Vietnam becomes the 59th member of CIGRE

The Executive Board of CIGRE Vietnam made its debut in Da Nang on November 7, making CIGRE Vietnam the 59 th member of the International Council On Large Electric Systems.

Founded in 1921 in France, CIGRE is an international non-profit organisation that promotes collaboration between experts all around the world by sharing knowledge and working together to improve electric power systems.

According to Dang Hung, Chairman of the Vietnam Electricity Association, Vietnam first joined CIGRE in 1992 when the country built its 500kV transmission grid.

However, due to limited funds, CIGRE Vietnam had to stop its operations in 2009, he added.

Speaking at the event, Kyoichi Uehara, Secretary of the Japanese National Committee of CIGRE (JNC), explained that as part of the 2013 framework of CIGRE’s Asia Oceanic Regional Committee (AORC), JNC worked with Vietnam to restore CIGRE Vietnam’s operations, which included developing plans; operating electricity systems; and designing, building and using high voltage equipment.

Kyoichi Uehara highlighted the increase in the number of CIGRE members, with Asian members accounting for a quarter. CIGRE currently has 58 national committees and 16 research committees.

He said Vietnam was invited to attend the AORC technical meeting in Sabah, Malaysia in August 2015.

Indonesian cargo ship catches fire at Haiphong port

An Indonesian cargo ship Cosmic 9 suddenly erupted in flames, disabling the ship, after docking at Thuong Ly General Oil Depot, Cam River, Haiphong city at 3.40am on November 8.

The 16-crew member ship, transporting asphalt, was waiting for port procedures at the time of the incident.

A fire engine, local firefighters and 20 other soldiers were called in to put out the blaze, which took hours to get under control. There are no reports of injuries.

The cause of the accident is under investigation.

The 7th Innovative Youth Festival kicked off in Ho Chi Minh City on November 8, attracting the participation of thousands of students.

The 2014 Festival, organised by the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union, aims to honour individuals with outstanding achievements in line with the “Innovative Youth” movement.

It also seeks to promote creativity among young people and encourage them to tackle new and difficult challenges in applying modern technologies.

According to the organising board, over 130 projects from 41 provinces were nominated for the two-day festival.

Many activities were planned to take place during the festival, such as seminars for the Innovative Youth participants to meet with scientists and managers within the field, as well as informative conferences and display of products.

The event is expected to receive over 20 thousands visitors, mostly students.

Memorial service for traffic fatalities

Vinh Nghiem pagoda in Ho Chi Minh City hosted a memorial service for the victims of fatal traffic accidents on November 9, attracting thousands of Buddhist monks, nuns, believers and relatives of traffic accident victims.

In his speech,  Minister of Transport Dinh La Thang called on agencies at all levels, organisations, and members to raise awareness on regulations on traffic safety and order, and share the grief suffered by the victims’ families.

Thich Thien Nhon, Acting Chairman of the VBS Executive Committee, called upon traffic participants to abide by traffic laws and drive carefully to prevent accidents.

Road accidents kill 1.3 million people every year in the world and the figure is forecast to hit 1.8-1.9 million in the near future.

As many as 9,000 people die in road accidents every year in Vietnam  (nearly 25 fatalities per day). According to NTSC statistics, during the first 10 months of the year, road accidents left 7,000 people dead and injured.

The event, jointly organised by the National Traffic Safety Committee (NTSC) and the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha (VBS), is part of the World Day of Remembrance for Victims of Road Traffic Accidents, which falls on the third Sunday of November.

Thousands of people join Hanoi Run For Children 2014

Thousands of residents and members of international community in Hanoi gathered at the gate of the Reunification Park on November 9 for a charitable run around the Thien Quang Lake to raise funds to treat underprivileged children with cancer and heart disease and support local hospitals.

The annual event is co-organised by the Embassy of Canada to Vietnam, the Vietnam-Canada Friendship Association (VCFA) and others.

“People’s support of and participation in events such as this Hanoi Run for Children contribute to the assurance of a stronger and healthier future generation for Vietnam. Every child in this country deserves to be strong and healthy, and together we can make that happen," said Ambassador of Canada to Vietnam David Devine at the opening ceremony.

Meanwwhile, Vice President of the Vietnam-Canada Friendship Association Nguyen Thuy Anh emphasized that the Hanoi Run For Children 2014 is a fine manifestation of the community to strengthen people-to-people links, and promote mutual understanding and friendhip between the Vietnamese and Canadian peoples as well as international friends.

