Traffic congestion in Hanoi.

 Deputy Prime Minister Trần Lưu Quang highlighted that restricting the use of personal vehicles in major cities and encouraging the use of public transportation would be the key solutions to achieve the sustainable goal of reducing traffic accidents and alleviating traffic congestion.

This would help build a safe, convenient, and eco-friendly transportation system, he said on Thursday at the conference on implementing Directive No23-CT/TW issued by the Party Central Committee’s Secretariat.

The hybrid conference took place at the Ministry of Public Security’s hall, with more than 35,000 on-site and online participants at 63 localities nationwide.

In his opening speech, General Tô Lâm, Minister of Public Security stated that the Party Central Committee’s Secretariat of the 13th tenure issued Directive No 23-CT/TW on May 25 on ensuring traffic order and safety on roads, railways and inland waterways and overcoming traffic jams.

Lâm emphasised that the Party and State have paid great attention to the management and development of transportation. The Party Central Committee’s Secretariat has issued directives on ensuring traffic order and safety every ten years, in 2003, 2012, and 2023.

Over the 11 years since Directive 18, the people’s compliance with traffic laws has undergone a clear transformation, leading to a significant decrease in the number of deaths, injuries, and losses caused by traffic accidents.

“In 2022, there was a decrease of about 3,000 deaths compared to 2012. In the first six months of this year alone, there has been a decrease of 548 deaths due to traffic accidents compared to the same period of last year,” he said.

However, the recent developments have not yet met the requirements. The situation of traffic order and safety remains complicated with serious losses caused by traffic accidents.

Over the past ten years, Việt Nam has experienced an average of 20,000 traffic accidents each year, resulting in 7,000 deaths and 16,000 injuries. Of that, about 70 per cent of the victims were of the working-age population, leaving severe consequences for society.

The minister stressed that the State management of traffic order and safety in some localities still had shortcomings, with unclear responsibilities in each sector, leading to reduced effectiveness and efficiency.

Lâm said although the number of accidents, deaths and injuries in 2022 saw a decrease of 37 per cent, 29 per cent and 44 per cent, respectively, compared to those of 2012, the situation of traffic order and safety still remained complex.

Major General Nguyễn Văn Long, Deputy Minister of Public Security stated that there are many cases of serious violations of traffic laws, especially those involving the use of alcohol resulting in fatal accidents or resistance against duty officers.

The State management of traffic order and safety in certain areas, such as the operation of driving training centres and vehicle register centres, remained ineffective.

The issuance of legal documents regarding the work of ensuring traffic order and safety also had shortcomings and a lack of consistency in clearing State management’s responsibilities among ministries and sectors.

Traffic congestion occurs daily during peak hours in major urban areas, major national routes, highways, and entrances to large cities.

In particular, Long said, resistance against duty officers caused severe consequences. As many as 362 cases have been recorded in the past ten years, killing four police and injuring 194 others.

At the conference, Deputy PM Quang discussed measures to effectively implement the goals of Directive No 23-CT/TW set by the Party Central Committee.

The Party Central Committee requested party committees at all levels, local authorities, the Fatherland Front, and political and social organisations to focus on six groups of key solutions outlined in Directive No 23.

Firstly, it was necessary to strengthen leadership, guidance, and supervision to strictly implement the Party's guidelines, policies, and laws regarding ensuring traffic order and safety.

Second, the legal system should be improved while responsibilities in State management of transportation should be clearly defined.

Communication, dissemination, and legal education needed to be strengthened to raise awareness and responsibility of officials, party members, and the public regarding traffic order and safety.

The State management authorities should focus on resources for building and developing transportation infrastructure, promoting the application of science, technology, and international cooperation in the field of transportation.

They must enhance management capacity and cooperation among forces in ensuring traffic order and safety. In particular, they should prioritise investment in public transportation and eco-friendly public vehicles.

Finally, traffic congestion in key urban areas such as Hà Nội and HCM City must be addressed by developing dynamic transportation systems in big cities and limiting the use of personal vehicles.

Quang suggested that ministries, sectors, and local authorities develop appropriate plans and clearly assign responsibilities and conduct regular inspections to ensure traffic order and safety in the new situation. 

Ca Mau to offer more unique tourism products

The southernmost province of Ca Mau, home to many mangrove forests and large colonies three-striped crabs, welcomed more than 1.16 million tourists in the first half of this year, up nearly 36.18% year-on-year, the provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism said on July 6.

The locality earned 1.52 trillion VND (63.98 million USD) from the tourism sector in the six months, a rise of about 33% from the same period last year.

