The HCM City Party Committee and the National University have an ongoing program to develop human resources in a bid to develop the city into a Southeast Asian science and technology hub by 2020.

The cooperation program, drawn up following a meeting three years ago, focuses on undertaking research, technology transfer between the Department of Science and Technology and the university, and establishing the Institute for Computational Science and Technology (SICST), a chip-design center, and laboratories.

The university seeks to develop into a research university.

Since 2006 it has earmarked 60 to 70 percent of the funds provided by the Government for science and technology programs that address economic and social issues facing the city.

The cooperation program from 2006 to 2008 between the National University and The setting up of SICST, conceived by Minister of Education Nguyen Thien Nhan, is considered as a breakthrough in applying science and technology to economic and social issues, creating a link between research, education, and development, and bringing together scientists from many fields into a modern working environment.

The department has created a mechanism to attract the best talents, including overseas Vietnamese, to the institute.

The IC Design Research & Education Center (ICDREC) was established to create an indigenous chip industry. It has already designed chips and is all set to commercially make the 8-bit SG-8V1 chip based on the Sigmak3 prototype.

Many programs involving biotechnology, network security, and automation are also under way.

Increasing investment in technology

Reviewing the cooperation between the National University and the city in science and technology, Phan Minh Tan, director of the department, said the program has created a breakthrough in that it has brought together education and industry.

But the number of research topics undertaken in the university is not commensurate with its position as a leading university, he admitted.

Besides, the topics should be more practical and appropriate for actual social needs, he added.

Associate Professor Dr Hoang Dung said since the fledgling program still has some limitations.

The progress of some major projects is behind schedule. Funding remains a problem. Though steering committees and groups have been established to assist the program, they are not effective.

By 2010 the university plans to construct laboratories for nanotechnology, materials technology, and chips.

It will also build a stem cell research laboratory at a cost of VND40 billion ($2.4 million), with the city providing VND15 billion.

Other labs for electronic measurement, forecasting floods, and researching climate change will also come up.

VietNamNet/SGGP