increase to the RoK’s new policies such as allowing foreign workers to work for five years and returning to work for a second time in the case of certain jobs unlike in the past.   

The costs involved in going to the RoK as a guest worker is lower compared to other countries while workers earn an average of 1,500 USD a month, she said.

Besides, the demand for guest workers in the East Asian country is high, she added.

Especially, the RoK and Vietnam have cooperated to carry out a programme chain on seasonal guest farm worker in Guangwon from the beginning of 2108.

Under the programme, Gangwon province has hired Vietnamese aged 30-55 to harvest vegetables and fruits at large-scale farms in the Korean locality in a period of three months.

Can Tho has so far sent 60 farm workers under the programme which continues until the end of 2019, and the workers earned 75 million VND – 100 million VND (3,200 - 4,300 USD) during the period.  

Van said the programme does not require the workers to have high academic qualifications like others. They only need to have studied until sixth grade.

The city subsidises their airfares and health examination costs by half before they leave for the RoK, she said, adding that workers with financial difficulties can get a mortgage at a low interest rate, she said.

The workers who have been to the RoK through the programme have said unanimously that working conditions there are good. Many of them also had their contracts renewed for further three months.

Chau Hong Thai, Deputy Director of the municipal Department of Labour, Invalids, and Social Affairs, said his department will continue to provide vocational training and Korean language courses to improve the quality of candidates from the city.

It has instructed vocational training schools to coordinate with the Employment Service Centre and with companies to organise programmes for orienting students to work abroad, he said.

Local-level authorities should ensure that recruitment companies provide vocational and Korean language training for candidates before sending them to the RoK to work, he said.

To prevent Can Tho workers from working illegally in the RoK, the department has undertaken programmes to educate workers and their families in complying with the law, he said.

District, commune and ward administrations in the city have been told to call on local residents and tell them to persuade their children working in the RoK to return on schedule, he said.

If any district is found to have many residents working illegally in the RoK, the department will no longer select workers from there, he warned. 

Vietnamese, Japanese programmers compete in Tokyo

Two Vietnamese teams and nine others from Japan competed in the final of Pikalong War in Tokyo on October 27. 

Two Vietnamese teams and nine others from Japan competed in the final of Pikalong War, a contest for programmers, in Tokyo on October 27. 

The contest began on September 25 with the participation of 67 teams with 200 programmers. 

Deputy General Director of FPT Japan Do Van Khac, a representative of the contest’s organising board, said Pikalong War creates a playground for software developers to learn from each other’s experience in developing new technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Blockchain. 

Pikalong War was organised by FPT Japan, a branch of Vietnam’s largest software producer FPT Group, for those who are in love with the challenge of AI, with prizes worth up to 17,000 USD.

The first prize went to Vookie, a three-member team from the University of Tokyo. 

Embassy honours outstanding Vietnamese students in Czech Republic

A delegation from the Party Committee of the Central Agencies Bloc visit a Vietnamese language class in Prague 

The Vietnamese Embassy in the Czech Republic held a ceremony in Prague on October 27 to honour 47 Vietnamese students and postgraduates with excellent performance in the 2017-2018 academic year.

Addressing the event, Ambassador Ho Minh Tuan emphasised that Vietnamese people in the Czech Republic are always seen as an exemplary united and strong community who have made great efforts to uphold beautiful traditions of Vietnam.

The traditional fond of learning and passion for knowledge have been maintained and passed down to younger generations by expatriates in the Czech Republic. Many students have achieved proud academic results and been considered bright examples in the local society, he said.

[Vietnamese youths deeply integrate into Czech society]

The diplomat added that the students themselves and their generation will be the ones substantially helping to change Czech people’s view of Vietnamese who are not only successfully in doing business but also greatly contribute to the Czech society, their Vietnamese homeland, as well as the two countries’ friendship.

Tuan also highly valued practical activities by the Union of Vietnamese People Associations in Europe and the Vietnamese People Association in the Czech Republic to encourage and support expatriate students.

At the ceremony, the diplomat suggested rewarding students with outstanding achievements in learning Vietnamese so as to promote the teaching and learning of this language in the overseas community. It said that Vietnamese is an important means for them to understand and uphold traditional culture and connections with the homeland.

According to the Czech Statistical Office, there were more than 58,000 Vietnamese in the country as of the end of 2016. In 2013, the European country recognised the Vietnamese community here as one of its ethnic groups.

Gathering marks centenary of Czechoslovakia in HCM City

Participants in the gathering in HCM City on October 28 pose for a photo 

A gathering was held in Ho Chi Minh City on October 28 to mark the 100th founding anniversary of Czechoslovakia, part of which is the Czech Republic at present.

Nguyen Muoi, Chairman of the Vietnam-Czech Republic Friendship Association in HCM City, said the two countries boast a time-tested friendship that has overcome ups and downs in history to keep developing. The Vietnamese people always keep in mind the precious support that the people and government of then Czechoslovakia and the Czech Republic now have given to Vietnam’s struggle for national liberation in the past and national construction and defence at present.

Bilateral relations have enjoyed strong progress in politics, diplomacy, economy and trade in recent years, he noted, adding that many high-ranking delegations have made mutual visits with the most recent being a trip to Vietnam by Vojtech Filip, Vice Chairman of the Chamber of Deputies of the Czech parliament.

Bilateral trade has continually increased over the past years, reaching 1.02 billion USD in 2017 and expected to hit some 1.2 billion USD in 2018, Muoi added.

