Participants of the Workshop included representatives from Department of Science, Education, Natural resources and Environment - Ministry of Planning and Investment (MPI), Department of Cooperation and Development - Vietnam National University, Hanoi (VNU), Department of Planning and Investment of Quang Ninh Province, the People’s Committee of Tam Ky City, Quang Nam Province. From universities, there were also representatives from Nha Trang University, The University of Economics - Da Nang University, VNU - School of Graduates Studies, University of Economics and Laws - Vietnam National University, HCMC. From national research institutes, there were representatives from Central Institute for Economic Management (CIEM), Institute of Strategy and Policy on Natural Resources and Environment (ISPONRE), