Vietnam and the UK signed a government-level memorandum of understanding on the Newton Programme Vietnam in Hanoi, on June 3.

Minister of Science and Technology Nguyen Quan together with British Ambassador to Vietnam Giles Lever inked the pact, which guarantees up to 10 million GBP sourced from the UK government will be available to support the sides’ research collaboration and innovation partnership through 2019.

Vietnamese and UK scientists, researchers and other stakeholders including science managers and innovative businesses are eligible to apply for the Newton Programme Vietnam’s sponsorship.

Funding opportunities will be open for three main categories: People, with research capacity-building and fellowships; Research, with collaborative research projects on development challenges; and Translation, with training and partnerships to turn research into practical applications and development solutions.

At the signing ceremony, Minister Quan noted the move reflects the focus of the Vietnam-UK scientific affiliation to guide future joint projects towards creativity, sustainable development and improved social welfare in Vietnam.

Through the programme, Vietnam can learn from the UK’s expertise in the field and make science and innovation part of the driving force behind national growth, Quan declared.

The Ministry of Science and Technology vowed to create the best conditions for the programme to be successfully launched in Vietnam.

Ambassador Giles Lever stated the UK, as a leading European country in science and innovation who knows how to turn research results into popular commercial products, wants to support Vietnam’s sustainable development, particularly in the sectors of health, life science, agriculture, environmental resilience and energy security.-VNA