Expanding international opportunities for young Vietnamese scientists
<p style="text-align: justify;">VINATOM and ICISE will jointly organize scientific schools, training programs, and collaborative research initiatives, giving young scientists access to global experts and new international research directions.</p>
A cooperation agreement was signed in Ha Noi on the afternoon of August 25, 2026, by Dr. Tran Chi Thanh, President of the Viet Nam Atomic Energy Institute (VINATOM), and Prof. Tran Thanh Van, Chairman of Rencontres du Viet Nam and Director of the International Centre for Interdisciplinary Science and Education (ICISE).
Prof. Tran Thanh Van and Dr. Tran Thanh Son (Vice Director of ICISE) pose for a souvenir photo with scientists from the Vietnam Atomic Energy Institute.
The agreement establishes a framework for both sides to leverage their respective strengths in human resources, facilities, scientific organization experience, and domestic and international networks. Focus areas include promoting joint research, workforce training, academic exchanges, and supporting the development of young scientific personnel.
Connecting interdisciplinary research capabilities
Collaborative fields include nuclear physics, high-energy physics, quantum physics and photonics, medical physics, materials science and advanced materials, along with radiation measurement techniques, radiation devices, and nuclear equipment.
The two institutions will also cooperate in simulation, computational science, data science, artificial intelligence, ecology, marine environment, and other interdisciplinary fields aligned with their respective mandates.
Dr. Tran Chi Thanh and Prof. Tran Thanh Van sign a Cooperation Agreement to strengthen scientific research, human resource training, and scientific community connections.
Under the agreement, VINATOM and ICISE will co-organize conferences, workshops, academic forums, summer/winter schools, and specialized training courses. Both parties plan to build joint research projects, promote scientific publications, and connect research groups with domestic and international expert networks.
Undergraduate, master’s, and doctoral students, as well as young scientists, will receive support through training activities, research guidance, academic exchanges, and career development.
Additionally, the institutions will collaborate on science and technology communication and public outreach to enhance community awareness regarding the peaceful uses of atomic energy, support STEM education, and inspire a passion for science among the younger generation.
Dr. Tran Chi Thanh noted that cooperating with ICISE enables VINATOM to link its specialized capabilities in nuclear science and technology with an interdisciplinary academic environment, modern research infrastructure, and a global network of experts.
According to Dr. Tran Chi Thanh, this partnership comes as Viet Nam accelerates science and technology development alongside the peaceful applications of atomic energy. VINATOM is currently implementing a project to restructure its institutional model to meet new development requirements, preparing organizational capacity, personnel, and research infrastructure for strategic tasks ahead.
The partnership is expected to improve research quality, enhance human resource training, expand international integration, and strengthen VINATOM's role within the national science, technology, and innovation ecosystem.
Connecting young scientists to global networks
Prof. Tran Thanh Van expressed his hope that the agreement will soon be realized through concrete programs, particularly international conferences, scientific schools, joint research projects, and support programs for young researchers.
Leveraging its decades-long international scientific network, ICISE will work with VINATOM to connect reputable global experts, enabling Vietnamese researchers to access cutting-edge research trends and participate more deeply in the international scientific community.
The agreement is effective for five years from the date of signing. Specific activities will be discussed, selected, and implemented based on practical needs, conditions, and the functions of each unit.
The combination of VINATOM’s technical expertise and research infrastructure with ICISE’s organizational experience, interdisciplinary environment, and international expert network is expected to yield high-quality research and training programs for Vietnam’s scientific community.
Inaugurated in Quy Nhon in 2013, ICISE is a non-profit scientific and educational center founded by Prof. Tran Thanh Van and Prof. Le Kim Ngoc to foster academic exchange between scientists from developed and developing nations. To date, ICISE has hosted nearly 200 international scientific events and over 45 specialized science schools, attracting roughly 12,000 scientists from over 40 countries and territories, including Nobel laureates and international award winners.
Prof. Tran Thanh Van is a French-Vietnamese physicist and founder of the Rencontres de Moriond, Rencontres de Blois, and Rencontres du Viet Nam conference series. For decades, he has connected Viet Nam's scientific community with the world while supporting young researchers.
Prof. Le Kim Ngoc previously worked at the French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS) and made significant contributions to plant biology. Alongside her research, she and Prof. Tran Thanh Van have engaged in educational and humanitarian activities, including the Vallet Scholarship program supporting Vietnamese students./.