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Deputy Prime Minister Le Van Thanh has signed a decision approving a plan of action on reducing methane emissions to 2030 with the goal of cutting methane emissions by at least 30% from 2020.

The action plan targets methane emissions in cultivation, animal husbandry, solid waste management, waste water treatment, oil and gas exploitation, coal mining and fossil fuel consumption.

Total methane emission volume should not exceed 96.4 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent in 2025, down 13.34% from 2020.

Specifically, methane emissions in cultivation should be kept under 42.2 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent, under 16.8 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent in animal husbandry, under 21.9 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent in solid waste management and waste water treatment, under 10.6 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent in oil and gas exploitation, under 3.5 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent in coal mining, and under 1.3 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent in fossil fuel consumption.

Among measures outlined in the action plan is adjusting crop structure and cultivation techniques, ending the burning of agricultural waste and side products, and recovering methane emissions from husbandry waste treatment for electricity generation.

Modern technology will be applied widely in solid waste and waste water treatment is another solution, among others./.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

– A “STEM Career Academies in Central Vietnam” project has been launched in a bid to support Da Nang city’s drive towards a Smart City by 2030. The University of Da Nang – University of Science and Technology (UD-DUT) has partnered with Chevron and the Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization – STEM Education Centre (SEAMEO STEM-ED) to replicate the best practice accumulated by Chevron Enjoy Science project in Thailand to promote STEM learning in Da Nang City. Associate Professor Doan Quang Vinh, Rector of the University of Da Nang – University of Science and Technology, said that the program aims to raise awareness of STEM education and inspire leaders, administrators, teachers, students and stakeholders to support STEM education in central Vietnam. It aims to develop professional skills for secondary and post-secondary students, and graduates, and build capacity for educational personnel in delivering STEM learning activities and implementing the STEM career academies program.

The project, which will last from April, 2022 to September, 2023, contains STEM workshops for higher-secondary teachers and students, a competition to motivate higher-secondary students to develop innovative STEM projects and engage them in teamwork, communication, problem solving, as well as prepare them for future careers, and STEM short-course professional development. STEM Career Academies will enroll 20 STEM employers or enterprises and enlist 10 high schools in this project.

Rector Doan Quang Vinh said: “The project’s inspirational activities, including science exhibition, camps, workshops, and competition, are expected to improve public awareness of STEM education.”

Chevron is one of the world’s leading integrated energy companies. In Southeast Asia, Chevron has a long history of supporting STEM education. The public-private partnership began in 2015 to lay a strong foundation for STEM education and workforce development in the Kingdom of Thailand. It built the capacity of more than 16,000 educators, benefited more than 2 million students, and improved STEM instruction at more than 700 schools across Thailand.

Dr. Pornpun Waitayangkoon, Centre Director of SEAMEO STEM-ED, said that STEM Career Academies is a pilot project implementing Chevron Enjoy Science’s practice outside of Thailand. The collaboration is a good opportunity to promote engineering technology in Vietnam and address Vietnam’s future industrial needs.

“The 18-month project kick starts regional STEM education collaboration, which has been unseen before in ASEAN. ‘STEM Career Academies’ will equip Vietnamese students with necessary skills, particularly those related to digital technology. It’s an urgent issue for Da Nang City, a significant economic center of Vietnam which strives to become a Smart City by 2030,” said Dr. Pornpun Waitayangkoon.

She added that the Academies set the goal to produce human resources for Smart City-related industries. Its goal is to involve 10 schools and 20 private employers in need of STEM human resources in Vietnam.

Mr. Nuntawut Pimpaeng – Project Manager – STEM Career Academy, SEAMEO STEM-ED Center said that the STEM Career Academy serves as a pilot project in implementing the best method of the Chevron Enjoy Science Project for units outside Thailand. This partnership is a great opportunity to promote engineering technology in Vietnam and address the future industrial needs.

“The project will last 18 months. This is a high-level STEM project when we launch the STEM school network program to operate and encourage STEM education, focusing on careers, skills, and IT. We learned this model from the US and has applied it in Thailand. And now, together with the Danang University, we will replicate the model. In terms of assistance for Vietnam, we offer a lot of resources of this field as well as experts to connect partners together,” said Mr. Nuntawut Pimpaeng.

