Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia boost ties in scientific research
Chairman of Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee Phan Van Mai received Dr Sonethanou Thammavong, President of the Lao Academy of Social and Economic Sciences, and Sok Touch, President of the Royal Academy of Cambodia, in the city on September 19.
Chairman of Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee Phan Van Mai (5th from left) receives Dr. Sonethanou Thammavong (4th from left), President of the Lao Academy of Social and Economic Sciences and Social Sciences and Sok Touch (middle), President of the Royal Academy of Cambodia.(Photo: VNA)
HCMCity (VNA) – Chairman of Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee Phan Van Mai received Dr Sonethanou Thammavong, President of the Lao Academy of Social and Economic Sciences, and Sok Touch, President of the Royal Academyof Cambodia, in the city on September 19.
Duringthe meeting, Mai briefed the guests on the city’s socio-economic developmentover the past time and affirmed that the locality has always wished tostrengthen collaboration with partners from Laos and Cambodia, including the Lao Academy of Social and Economic Sciences and the Royal Academy of Cambodia, and share experience and bolster cooperation with the two neighbouring countries’localities to promote a stronger community in the time ahead.
Thecity’s leader acknowledged that research achievements from academiesof Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia are crucial in setting out right directions fordevelopment. Therefore, HCM City wishes the academies of thethree countries will continue to promote cooperation in the coming time.
Fortheir part, the guests said the organisation of an annual science conference of the Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences, the Lao Academy of Social and Economic Sciences, and the Royal Academy of Cambodia in HCM City will helpparticipating countries gain valuable experiences of the city in developing economyand trade in the global digital era.
Theannual social science conference is held on a rotational basis among the three academies. This year's conference is taking place in Ho Chi Minh City from September20-21, focusing on trade, investment collaboration among the three countriesin the context of digital economy, smart city and green growth./.
VNA
Related News
The leaders of the National Assemblies of Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos signed a joint statement on establishing their summit mechanism in Phnom Penh on November 20, in the framework of the 43rd General Assembly of the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA-43).
An exchange was held in Ho Chi Minh City on August 16, gathering representatives of Lao and Cambodian families whose children are adopted by Vietnamese families, and representatives of those Vietnamese families.
The 10th Tripartite Meeting between the Supreme Audit Institutions of Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam with the theme of "Follow up on audit recommendations” was held in central city of Da Nang on August 29.
After four editions of the Top Industry 4.0, this year, the programme was officially renamed “Vietnam I4 Impact Awards”, which is not just a change in name but a shift in development thinking and core values.
Experts said close coordination among State management agencies, research institutes, universities, and businesses will improve training quality and serve the dual goals of quality education and practical research application.
To promote copyright protection, Vietnam is accelerating efforts to master core technologies and build integrated platforms capable of receiving, processing, distributing and protecting digital content on a unified system.
OVs hope the two countries can establish an interconnected cooperation mechanism in the technology supply chain, from sharing research, testing, and development infrastructure to training human resources, thereby forming a technology alliance able to compete with others in the ASEAN region and the world.
Part of the Vietnam Innovation Challenge 2026, the programme goes beyond conventional coding competitions by requiring participants to develop AI-driven solutions to business challenges in real time.
Many experts in Singapore expressed their hope that the General Secretary and President’s visit will pave the way for more substantive cooperation mechanisms between Vietnam and Singapore in high technology, innovation and human resources development.
Ho Chi Minh City currently hosts 143 science and technology enterprises, accounting for around 20% of the national total. Total factor productivity (TFP) contributes 59% to the city’s GRDP growth, with science and technology responsible for 74% of TFP growth.
Over recent years, NSTDA has built strong partnerships with Vietnamese research institutes and organisations in agriculture, biotechnology, energy and sustainable development. Notable examples include joint projects on cassava value chains, salt-tolerant rice, biotechnology products and an initiative on green energy cooperation and development in the Mekong basin.
Vietnam now needs more effective digital transformation to create higher productivity, new growth models and stronger competitiveness in the AI era, said participants at the plenary session of the Vietnam-Asia DX Summit 2026.
The project aims to transform VNeID into a modern, secure and highly scalable national digital platform capable of effectively serving citizens, businesses, agencies and organisations in handling administrative procedures, accessing online public services, conducting electronic transactions and using digital utilities.
More than just a major technology competition for engineering students, this year’s event provides a platform for innovation, artificial intelligence (AI) and practical industrial applications to converge.
Regional Representative of the UNODC for Southeast Asia and the Pacific, Delphine Schantz, recommended that countries should treat the UN Convention against Cybercrime (Hanoi Convention) as a ‘starting point,’ instead of an ‘end goal.’
The inclusion of Vietnamese researchers in the 2026 Asian Scientist 100 list alongside Nobel laureates highlights Vietnam’s increasing integration into the global scientific community and its expanding research capabilities.
For Ho Chi Minh City, science, technology and innovation have been identified as key drivers of growth in the new development period. Biotechnology, therefore, is considered one of the sectors capable of generating high added value and promoting the transition towards a greener growth model.
Addressing the forum, Vietnamese Ambassador Tran Phuoc Anh expressed appreciation for the initiative to connect Vietnamese intellectuals in Singapore and make the most of the city-state’s strengths in science, technology and innovation.
Experiences from localities nationwide show that Resolution 57 is fostering a marked transformation in development mindset. Science and technology, innovation and digital transformation are increasingly becoming foundational drivers of economic growth and opening new development space for localities in the years ahead.
Vietnamese authorities handled more than 30 cases involving the illegal sale and theft of personal data between 2023 and 2025, affecting over 160 million data records across sectors including health, education, finance, banking and telecommunications.
Participants highlighted the importance of building a proactive, synchronised and sustainable national cybersecurity ecosystem through closer cooperation among regulators, technology firms, research institutions and cybersecurity experts.
Research by the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) shows that AI adoption in the legal sector remains constrained by fragmented, unstandardised and weakly connected legal databases. A unified national legal data ecosystem has yet to be established, while big data and AI applications are still largely confined to pilot programmes and have not been integrated across the full legislative process, including drafting, appraisal, review and inspection of legal documents.
The scheme aims to build a workforce with sufficient quantity, balanced structure and high-quality expertise to meet the country’s growing demand for atomic energy development and applications, while ensuring radiation safety, nuclear safety and nuclear security.
Chairman of Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee Phan Van Mai (5th from left) receives Dr. Sonethanou Thammavong (4th from left), President of the Lao Academy of Social and Economic Sciences and Social Sciences and Sok Touch (middle), President of the Royal Academy of Cambodia.(Photo: VNA)