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KIST Holds VKIST Ground-breaking Ceremony (2018.03.23)
- Date : 2018-04-24
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International Cooperation Team
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KIST Holds VKIST Ground-breaking Ceremony
- KIST ready to spread its research model and cooperate on S&T
- Information exchanges by SMEs accompanied the event
On March 22, at Hoa Lac Hi-tech Park in Hanoi, Vietnam, the Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST) co-held a ground-breaking ceremony for the Vietnam-Korea Institute of Science and Technology (VKIST), in collaboration with the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) and VKIST.
The Korean government’s VKIST Support Program was initiated in accordance with the Vietnamese government’s 2012 official request for a KIST-style research institute that would play a key role in its S&T-oriented plan to turn Vietnam into an advanced industrial country by 2020.
Korean President Moon Jae-in participated in the ceremony and stated that the event would “mark an important milestone in Vietnam’s dream to become a modern industrialized state.” He also shared his belief that VKIST would “lead Vietnam’s industry and future economic growth, greatly contributing to the realization of a RoK-ASEAN future community.”
KOICA’s president, Ms. Lee Mikyung, said, “The VKIST Support Program begins in earnest with this ground-breaking ceremony, with aims to complete four buildings with advanced R&D equipment and top-level research manpower by 2020. KOICA will fully support VKIST’s establishment in order to provide a cornerstone for Vietnam’s S&T development and Vietnamese-Korean relations.”
From 2014 to 2020, KIST and KOICA, in cooperation with the Ministry of Science and Technology of Vietnam, are overseeing 35 million dollars in funding to construct VKIST research complexes, install research equipment, consult on institute operations, perform collaborative research, and train researchers. The Vietnamese government is responsible for providing the necessary infrastructure, including 7.9 hectares of land, water and sewage facilities, electricity, and communications service.
In December 2014, KIST and KOICA signed an agreement to initiate the VKIST program, and, in April 2017, the Ministry of Science and Technology of Vietnam appointed former KIST president Dr. Kum Dongwha as the founding president of VKIST. Last November, KIST held a VKIST kick-off ceremony and established the program’s foundation.
The program symbolizes the future of Korea-Vietnam relations, including co-development and economic cooperation. In particular, it is expected to contribute to economic cooperation in the fields of ICT and bioengineering.
The ground-breaking ceremony was attended by Korean President Moon Jae-in, Vietnamese Vice-president Dang Thi Ngoc Thinh, Vietnamese Minister of Science and Technology Chu Ngoc Anh, Korean Minister of Science and ICT You Young Min, KIST President Lee Byung Gwon, and VKIST President Kum Dongwha.
In addition to the ceremony, SMEs from Korea and Vietnam exhibited their technologies and exchanged information with one another about domestic technologies and demands. The event was especially designed to help VKIST understand the technological demands of Vietnam and to initiate VKIST research programs necessary for industry.
KIST currently plans to provide Vietnam with useful know-how based on its success with S&T-centered industrialization, helping Vietnam to establish an S&T research institute that will contribute to the country’s economic development and national competitiveness. Furthermore, KIST will promote technology transfer between Korean and Vietnamese enterprises and reinforce business cooperation so that VKIST will be seen as a hub for bilateral S&T exchanges and collaboration.