Established in 2000 (formerly known as the Terry Fox Run Hanoi before a change of format in 2009), the event is recognized as a popular corporate/family team building activity that promotes social responsibility while raising awareness about healthcare issues in Vietnam.

So far, the Run has raised more than VND4 billion to support poor children. In 2013 alone, it drew the participation of 5,000 people and received a donation of over VND1 billion to assist underprivileged children with cancer and congenital heart disease.

Four die in Lang Son karaoke bar blaze

Four people died in a fire at a three-storey karaoke bar in the northern province of Lang Son's Lang Son City yesterday.

According to the local police, the victims were a couple, their four-month-old baby and a 32-year-old man.

The fire reportedly started on the second floor, before spreading to the third floor.

Five fire trucks and more than 100 firefighters were deployed to extinguish the blaze. They also rescued nine people from the site of the fire.

The case is being investigated further.

Ha Noi road plan to be reviewed

A 1.5km road connecting Nguyen Van Cu Street in Ha Noi's Long Bien District to the left bank of the Red River would waste millions of dollars if built according to plan, Viet Nam Television reported on Wednesday.

Local citizens said the project was designed to cross over a residential area in a U-shape instead of cutting through a patch of nearby agricultural land, even though the latter plan would save the State millions of dollars in compensation and relocation costs.

"Moving one household costs between US$100,000 and US$250,000. Moving a hundred households would cost the State millions of dollars," said local resident Vo Van Ba.

In light of the report, the Ha Noi People's Committee organised a meeting on Thursday to discuss the project with the city's Department of Planning and Architecture, Institute of Construction Planning, Department of Transport and the Long Bien People's Committee.

Modifying the road to avoid crossing over the residential area would affect the planning for the whole area, requiring other projects to be adjusted, deputy director of the city's Department of Planning and Architecture Ngo Quy Tuan told Ha Noi Moi (New Ha Noi) newspaper.

The road is part of an urban planning project approved by the city's authority in 2005 and approved by the Government in 2011.

Chairman of the city People's Committee Nguyen The Thao ordered the Long Bien People's Committee to co-operate with the above agencies to review the trajectory of the new road and report the result to the city's authority before November 15.

Cao Dai churches discuss future plans

The union of Cao Dai churches and organisations held a meeting on Saturday in the Mekong Delta province of Ben Tre to review operations over the past five years and make plans for the future.

The event was attended by Dinh Quang Tien, deputy head of the Cao Dai Department at the Government Committee for Religious Affairs, representatives from the boards of religious affairs in Ben Tre, Tien Giang, Long An and Tay Ninh provinces, as well as dignitaries and followers from 16 Cao Dai organisations nationwide.

Tien lauded the effective operations of the union, saying they had come up with a new, unique management model. He urged leaders of Cao Dai churches to work more towards strengthening solidarity and unity in the union.

Noting that the Government Committee for Religious Affairs plans to gather feedback on the Law on Religion in 2015, he said Cao Dai churches and organisations should give their opinions on its provisions.

Over the past five years, the Cao Dai churches and organisations have actively participated in various social and charity activities, raising over VND177.6 billion (US$8.4 million) for the needy, and worked with the State in ensuring social welfare and reducing poverty, the meeting heard.

Participants agreed on the union's future orientations, including stepping up efforts to help poor people and joining the Government's programmes to reduce poverty and build new-style rural areas.

Da Nang starts building new library

The Da Nang Culture, Sports and Tourism department started work a new municipal library building on Saturday.

The two-storey building, designed by Korean firm Jina Architecture, will be built on 7,200sq.m area with a total investment of VND42.5 billion (US$2 million).

It's scheduled to complete next August.

Ha Noi residents get eye check-ups

The Ha Noi Department of Health will provide eye check-ups for about 10,000 people aged 45 and above in the capital city's Quoc Oai district until September 2015, in co-ordination with Helen Keller International (HKI).

The activity is part of an HKI project helping vision entrepreneurs by establishing community-based eye care systems in rural communities. It is funded by Grand Challenges Canada.

HKI will train visual professionals to perform screenings and conduct communication activities to raise public awareness about vision deterioration.

Disabled kids get free surgery in Son La

Provincial authorities and the Centre for Vietnamese Disabled Children paid for 150 disabled ethnic minority children's surgeries in the northern mountainous province of Son La between November 3 and 10.