For her part, Olga Chojnacka, First Secretary and head of the consular division at the Czech Embassy in Vietnam, appreciated the HCM City people’s sentiment towards people of Czechoslovakia in the past and the Czech Republic at present. She considered this a favourable basis for their countries’ traditional friendship to thrive in multiple spheres, thus bringing practical benefits to the two peoples.

She also expressed her hope that the Vietnam-Czech Republic Friendship Association and the Vietnamese who used to study and work in her country to continue to be a bridge helping to enhance mutual understanding and solidarity between the two sides.

The diplomat also called on them to step up economic, trade and investment activities between Vietnamese and Czech businesses to tap into the countries’ potential and advantages.

Exhibition marks 25 years of Vietnam-Israel diplomatic ties

A performance by Israeli artists at the exhibition's opening ceremony on October 27 

An exhibition on ‘Israel in the heart of Hanoi’ opened in the capital city on October 27 as part of activities to mark the 25th anniversary of diplomatic ties between Vietnam and Israel (1993-2018).

Addressing the event, Israeli Ambassador Nadav Eshcar highlighted the growing relationship between the two countries since they set up their diplomatic ties 25 years ago.

The display of Israel’s unique and pioneering technologies at the exhibition reflects the similarities between the two sides in the field of innovation and is evidence of a vision for bilateral cooperation in high-tech education, agriculture and science, the diplomat said.

Chairman of the Hanoi People’s Committee Nguyen Duc Chung stated that the event will provide the public in Hanoi in particular, and in Vietnam as a whole, a panorama of Israel, especially its vertical rice farming techniques, remote control drip irrigation, and atmospheric water generation technologies.

These advanced technologies could be a source of research and application for Vietnam and Hanoi in order to take alternative measures to transform the appearance of urban districts and enhance the possibility of high-tech farming in Vietnam’s urban areas, Chung added.

On the occasion, the Hanoi leader thanked Israel’s Watergen company for presenting the city with two atmospheric water generators, which have a capacity of producing 700 litres of water per day.

The “Israel in the heart of Hanoi” exhibition features photos on Israel, a display of vertical rice farming, remote control drip irrigation and atmospheric water generation technologies, and unique art shows imbued with Israel’s traditional identities performed by Israeli artists.

HCM City presents scholarships to over 500 students

Former Vice State President Truong My Hoa presents scholarships to the students. 

The Ho Chi Minh City Study Encouragement Association on October 28 granted scholarships worth (77,400 USD) to more than 500 students.

Addressing the ceremony, Vice Chairman of the municipal People’s Committee Huynh Cach Mang lauded study encouragement activities in the city over the past 18 years. 

Study encouragement associations at all levels have made continuous efforts in this regard, he said, praising their initiatives to promote study movements in families and residential areas, contributing to preventing social bad deeds, reducing poverty and raising public intellectual standards. 

Over the past 18 years, the municipal Study Encouragement Association has assisted over 2,500 poor students with outstanding academic achievements, with a total funding of more than 22 billion VND (946,000 USD).

More coastal communa named particularly disadvantaged area

Fishing boats on Vinh Hy Bay in Ninh Thuan province

Vinh Hai commune of Ninh Hai district, the south central province of Ninh Thuan, has been added to the list of particularly disadvantaged communes in coastal sandbank and insular areas in the 2018 – 2020 period.

Earlier, there were 291 communes in 23 provinces nationwide named particularly disadvantaged communes in coastal sandbank and insular areas, according to a Prime Minister decision in January 2017 approving the list for the 2016 – 2020 period.

Three communes in Ninh Thuan province were in this list, namely Phuoc Dinh of Thuan Nam district, and An Hai and Phuoc Hai of Ninh Phuoc district.

Located in coastal sandbank and insular areas, these communes have harsh natural conditions while being vulnerable to natural disasters. 

They also have special disadvantages regarding certain criteria, including poverty rate, access to clean water and electricity, and status of basic infrastructure facilities.

The communes will receive support to develop under the national target programme on sustainable poverty reduction between 2016 and 2020.

Workshop brings Poland’s cinema closer to Vietnamese audiences

At the workshop 

Poland’s cinema as well as cooperation between Vietnam and Poland in this field was the main focus of a workshop in Hanoi on October 28. 

The workshop, themed “Country in focus: Polish cinema,” was held within the framework of the fifth Hanoi International Film Festival (HNIFF) that kicked off at the Cultural Friendship Palace on October 27. 

Vietnam and Poland signed cooperation agreements in the cinema industry in December 2017 which are expected to help promote Vietnamese culture and experience exchange between the two countries. 

Nhue Giang, a Vietnamese director, said Vietnam and Poland would further collaboration in the cinema sector as Vietnam boasts beautiful landscapes and diverse culture. 

The list of Polish movies to be screened during the festival was also introduced at the workshop, including Ashes and Diamonds, Nights and Days, The Promised Land, The Pianists, Tatarak, One Way Ticket to the Moon, Plan B and Silent Night. 

The 5th HANIFF features 147 outstanding films from nearly 50 countries and territories, including more than 40 films of Vietnam. Many of them have never been screened at other Asian film festivals.

Aside from entries vying for awards, the biennial event also has a non-competition section with outdoor film screenings, exchanges, and a fashion show.

Other activities include a project market, a script-writing camp, and an exhibition on filming locations in Vietnam.

The screenings take place at the National Cinema Centre (No. 87, Lang Ha street), the Thang Tam cinema (No.45, Hang Bai street), the Kim Dong cinema (No. 19, Hang Bai street) , and the BHD Star Vincom cinema (No. 2, Pham Ngoc Thach street).

Held by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Hanoi People’s Committee, the festival will last through October 31.