Director of the department Tran Hieu Hung said his agency has paid attention to tourism promotion in general and domestic tourism stimulation in particular with an array of activities, including the launch of the Ca Mau-Hanoi air route, and the Ca Mau-Nam Du-Phu Quoc express boat service.

However, the official said, local tourism development has still been hindered by poor infrastructure and lodging and catering services, limited unique tourism products, and personnel-related issues.

Given this, the locality will continue with the planning of the Ca Mau Cape national tourist site, a project on local tourism development by 2025 with a vision towards 2030, and upgrading its tourism portal, Hung noted.

Diverse tourism stimulation events will also be held, and more unique products are expected to be popularised to domestic and foreign visitors in the time ahead, he said.

Highlighting the “Ca Mau-Destination 2023” programme, the official said there will be a shrimp festival, a marathon tournament and other activities within the programme.

Apart from upgrading relic sites and promoting cultural heritage, the department will work as an advisor for the provincial People’s Committee in seeking the national intangible cultural heritage status for the trade of making dried shrimp.   

If recognised, this will be the fifth intangible cultural heritage of the province, after Don ca tai tu (traditional music of southern Vietnam), gac keo ong (luring bees to build nests on sloping wooden poles and apiculture in the wild), muoi ba khia (the making of three-striped crab sauce) in Rach Goc, and nghe thuat nhac trong lon (a traditional drum performance).

Foreign Minister appreciates ambassador’s contributions to Vietnam - EU ties

Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son on July 6 received outgoing Ambassador Giorgio Aliberti, head of the European Union (EU) Delegation to Vietnam, appreciating his guest’s active role and effective contributions to the Vietnam - EU comprehensive partnership and cooperation.

Congratulating Aliberti on fulfilling his term from 2019 to 2023 in Vietnam, Minister Son highly valued the EU and its member countries’ donation of vaccine and medical supplies amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Vietnam attaches great importance to and wishes to enhance relations with the EU, one of its most important partners, he affirmed.

The official also spoke highly of the EU’s role in promoting the establishment of the Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP) between Vietnam and international partners. He called on the bloc to continue helping Vietnam implement cooperation in this regard while accelerating the ratification of the EU - Vietnam Investment Protection Agreement (EVIPA) by the remaining member countries’ parliaments to help make new breakthroughs in bilateral economic ties.

At the meeting, both host and guest noted with satisfaction that the Vietnam - EU relations have been growing strongly in such areas as politics - diplomacy, defence - security, science - technology, cyber-security, education - training, and climate change response. They agreed to maintain mutual visits and meetings at all levels, especially high levels.

The enforcement of the EU - Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) since August 2020 has helped turn the EU into the fifth largest trading partner and investor of Vietnam. Bilateral trade has increased continually, reaching 62.2 billion USD in 2022, up 14.2% from the previous year. The EU is currently the biggest supplier of official development assistance (ODA) for the country, according to the officials.

For his part, Aliberti thanked the Foreign Ministry, other ministries, sectors, and localities of Vietnam for supporting activities of the EU Delegation and himself during his term.

Echoing his host’s view on bilateral relations, he thanked Vietnam’s donation of medical supplies to EU countries in the early stage of the COVID-19 pandemic and also spoke highly of the country’s culture of solidarity with and support for the international community amid trying times.

Perceiving that the Southeast Asian nation is a regional pioneer in green and energy transition, the ambassador affirmed that the EU will step up implementing the policies on cooperation with the region, and the JETP that the EU acts as the coordinator between Vietnam and partner countries.

The EU treasures the development of relations with Vietnam on the basis of political trust, intensive and extensive economic connections, and huge cooperation potential, particularly in new development fields and trends of the world like energy and green transition, to help reach the Sustainable Development Goals, he noted.

He held that Vietnam has made great efforts to secure the EVFTA, a stepping stone for bilateral cooperation, and that the EU has also recommended its member countries ratify the EVIPA early to foster multi-faceted ties.

The diplomat also suggested both sides soon build a plan to mobilise resources for the JETP implementation in order to create conditions for expanding partnerships in investment, business, and sustainable development.

He pledged that in his new positions, he will keep contributing to the enhancement of the Vietnam - EU comprehensive partnership and cooperation.

Hanoi’s district develops tourism in agriculture and craft villages

Gia Lam district, located at the gateway to the east of Hanoi, has developed new tourism practices involving agriculture and craft villages.

The move is thanks to the area's strong tradition of craft villages converging from generation to generation as well as its proximity to the beautiful landscapes along the Hong (Red) River and Duong River.