The provincial Department of Labour, War Invalids and Social Affairs; the centre; and the provincial General Hospital collaborated to provide the surgery.

The procedures cost about VND1.5 million (US$70) per patient, and are covered by health insurance. The beneficiaries also receive VND300,000 ($14) from the National Fund for Vietnamese Children.

KLF and EBG sign vocational training agreement

KLF Joint Venture Investment International JSC (KLF) on November 6 signed a strategic partnership agreement for quality vocational training with the European Association for Vocational and Social Education (EBG).

The agreement marks the first step that KLF has taken to expand its presence in the European Union.

Under the agreement, KLF will become EBG's private partner in providing quality vocational training in the nursing, mechanics, welder and construction sectors for Vietnamese citizens who have completed their basic training in Viet Nam.

During the first phase, trainees will take vocational and foreign language courses in Viet Nam. After completing these courses, the trainees will undergo further training in Germany and other European countries. The certification they will receive after completing each course will make them eligible for employment in the EU job market.

Training for the pilot nursing and welder sectors will begin at the start of next year.

At the signing ceremony, Tran Thi My Lan, a KLF management board member, said the company expected to become one of the leaders in providing quality vocational training in Viet Nam.

Lan added that the co-operation agreement with EBG would create opportunities for aspiring Vietnamese workers to get basic vocational and language training.

KLF aims to provide human resources to high-class markets in the EU such as Germany, Slovakia and Austria.

Bernhard Beckmann, EBG managing director, said EBG viewed the partnership as an opportunity to expand vocational training activities to provide quality human resources to developed countries.

KLF has operated in several sectors, including trade, services, health care and education, and has paid much attention to international co-operation in education and training to be able to offer quality resources.

EBG has 36 vocational training centres in Germany and other countries across the globe and has implemented several big projects with the help of the European Association of Institutes for Vocational Training, as well as vocational training centres in the EU, China, Russia and Slovakia.

Effective environmental sanitation programme

The outcomes of a 8-year environmental sanitation programme in coastal cities were reviewed during a conference held in Nha Trang City, the central province of Khanh Hoa, on November 7.

The programme, funded by the World Bank (WB) with a total investment of US$248.9 million, has demonstrated a number of positive environmental results, such as upgraded canals and lakes, a cleaner coastline and tidier streets, fewer floods, and reduced water pollution.

According to Le Duy Hung, the WB representative in Vietnam, since the programme was launched in December 2006, implementation progressed at a steady rate.

Speaking at the conference, Deputy Minister of Planning and Investment Nguyen Chi Dung stressed the need to continue the programme in a sustainable manner.

Administrative officials from participating cities in the central region, including Nha Trang, Dong Hoi City (Quang Binh province) and Quy Nhon (Binh Dinh province), proposed extra funding of US$119 million from the WB to improve sewage systems, wastewater processing facilities and landfills.

The environmental sanitation measures implemented by the programme include controlling floods; collecting wastewater; managing solid waste; constructing wastewater treatment plants; building water and sanitation facilities at schools; and providing technical assistance during project implementation as well as capacity building for service providers and other stakeholders.

Rehearsal procedures for treating suspected Ebola

A drill on response measures, quarantine and treatment for suspected Ebola patients was jointly organised by the Ministry of Health (MoH) and the National Hospital for Tropical Disease in Hanoi on November 7.

The event was attended by leaders of hospitals in Hanoi, ministry officials, and representatives of the northern provincial health departments.

The drill scenario entailed the discovery of a suspected Ebola patient at Noi Bai International Airport and the subsequent transport to the National Hospital for Tropical Disease in an ambulance.

As the scenario unfolded, an isolation area was set up at the hospital from which all staff and other patients were removed.

The scenario called for the careful application of the MoH instructions on decontamination, diagnosis, testing, consultation, patient care and corpse handling.

Deputy Minister of Health Nguyen Thi Xuyen called upon all provincial health departments to organise similar drills in order to assess response times and ensure the correct and timely implementation of ministry guidelines to prevent the spread of the deadly virus.

Ebola is a fatal virus often characterised by the sudden onset of a fever, severe weakness, muscle pain, headaches and a sore throat. So far, no cases of infection have been reported in Vietnam.