Kurt Glaubitz, General Manager Corporate Affairs, Asia Pacific, Chevron Corporation, said that “If people and the community want to develop, education and vocational training should play a vital role. Skilled workforce equipped with knowledge needed for their future success is crucial to a country’s ability to compete globally. We invest in education and offer a holistic approach to our students, making them excited about joining a STEM Academy, and encouraging them to pursue STEM courses and ultimately develop their careers STEM. “

So far the project has been implemented a number of activities. On April 17, 2022 Danang University of Science and Technology hosted a seminar to kick off the project. Stakeholders, potential partners of Danang University of Science and Technology in this project, and business representatives discussed the implementation of the project’s modules and approaches in STEM education.

Dr. Nguyen Thanh Binh of the Department of Science, Technology, and International Cooperation of the University of Technology, University of Danang Nang evaluated the cooperation between the University of Technology, University of Danang, and Thai partners: “Thai partners, especially SEMEO STEM- ED Thailand, shared their experiences in implementing the Vocational Academy project in Thailand and expressed their wish to emplement this model in schools in Southeast Asian country. Danang Technology University is the first unit in the region to implement this model. The SEMEO STEM-ED Thailand sends experts to support on building the Academy. We regularly discuss with SEMEO STEM- ED Thailand in project implementation.”

STEM Career Academies in Central Vietnam Project will require a total of 194,500 USD. Of total, Chevron Corporation contributes 150,000 USD and UD – DUT contributes 44,500 USD.

Source: VOV5

The following is a brief review of the day’s events as reported by the Vietnam News Agency on August 5.

– President Nguyen Xuan Phuc met with newly-appointed ambassadors of South Africa, Saudi Arabia and Belgium, who came to present their credentials, in Hanoi on August 5. Read full story

– Vietnamese Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son stressed the importance of dialogue, trust, and sense of responsibility while attending the East Asia Summit (EAS) Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Phnom Penh on August 5.

The event took place as part of the 55th ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting (AMM-55) and related meetings in the capital city of Cambodia. It drew the participation of foreign ministers from ASEAN member states and EAS partners, namely China, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Australia, New Zealand, India, Russia, and the US. Read full story

– Joining the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) was the first step of Vietnam in the process of international integration, and the bloc has served as a gateway for the country’s integration into the region and the world, an official has said.

Pham Quynh Mai, Deputy Director of the Multilateral Trade Policy Department at the Ministry of Industry and Trade, made the remark during an interview granted to the press on August 4, on the sidelines of a conference on communications about ASEAN ahead of the bloc’s 55th founding anniversary (August 8, 1967 – 2022). Read full story

– Major universities need to become a role model in terms of management – an environment in which all good values are spread and expressed in society, Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam spoke at the University Autonomy Conference 2022 on August 4.

Dam stressed that university autonomy is a very long innovation journey with many hardships and difficulties still ahead. However, the reality has proven that higher education results have had more positive changes. Read full story – Dr Jonathan Choi, Chairman of the Hong Kong-based Sunwah Group, has expressed his optimism about Vietnam’s future, saying the country has recovered “very quickly” after the COVID-19 pandemic was controlled and is one of the best performers in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in this regard.

In an interview granted to the Vietnam News Agency (VNA) in Hanoi on August 5, Choi said Vietnam has made a good decision on the pandemic as the country opened doors right after the situation got better. Read full story

– The Vietnamese economy is likely to grow 10% year on year in the third quarter of this year, driven by strong domestic consumption, according to Michael Kokalari, chief economist at VinaCapital, one of the country’s leading investment management and real estate development companies.

Earnings growth are expected to exceed 20% this year, Kokalari said in a report entitled “The divergence between Vietnam’s strong economy & weak stock market,” which outlines expectation for Vietnam’s economy in the last five months of 2022. It is attributed to the country’s solid economic performance, he added. Read full story

– The Ministry of Health has asked localities nationwide to monitor foreign arrivals from countries with monkeypox as an early response after infections were spotted in the region.

Thailand, Singapore, the Republic of Korea, China and Japan are some of the countries where monkeypox has been detected. Read full story – Vietnam finished the AFF U18 Women’s Championship 2022 as the runner-up after losing 0-2 to Australia in the final in Indonesia on August 4.

Thailand took the third place after beating Myanmar 0-2 in another match./. Read full story

Source: Vietnam News Agency

Ho Chi Minh City’s Union of Friendship Organisations held a get-together on August 5 to mark 27 years of Vietnam’s membership in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (July 28) and the 55th founding anniversary of the bloc (August 8).

Phan Thi Hong Xuan, President of the Vietnam-Southeast Asia Friendship Association in HCM City, said that the past 27 years, since Vietnam joined ASEAN, is not a long period of time compared to the country’s history, but it is very meaningful for Vietnam and ASEAN as well during the building of an ASEAN Community Vision by 2025. Xuan said that though many difficulties and challenges are still ahead, with the good results achieved, the ASEAN Community has affirmed its role as an important and indispensable factor for peace, stability and development in Southeast Asia, and a driving force for dialogue, cooperation and connectivity among member countries as well as the expansion of cooperation and comprehensive development in East Asia and Asia-Pacific.

Sok Dareth, Cambodian Consul General in the city, delivered a congratulatory speech on the 55th founding anniversary of ASEAN and shared the bloc’s achievements in 2022 when his country is holding the role as the ASEAN Chair.

Sok Dareth said that since joining ASEAN, Vietnam has increasingly proved to be an active and responsible member of the group as well as of the international community.

Vietnam has promoted intensive and extensive integration in politics, economy, diplomacy and all other areas of life, and worked with other member countries in building the ASEAN community from security – politics, economy, culture and society, with the top priority given to strengthening ASEAN connectivity, he added.

At the event, winners of the “Smart city in the era of industrial revolution 4.0 and its impacts on the lives of urban residents in Ho Chi Minh City” contest were announced. The contest was jointly held by the Vietnam – Southeast Asia Friendship Association in the city, the Centre for ASEAN Human Resources Research and Training under the Vietnam National University, Ho Chi Minh City, and Singapore’s Lee Kuan Yew Centre for Innovative Cities./.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

ASEAN has awarded the ASEAN Prize 2021 to the Mekong Institute in recognition of its long-standing contributions to promoting ASEAN awareness and strengthening regional cooperation towards sustainable development and economic growth, especially for the Greater Mekong Sub-region.

In its statement released on August 3, the ASEAN Secretariat said Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Prak Sokhonn and the Secretary-General of ASEAN Dato Lim Jock Hoi presented the prize trophy to Executive Directo of the Mekong Institute Dr. Suriyan Vichitlekarn at the 55th ASEAN Ministerial Meeting and Related Meetings in Phnom Penh, Cambodia on the same day.

Due to the COVID-19 restrictions, the official announcement on the award was made separately during the 38th and 39th ASEAN Summit and Related Summits in Bandar Seri Begawan last year.

Mekong Institute – a research institute and community development centre based in Khon Kaen, Thailand, also received a monetary prize of 20,000 USD sponsored by the Temasek Foundation and Yayasan Hasanah.

Established in 1996, the institute has been acknowledged as one of the region’s driving forces in accelerating and promoting prosperous and harmonious sub-regional development, particularly in the areas of capacity building and sustainable community development.

Administered by the ASEAN Secretariat, the ASEAN Prize is an annual regional premier award that recognises outstanding and inspiring achievements of individuals or organisations based in ASEAN who have significantly contributed to community building efforts. Since 2018, the ASEAN Prize has bestowed the award to four individuals and organisation./.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

Since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, the delay in customs clearance of Vietnamese goods exported to Australia, especially at the quarantine stage, has become serious, mainly in the two states of New South Wales and Victoria.

One of the main reasons is that Australia is currently facing labour shortages in many fields, while trade is growing and the spread of COVID-19 is still complicated.

According to the Vietnam Trade Office in Australia, right from the beginning of April, in its market bulletin, the office announced the situation and made recommendations on several measures to minimise impacts of the delay as proposed by Australia.

For fresh agricultural products, the office has suggested importers to transport them by air, and at the same time persuade importers in West and South Australia, which are not overloaded like the two above-mentioned states, to boost imports.

Particularly for fresh fruit shipments to Australia, it has actively worked with importers on the import schedule and maintained contact with the quarantine agency.

In addition, the Trade Office has also informed businesses about regulations and information on labels and packages, and advised them to fill in the customer’s information fully and accurately so that the initial evaluation does not take much time.

Statistics show that, in the first 6 months of 2022, bilateral trade between Vietnam and Australia reached more than 8 billion USD. If this momentum continues, the target of 15 billion USD set by their leaders will be achieved this year.

Notably, in the period, Vietnam’s exports enjoyed an impressive growth of more than 33% compared to the same period last year./.

Source: Vietnam News Agency