Nguyen Xuan Hung, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Hiep Thu Agricultural Development and Commercial Service Cooperative, said that while following the National Target Programme on building new-style rural areas in the district, the cooperative has also deployed tourism services in agricultural production and environment by investing in the construction of Phu Dong Green Park - an ecological zone with a scale of 15.6 ha in Phu Dong commune.

Initially, the cooperative only wanted to deploy a project to treat waste from cows by raising earthworms to protect the environment, he said.

Tran Xuan Tinh, Chairman of the People's Committee of Phu Dong commune, said the project on developing agricultural production under specialised agricultural areas in the commune has led to it converting dozens of hectares of inefficient rice fields to planting fruit trees, flowers, ornamental plants, gardens and ponds.

The commune has also grown an eggplant garden associated with the legend of Saint Gióng and a vegetable production area in Dong Vien village, he said.

Saint Giong, one of Vietnam's four 'immortal heroes,' was a little boy from Hanoi's Phu Dong village who helped bring peace to the country by defeating the An invaders in the 6th Hung King Dynasty. According to legend, Saint Giong's mother put her feet on God's footsteps in an eggplant garden and then gave birth to Saint Giong.

In Bat Trang commune, already famous for its ceramic village, the Chairman of the People's Committee said since 2020, they have operated tourism products such as a cycling tour from the inner city to the commune and a tour connecting it several destinations from Hung Yen province.

Cycling tours have voice narration in Vietnamese and English for tourists. The tour is very popular among foreign tourists currently, he said.

In addition, the commune has continued to decorate local streets, calling on households to design beautiful shops with flowers creating a green and clean landscape for tourists, he added.

It is estimated that the commune welcomes about 3,000-5,000 tourists every weekend thanks to the development of activities in the area, he said.

Phung Thi Hoai Huong, Head of the district’s Culture and Information Office, said it has great potential to develop more agriculture and craft villages which will subsequently further boost tourism.

The district will continue to develop key tourism products, which will focus on three key areas, she said.

The three areas consist of the Hong (Red) River area with tourist attractions including Kim Lan Ceramic Village, Bat Trang Ceramic Village and Van Duc agricultural experience; the area around the Duong River with spiritual and cultural tourism at Nguyen Phi Y Lan Temple, and the home of the poet Cao Ba Quat in Phu Thi commune. There's also a manmade beach in the Ocean Park gated community, riverside experiences in Kim Son commune; and the Saint Giong Temple and Ninh Hiep traditional medicine village.

Ta Van Tuong, Deputy Director of the city’s Agriculture and Rural Development Department, said that the growth of agriculture and craft villages is a new direction that is improving the income of people in rural areas, as well as developing the rural economy. 

Nguyen Van Chi, Deputy Chief of the New Rural Development Programme’s Coordination Office in Hanoi, said that developing agriculture and craft villages in association with tourism is now popular with many localities, including Gia Lam district.

The operation of agricultural tourism, craft villages, and educational experiences boosts the cultural value of each locality has gradually created more jobs and brought stable incomes for people in rural areas, he said.

In Gia Lam district, preserving and promoting the value of traditional craft villages is given significant attention by local administration, he said.

Traditional craft villages such as Kieu Kỵ Gold Laminating and Gilding Craft Village, Kim Lan Ceramic Village, and Bat Trang Ceramic Village have generated value and ensured sustainable tourism development, he said.

From positive innovations in the development of agriculture and craft villages, the district is expected to become an attractive destination for domestic and foreign tourists.

Renowned painter's life and work explored in new bilingual book

A bilingual book featuring the life and career of the late artist Trịnh Hữu Ngọc (1912 - 1997), a graduate of the Indochina College of Fine Arts in the early 20th century, has been published by Omega Plus and Fine Arts Publishing House.

Entitled Họa Sỹ Trịnh Hữu Ngọc – Di Sản Đặc Biệt Của Mỹ thuật Đông Dương (Special Legacy of Franco –Indochinese Fine Arts), the publication is written by artist Trịnh Lữ as a dedication to his father, an artist who made tireless contributions to the fields of painting and interior design in Việt Nam

The 400-page English-Vietnamese bilingual book includes some 600 images and paintings and is divided into three sections - Life and Career, Special Legacy, Commentary and Remembrance.

The author has skillfully depicted not only the character and intellectual progress of Ngọc during a time of significant change in Vietnamese society but also highlighted his contributions to his homeland during both war and the period of social transformation, despite the challenges and hardships he faced in his personal life and career.

As a graduate of the Indochina College of Fine Arts, the artist utilised his expertise and creativity not only in painting and researching unique techniques for creating Vietnamese lacquer paintings, but also in other fields of art.

He achieved great success and recognition in collaboration with MÉMO Ébénisterie wood workshop, his illustrations for the book Hoa Xuân and Trỉ Tân newspaper. Readers will see that Ngọc’s career was closely tied to applied arts, enriching the lives of Vietnamese people with his own ideas and contributions.

His unique career was guided by the principles of Zen, Virtue, and Beauty, with a prime example being the practice of Zen Painting, which involves using the "eyes to see and the hands to paint." This philosophy is clearly reflected in the extensive collection of works featured in this book.

Readers will experience not only Ngọc’s painting techniques and artistic mindset but also compare and contrast his works with the styles and techniques of his respected teachers such as Victor Tardieu, Joseph Inguimberty, and Alix Aymé. Through this comparison, they can understand why the celebrated artist is considered a special legacy of Indochina Fine Arts.

On the occasion of the book's release, a talk and book introduction event will be held on July 7 at the National Archives Centre I, 5 Vũ Phạm Hàm Street, Cầu Giấy District. The event will be attended by guest speakers including author-artist Trịnh Lữ, art researcher Phạm Long, artist-researcher Trần Hậu Yên Thế, artist Lương Xuân Đoàn and researcher Vũ Huy Thông.

Painter Trinh Lữ, whose real is Trịnh Hữu Tuấn, was born in Hà Nội in 1948. He inherited his love for art from his father, the late painter Trịnh Hữu Ngọc, and his mother, artist Nguyễn Thị Khang. He has pursued and achieved success in various fields from painting, writing, translation, and consulting on communication development.

Expanding payment mechanisms for ecosystem services to bolster conservation efforts

In a bid to enhance the conservation and restoration of natural ecosystems and diverse wildlife within the country, the application of payment mechanisms for environmental services rendered by forests is being recommended for broader ecosystems.

Trần Thị Thu Hà, a member of the Vietnamese Academy of Forest Sciences, which falls under the management of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, said that these payment methodologies could effectively stimulate and harness resources for this vital cause.

According to Hà, the efficacy of such payment schemes for ecosystem services has been proven through their successful implementation in forest ecosystems across Việt Nam.

The Forest Protection and Development Fund has been instrumental in deploying the payment for forest environmental services model. This approach has facilitated resource augmentation for the forestry sector, bolstered revenue streams for forests, lightened the fiscal burden on the State, enhanced the effectiveness of forest protection and development efforts, and fostered income and livelihood avenues for communities residing in mountainous regions, explained Hà.

In light of these accomplishments, she emphasises the importance of expanding this payment structure to encompass other ecosystem services. This would drive revenue generation for the conservation and restoration of ecosystems and wildlife species that are currently inadequately supported by the State's budget, she added.

Leveraging the knowledge gained from the application of payment mechanisms for forest environmental services, Việt Nam now sets its sight on extending this model to a variety of other ecosystems, such as marine and wetland environments, said Hà.

While the country has initiated similar programmes for these ecosystems, Hà highlighted that comprehensive payment mechanisms for their services remain absent.

To date, Việt Nam has incorporated payments for certain ecosystem services. These encompass fees for sightseeing within protected marine and wetland areas, a shared management model for aquatic resources, and the promotion of eco-friendly aquaculture practices within select coastal regions. These efforts have been facilitated through collaborations with international organisations and pertinent sectors, explained Hà.

However, she cautioned that the longevity of many such payment models is threatened due to a lack of a clear legal framework.

Amid this backdrop, environmental specialists have emphasised that the existing State budget is insufficient to meet the pressing needs of biodiversity conservation. They argue that the advent of new financial structures and policies is indispensable to draw additional resources. The active participation of local communities and the business sector is deemed crucial to fortify investment in biodiversity preservation.

It needs mechanisms for certificates and credits for biodiversity, mechanisms for accessing carbon credit markets, mechanisms for debt swaps for nature conservation, biodiversity, green bonds, green credits, and establishment of biodiversity funds such as funds for the conservation and restoration of ecosystems.

According to Đào Xuân Lai, who heads the Climate Change and Environment Unit at the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Việt Nam, payment for ecosystem services is globally acclaimed as an effective policy instrument for the management of natural resources, utilised with success in several countries worldwide.

Such programmes have been widely implemented across a diverse range of ecosystem services worldwide, encapsulating areas such as biodiversity conservation, watershed services, carbon sequestration, and landscape aesthetics, stated Lai.

He further noted that the collective annual value of ecosystem service payment programmes on a global scale is estimated to exceed a staggering US$36 billion.