Vietnam active at ITU plenary session

As a representative of the Asia-Pacific Telecommunity (APT), Vietnam presented five regional proposals at the 19th International Telecommunication Union (ITU) plenary session, which concluded in Busan, the Republic of Korea on November 7.

According to Deputy Minister of Information and Communications Le Nam Thang, head of the Vietnamese delegation, Vietnam’s proposals to narrow the digital standard gap between countries and develop specific criteria and data on telecommunications development were both approved by ITU members.

Addressing the closing ceremony, RoK official Min Won-Ki, who chaired the event, hailed the high level of consensus between member countries, with 71 resolutions approved, including 21 new ones.

Earlier, representatives of 150 member countries signed the minutes of the plenary session, focusing on strategic policy orientations for developing information technology and telecommunications around the world in 2015-2019.

The next event will be held in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in 2018.

The ITU comprises 193 member states, including Vietnam . A plenary session is held every four years to review the implementation of the action plan for the previous term and devise policies and strategies for the next term.

North-western steering committee awarded Order of Labour

The Steering Committee for the North-Western Region, a think tank for the Party and State, has been awarded the Order of Labour, second class, by the President in honour of its dedication to regional development.

The committee received the Order at a ceremony in the northern mountainous province of Yen Bai on November 8 to celebrate the 10 th anniversary of its founding.

Addressing the guests, Deputy Prime Minister and head of the committee Nguyen Xuan Phuc pushed for more regional socio-economic development in an effort to gradually narrow the wealth gap between this region and others.

In order to achieve this, the committee should partner with localities to boost rural development and apply advanced technologies in production, he added.

Phuc also suggested shifting to high-yield crop and livestock varieties, while calling for more investment in socio-cultural services.

Last year, the region recorded an annual per capita income of 21.5 million VND (1,000 USD), up by 6.3 percent since 2004. Industrial production generated more than 74 trillion VND (3.5 billion USD) in turnover.

France-Vietnam Golf Association founded

The France-Vietnam Golf Association officially made debut in France on November 8.

A ceremony to announce the association’s establishment and give award to winners of the first golf tournament was held in Disneyland golf course, about 40km east of Paris.

The first tournament held by the France-Vietnam Golf Association attracted 86 Vietnamese golfers from France, the Czech Republic, Hungary and Vietnam.

Addressing the event, President of the France-Vietnam Golf Association and Director of the Vietnam Airlines representative office in Europe Le Dung committed that next year the association will organize diverse activities to connect Vietnamese with French and other international golfers.

Many Vietnamese-owned travel agencies in France have actively assisted the association. At the event, a tour called “Along the Mekong River” was offered to golfers from Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia.

A lucky draw with many exciting prizes also took place. The biggest prize-a Vietnam Airlines ticket on Paris-Hanoi or Paris-Ho Chi Minh City flight was awarded to a member of the Vietnamese Entrepreneurs Association in France.

Vietnam attends ASEAN friendship bowling tournament in Egypt

The ASEAN friendship bowling tournament 2014 was held in Cairo, Egypt on November 8, attracting 8 ambassadors and 64 staff of ASEAN diplomatic missions including Vietnam.

After three hours of competition, the first prizes in men’s and women’s individual events went to the Philippines.

Thai ambassador to Egypt Peerasak Chantavarin came first in the ambassador category.

Vietnam won two first prizes in men’s team event.

The event is within the framework of annual activities to strengthen exchanges and mutual understanding in the lead-up to the establishment of the ASEAN Community in 2015.

The organizing board said that the ASEAN Cairo ping-pong friendship tournament 2014 would take place in mid-December.

Hanoi seminar discusses urban planning

A conference on regional urban planning was held in Hanoi on November 7, bringing together approximately 400 experts from Japan, the Republic of Korea, Taiwan and Vietnam.

Speaking at the event, Deputy Minister of Construction Phan Thi My Linh said Vietnam is undergoing a rapid urbanisation process alongside the establishment of important economic areas, incuding the northern key economic zone with Hanoi at its centre and the southern key economic zone with Ho Chi Minh City at its heart.

In addition, a number of cities, such as northern Hai Phong city, Central Da Nang city and the Mekong Delta city of Can Tho, are developing rapidly and are greatly attractive to investors, contributing remarkably to the nation’s economic growth.

Linh highlighted the need to conduct further research on urban planning in order to ensure sustainable development, adding that the seminar provided an opportunity to learn from the opinions of domestic and international experts on urban planning in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City in the future.

