Prague (VNA) – The second Vietnam–Czech Republic roundtable on higher education, science, technology and innovation was held in Prague on September 9, bringing together representatives of agencies, universities, research institutes and businesses from both countries.
The event was jointly organised by the Vietnamese Embassy in the Czech Republic and Ton Duc Thang University to review cooperation outcomes and identify specific activities and projects for the coming period.
In his opening remarks, Vietnamese Ambassador Duong Hoai Nam stressed the need to strengthen cooperation between educational and research institutions of the two countries, shifting from exchanges and individual projects towards long-term partnerships with tangible outcomes.
Potential areas of cooperation include artificial intelligence (AI), digital transformation, semiconductor industry, advanced manufacturing, energy, green technology, and biotechnology, he said.
The ambassador noted that the countries' establishment of a Strategic Partnership during then Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh’s official visit to the Czech Republic in January 2025, together with cooperation agreements in education, has created fresh momentum for expanding bilateral collaboration into new areas.
Speaking at the event, David Muller, Director General of the European Union and Foreign Trade Section at the Czech Ministry of Industry and Trade, affirmed the Czech side’s readiness to support and promote cooperation among businesses, research institutes and universities of the two countries.
He said Vietnam is currently the Czech Republic’s most important trading partner in Southeast Asia, with bilateral trade reaching around 5 billion USD for the first time in 2025.
Assoc. Prof. Dr Tran Trong Dao, Rector of Ton Duc Thang University, proposed expanding the network of cooperation among universities, strengthening international academic programmes and research projects, and enhancing links between universities and businesses.
Prof. Petr Saha, Deputy Chairperson of the Czech Technical University in Prague (CTU), said the Czech side wishes to expand cooperation with Vietnamese universities and businesses in green energy, battery storage systems, healthcare and dual-use technologies.
Notably, several cooperation agreements between Vietnamese and Czech universities were signed on the sidelines of the roundtable.
Participants also agreed to expand the membership of the fourth International Competition on Research and Design of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, scheduled for September 2027, while promoting the Czech–Vietnam Deep Tech Innovation & Impact Hub (CVDI) initiative to broaden connections among educational institutions, research organisations and businesses of the two countries./.
VNA