Lai expressed optimism that the launch of initiatives to promote ecosystem services could significantly aid the revival and restoration of biodiversity and ecosystems within Việt Nam. He added that these initiatives could also provide tangible contributions towards the fulfilment of biodiversity targets that Việt Nam has pledged to achieve under the Global Biodiversity Framework. This framework was launched at the 15th Conference (COP15) of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity.

Nguyễn Đình Thọ, director of the Institute of Strategy and Policy on Natural Resources and Environment, said that as per Clause 1, Article 138 of the Law on Environmental Protection 2020, payment for natural ecosystem services implies that entities or individuals who utilise these services must remunerate those who facilitate environmental and landscape values created by such natural ecosystems.

Thọ explained that the funds thus accrued would be utilised to safeguard, sustain, and enhance the natural ecosystems.

Services provided by natural ecosystems that qualify for such payments encompass the environmental aspects of the forest ecosystem in alignment with forestry law, wetland ecosystems utilised for tourism, leisure, and aquaculture; marine ecosystems serving similar purposes; mountain ecosystems, caves, and geo-parks catering to tourism and entertainment; and natural ecosystems which facilitate carbon sequestration and storage.

He further clarified that the law unequivocally prescribes the modus operandi of payment for these natural ecosystem services. Accordingly, entities and individuals exploiting these services are obligated to pay directly to those providing these services, through a contractual agreement between the two parties.

For indirect payment scenarios, entities and individuals availing natural ecosystem services are required to remunerate the service providers via an entrusted model through the provincial environmental protection fund, or the Việt Nam Environmental Protection Fund in instances where a provincial fund is unavailable, he noted.

Mechanisation key to raise agricultural production value

The Red River Delta is still seeing a modest mechanisation rate in its agricultural production.

Authorities, experts and producers are looking for solutions to improve the situation and raise the production value of crops in the area.

According to the National Agriculture Extension Center (NAEC), mechanisation in rice production in the Red River Delta remains modest, mostly applied in tillage and irrigation (over 90 per cent), spraying pesticides and harvesting (80 per cent), and transportation (over 75 per cent).

The mechanisation rate is still low in using rice transplanter machines (12 per cent) and drying (20 per cent).

The Institute of Agricultural Engineering and Post-Harvest Technology (under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development) also said that right now, rice harvest storage is still being done at a small scale and scattered.

This is because most of the work is conducted by households, merchants and cooperatives.

Due to their limited capacity, the crops are kept in sub-standard storage, which leads to unsatisfactory quality and a high loss rate, according to the institute.

Meanwhile, the percentage of machine-dried crops remains low at 20 per cent.

Except for several industrial-scale rice milling and polishing companies with tower dryers, the rest are still using static flat-bed dryers or direct drying, which requires more workforce and affects quality.

The local mechanical industry currently meets about 33 per cent of the demand for agricultural production machinery in terms of types, quantity and quality.

While substantial policies and frameworks have been put in place, the mechanisation is still limited, due to inadequate resources, especially financial resource.

The existing infrastructure is also an obstacle to the comprehensive implementation of mechanisation.

The factors concerned include the scale, flatness and slope of each paddy field, as well as the irrigation system and the routes within the area.

Cost is also a major concern, as many people still have difficulty accessing loans without collateral, while support policies are not attractive enough for mechanical companies.

According to the Department of Cooperatives and Rural Development (DCRD), on average, 91 per cent of the total rice production land in Việt Nam is tilled with machinery.

This mechanisation rate is 21 per cent in planting, 80 per cent in irrigation, 53 per cent in fertilising, 59 per cent in harvesting, 29 per cent in drying and correct storing, and 78 per cent in transportation.

Statistics also show that the loss of crops during the harvest and post-harvest stages reaches up to 3.2 million tonnes per year, equivalent to US$760 million in worth.

During these processes, about 970,000 tonnes of crops ($233 million) are lost during drying.

NAEC deputy director Hoàng Văn Hồng said that mechanisation helps boost productivity, meet the seasonal farming schedule, and overcome the labour shortage during peak seasons and unfavourable weather.

Mechanisation could also help reduce production costs, increase income for farmers and minimise loss during and after harvests, he said.

It also encourages cooperation in production, as well as the engagement of young skilled workers in rural areas.

Ngô Mạnh Ngọc, deputy director of Hà Nam Province's Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, said that the actual situation in the province shows that mechanisation is becoming the key to elevating agricultural production value.

By scaling up production and boosting mechanisation, producers’ profits could increase by 15 to 20 per cent, compared to the traditional practices.

Based on proposals and suggestions of agricultural cooperatives and households, the NAEC is also working with the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development for concrete directions and solutions for mechanised agriculture.