According to Tran Ngoc Chinh, President of the Vietnam Urban Planning and Development Association, Vietnam is working on the planning of the two most important urban areas in the nation’s socio-economic development - Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.

Norihiro Nakai, President of Japan’s Urban Planning and Development Association highlighted the role played by urban planning and development associations since they served as channels for countries to share information and experiences in the field, contributing to the promotion of urban area planning in each respective country.

Participants discussed a number of issues, including socio-economic and development planning, regional territory planning, technical infrastructure and transport planning, environmental protection plans and natural resource management, and regional planning and development management.

Hanoi aims to become a green and clean city by 2030, including the elimination of environmental pollution in the inner-city area, according to a recent plan approved by the municipal People’s Committee.

Meanwhile, Ho Chi Minh City plans to expand the integrated political administrative centre to District 2's Thu Thiem urban zone in a new administrative area which will span more than 700ha.

A Vietnamese doctorate holder has been working on his project to build a low-cost 3D printer in the past three years.

3D printing or additive manufacturing (AM) refers to any of the various processes for printing a three-dimensional object.

These objects can be of almost any shape or geometry, and are produced from a 3D model or other electronic data source. A 3D printer is a type of industrial robot.

However, the cost of the device remains high.

Le Truong Son, a doctorate holder in Physics from Brown University- a member of the Ivy League in the U.S.- returned to Vietnam in 2012 after six years studying abroad.

He brought with him loads of components of his 3D printer’s original version and cherished his dream of mass-producing the device.

After consulting several local producers, Son, now 32, faced his first thorny problem that the cost of the device wouldn’t be reasonable enough to be mass produced in Vietnam.

He said that the machine would cost US$600-700 apiece, which was as expensive as those in the U.S., as the sophisticated plastic components remained costly to build in Vietnam.

Unable to mass produce the printer then, Son produced and sold its chips in the U.S. through eBay. His childhood friend helped with the chip production in Vietnam.

His chip sales took off instantly, earning him over US$10,000 only after a few months.

However, it soon met fierce competition from Chinese-made copycats.

One week after his chip was posted on eBay, a Chinese producer launched an identical copycat for a lower price.

“My original design had a small defect, which I later fixed. The copycat has exactly that defect. Until now I have no idea how my design got leaked,” Son said.

When he lowered his price to $80 from the initial $100, the Chinese producer offered their product at $60.

Son finally fixed his price at $70, which he considered reasonable to ensure profitability.

The young man shared that as netizens had also joined in his chip design and production by contributing their designs and initiatives, he thought it wouldn’t be right if he adopt a patent for his invention.

“I don’t really mind if people fake my products. One of the inventor’s edges over the forger is that the latter is always one or two versions behind the former,” Son stressed.

Six months ago, he decided to suspend his chip sales after 15 months, though the earnings were quite good, to devote all his time to the pursuit of a complete low-cost 3D printer.

Son, who comes from northern Vietnam’s Ha Nam Province, studied and lectured in physics at Hanoi University of Science and Technology before studying in the U.S.’s prestigious Brown University on a scholarship for a doctoral degree.

In 2011, while he was studying there, Son was drawn immediately to his university’s costly 3D printer as the device can produce anything the user can think of and desire.

“The device’s greatest strength is its incredible personalization. What we need is to give it input and designs,” he added.

The man came up with his first version of a 3D printer around October 2012.  

“It dawned on me that there’s plenty of room for growth regarding the 3D printer. I then set my mind on building a low-cost one, which costs around $300-500 and can be mass produced both in the U.S. and Vietnam. The low-cost, high-quality device can bring about a revolution in making it accessible to families,” he shared about his dream.

In his house in Gaithersburg north of Washington DC, a room, which is used as his lab, is packed with printer frames.

Son shared that he has produced five versions of his dream printer, with the later ones boasting higher quality and being capable of producing elaborated items.

His model is one of the world’s most compact 3D printers now.

He even printed the components of his later printer versions on his former ones.

Son gladly shared he’s about to operate his latest version on a piloting basis.

Some potential investors have contacted him.

He is planning to launch his finished product on Amazon and eBay by the end of this month.

Apart from his ceaseless passion for applied science and experimentation, Son, who is working at the U.S.’s National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), is also a great camping and yachting enthusiast.

One of his other dreams is to maneuver his own yacht from the U.S. back to his home country.

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