Local authorities will also study and issue appropriate policies that suit the local context and strengths, in order to enhance mechanisation in production.

The NAEC also encourages cooperatives and households to link to one another, which will increase the scale of production area, and establish mechanical service providers for the locality. 

Bad Family, humorous and tragic TV series, on air mid-July

An family-themed TV series Nhà mình lạ lắm! (Bad Family) will be released later this month to entertain audience this summer.

Filming began in mid-February and it is expected to air on K+ TV on July 17.

The show tells humorous but tragic stories about a strange and unusual family.

Eight members with different personalities are forced to live together in a same house which sees many funny things happen continuously to challenge their efforts to live peacefully and happily.

The central character of the film, the "treasure" of the family is Thanh Mỹ, an eight-year-old girl. Born into a rich family, Mỹ is a "little princess" who can have whatever she wants.

After an accident, Mỹ loses her memory and easily gets panicked and needs people's care that creates big conflicts among family members.

Unexpected incidents constantly push them apart and then pull them closer together. After many challenges, each person learns their own lessons about reconciliation, tolerance and sharing with others in the family. They know how to leave their egos behind and accept people's differences to build up a real home.

Nhà mình lạ lắm! sees the participation of famous actors and actresses from different generations such as People's Artists Trung Anh and Kim Xuân, MC Tuấn Tú and hot tiktoker Lê Bống.

It is the first product of director Đinh Tuấn Vũ in the field of TV series after his success in feature films such as "Cuộc Đời Của Yến" (Yến's Life) and "Truyền Thuyết Về Quán Tiên" (Legend of Quán Tiên).

33 Vietnamese scholars receive US scholarships

The US Mission in Vietnam has just announced the list of 33 Vietnamese citizens selected for the Fulbright Scholarship Programme for the academic year 2023. The group comprises 19 recipients from the Fulbright Vietnamese Student Programme, seven from the Visiting Scholar Programme, two from the US-ASEAN Visiting Scholars Programme, and five from the Foreign Language Teaching Assistantship (FLTA) Programme.

The Fulbright Programme in Vietnam, started in 1992, has provided scholarships to more than 1,600 Vietnamese and American Fulbrighters through 16 different exchange programmes. Almost 650 Vietnamese students have gained master’s degrees while studying in the United States, more than 150 Vietnamese scholars have lectured or conducted research at US colleges and universities, and nearly 40 language instructors have taught Vietnamese in US classrooms.

Vietnam, Singapore intensify cooperation in human resources training

Minister of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs Dao Ngoc Dung hosted a reception in Hanoi on July 6 for Singapore’s Minister for Manpower and Second Minister for Trade and Industry Tan See Leng, during which he stressed the need for the two countries to strengthen cooperation and share experience in vocational training and in enhancing the digital capability of the workforce.

Dung said that Singapore leads ASEAN and ranks second in the world in terms of investment capital in Vietnam with 3,095 projects totalling 70.8 billion USD, accounting for 22.9% of the total registered foreign investment in the country. The effectively operating Vietnam - Singapore Industrial Parks (VSIPs) in various Vietnamese localities such as Binh Duong, Nghe An, Bac Ninh, Binh Dinh, Quang Ngai and Can Tho have been a symbol of success in bilateral investment cooperation.

This success also opens up important opportunities in promoting human resources cooperation between the two countries, he stated, adding that Singapore has received many Vietnamese nationals to work on Singapore-flagged ships with more than 1,300 working in 2022.

Like Singapore, Vietnam prioritises human resources training to meet socio-economic development requirements, especially in the digital era.

Therefore, the official proposed Singapore consider providing training and certificate programmes towards mutual recognition of vocational qualifications between the two countries; and help strengthen linkages between the two countries’ enterprises to promote technology transfer and train hi-tech human resources for Vietnamese workers.

He also suggested the nation create conditions for Vietnamese students to participate in work holiday programmes so as to have an opportunity to experience and gain work experience abroad and connect students of the two countries; and continue to support Vietnam in fields of Singapore’s strength such as occupational safety and health and labour-related inspection.

Tan See Leng emphasised that as human resources are the most important resource of each country, Singapore is focusing on investing in the development of the workforce, especially vulnerable groups, with the goal of meeting economic development requirements in the digital revolution era.

He spoke highly of the level and creativity of Vietnam's high-quality human resources, affirming his willingness to cooperate and share experiences in the field of innovation.

Agreeing with the Vietnamese side’s proposals, the minister affirmed that Singapore wishes to strengthen collaboration with Vietnam in many fields of mutual interest.

Proper attention needed to develop Vietnamese culture in major national programme

Deputy Prime Minister Trần Hồng Hà on Wednesday listened to a report on the progress of drafting the National Target Programme on Cultural Development and Human Resource Development in Việt Nam from 2026 to 2030, with a vision to 2045.

Deputy PM Hà stressed that cultural development and human resource development are the focal points highlighted at the 13th National Party Congress, as well as in resolutions, conclusions of the Party Central Committee, Politburo, and opinions of Party and State leaders.

Cultural development and human resource development are important, ongoing tasks that have been implemented through many programmes, projects, plans, and strategies for each specialised field, according to the Government official.

However, a comprehensive programme has not yet been formulated to calculate resources and set goals for each phase.

To truly give the appropriate level of attention to culture, Deputy PM Hà said the draft programme needs to be built on the basis of summarising "what has and has not been achieved" when implementing target programmes, strategies, and plans related to culture, and clearly identifying limitations, challenges, and emerging issues.

At the same time, the draft programme needs to seek input from administrators, scientists, and practitioners in culture and arts to determine priority issues in a transparent and open manner.

The programme also needs to address its relationship with other national target programmes in terms of coverage and integration of cultural programmes, plans, and strategies in each cultural sector to ensure no overlap.

The programme's output products can be cultural values and heritage (tangible and intangible); cultural environments, institutions, creative spaces, or mechanisms and policies, he said.

Regarding solutions, Deputy PM Hà said there is a need to build and perfect policies and regulations to fundamentally change the perception and management of sectors and levels in cultural development and human resource development, clearly defining the role of the State, society, and people, diversifying investment resources for the programme from public investment, and promoting digital transformation to serve management, promotion, and communication activities.

The Deputy PM also outlined several urgent and prioritised goals, such as protecting and preserving cultural heritage and values (tangible and intangible) that are in a state of decline, being seriously degraded, or may be lost altogether; as well as building a cultural environment that includes cultural products, activities, designs, landscapes, behaviours, and lifestyles in public places, offices, organisations, families, and schools; and developing creative and cultural industrial spaces.

Minister of Culture, Sports, and Tourism Nguyễn Văn Hùng said the most essential part of the programme is the nine projects that include the development of Vietnamese people's characteristics and culture, promoting the development of literature and arts, the development of cultural industries, international integration, and others.

Minister Hùng said the programme aims to draw in resources for the development of culture and arts, which have suffered many challenges and limitations when it was not placed in the same regard as socio-economic development.

He also suggested a review of the budget that the National Assembly allocated for this programme because the cost, calculated based on other small-scale programmes, "would be mere drops in the ocean" and won't be able to enable impactful changes. 

Vietnam, Singapore intensify cooperation in human resources training

Minister of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs Dao Ngoc Dung hosted a reception in Hanoi on July 6 for Singapore’s Minister for Manpower and Second Minister for Trade and Industry Tan See Leng, during which he stressed the need for the two countries to strengthen cooperation and share experience in vocational training and in enhancing the digital capability of the workforce.

Dung said that Singapore leads ASEAN and ranks second in the world in terms of investment capital in Vietnam with 3,095 projects totalling 70.8 billion USD, accounting for 22.9% of the total registered foreign investment in the country. The effectively operating Vietnam - Singapore Industrial Parks (VSIPs) in various Vietnamese localities such as Binh Duong, Nghe An, Bac Ninh, Binh Dinh, Quang Ngai and Can Tho have been a symbol of success in bilateral investment cooperation.

This success also opens up important opportunities in promoting human resources cooperation between the two countries, he stated, adding that Singapore has received many Vietnamese nationals to work on Singapore-flagged ships with more than 1,300 working in 2022.

Like Singapore, Vietnam prioritises human resources training to meet socio-economic development requirements, especially in the digital era.

Therefore, the official proposed Singapore consider providing training and certificate programmes towards mutual recognition of vocational qualifications between the two countries; and help strengthen linkages between the two countries’ enterprises to promote technology transfer and train hi-tech human resources for Vietnamese workers.

He also suggested the nation create conditions for Vietnamese students to participate in work holiday programmes so as to have an opportunity to experience and gain work experience abroad and connect students of the two countries; and continue to support Vietnam in fields of Singapore’s strength such as occupational safety and health and labour-related inspection.

Tan See Leng emphasised that as human resources are the most important resource of each country, Singapore is focusing on investing in the development of the workforce, especially vulnerable groups, with the goal of meeting economic development requirements in the digital revolution era.

He spoke highly of the level and creativity of Vietnam's high-quality human resources, affirming his willingness to cooperate and share experiences in the field of innovation.

Agreeing with the Vietnamese side’s proposals, the minister affirmed that Singapore wishes to strengthen collaboration with Vietnam in many fields of mutual interest.

Kultursommerfestival entertains audiences at Vietnamese-community centre in Berlin

Kultursommerfestival 2023, a cultural initiative of the Berlin authorities, have taken place at the Vietnamese expat community’s renowned Dong Xuan Centre, entertaining thousands of festival-goers with music performances.

The programme consists of three parts. The first excited participants with energetic pop-soul and dream-pop songs by Vietnamese artist, singer, and composer Nguyen Ngoc Anh (Another Nguyen). The next two are performed by Vietnamese artist, singer, rapper, and composer known as NASHI44 and the band SAIGON SOUL REVIVAL from Ho Chi Minh City.

In his remarks at the show, Vietnamese Ambassador to Germany Vu Quang Minh affirmed that it was a remarkable music event, marking the first time that Vietnamese and Vietnamese-origin artists have collaborated to perform in a programme organised by the Berlin administration at the Dong Xuan Centre, which houses the highest number of Vietnamese residents and workers in the German capital.

The diplomat said the performances by talented young Vietnamese-origin artists in Germany and the band from Vietnam reflected the friendship and close attachement between the Vietnamese and German people. Music helped strengthen and spread love and friendship between the two nations in an event that celebrated the cultural and artistic heritage of Vietnam.

Kultursommerfestival 2023 consists of 100 outdoor free-of-charge events held at various locations in Berlin from June to September.

For a long time, the Dong Xuan Centre has become more than just a shopping destination; it has evolved into a hub for culinary and cultural experiences and a popular tourist destination for foreigners who want to learn about Vietnam or for Vietnamese people visiting Berlin for the first time.

Hanoi lacks nearly 9,000 teachers

Hanoi is short of 8,939 full-time teachers of all levels with primary schools suffering the biggest shortfall.

According to Tran Dinh Canh, Director of the Hanoi Internal Affairs, Hanoi has an annual student growth of 6 percent at public schools. The average student number at many primary schools in some inner-city districts is up to 56 per class and 53 for a secondary school class.

Ha Dong, Cau Giay, Hoang Mai and Nam Tu Liem are among districts facing school overcrowding due to mushrooming urban and residential areas. For instance, Hoang Liet Ward in Hoang Mai District, has over 80,000 residents, but it is home to only one public kindergarten, three primary schools, and two secondary schools.

Since 2015, the number of Hanoi’s full-time teachers has been kept unchanged.

Last year, only 92 percent of the city’s full-time teacher positions were filled. Nursery schools still lack around 1,325 teachers, followed by primary schools with 3,634, secondary schools with 2,684 and high schools with 1,296.

To ease the shortage, the city has decided to recruit 3,112 teachers this year.

Transport Ministry considers recent aviation incidents as serious ones

The Transport Ministry has sent its dispatch asking relevant units in the aviation industry to increase safety measures at peak time after a series of incidents lately that threaten flight safety. 

The report by the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam reveals a violation of the minimum distance requirement during take-off in the incident of two airplanes nearly colliding with each other at Noi Bai International Airport on June 24. Before that, there were several reported cases of aircraft tires being cut by foreign objects recently.

The Transport Ministry considers these incidents as serious ones that can directly threaten flight safety, including flight operation and management, airport and airfield management.

Therefore, to improve the safety rate and avoid any unwanted incidents, the Ministry of Transport has asked that the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam urgently investigate, pinpoint, and classify the reasons of those incidents in compliance with the regulation. Based on that, safety warnings should be delivered to relevant units, while any organizations and individuals violating the law must be strictly handled.

The Transport Ministry has also asked that the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam introduce effective prevention measures for all fields related to civil air transport, tighten control and monitoring on regulation implementation in order to ensure absolute safety of flight operations, synchronously carry out the two programs of ‘National Civil Aviation Safety’ and ‘Take-off and Landing Runway Safety’.

In particular, the Ministry of Transport has requested that management units increase their monitoring activities on taxiways and aprons to timely detect and tackle any problems of foreign objects that can threaten flight safety.

Vietnam Air Traffic Management Corporation (VATM) is asked to review the monitoring activities of both manager and employee positions to promptly pinpoint and handle potential dangers causing unsafety in flight operation.

VATM is in charge of addressing any relevant organizations and individuals creating recent aviation incidents. It should provide proper training with clear explanations of those incidents for air traffic controllers to upgrade their own expertise and avoid any similar ones in the future. A report should be then sent to the Transport Ministry by July 15.

Source: VNA/SGT/VNS/VOV/Dtinews/SGGP/VGP/Hanoitimes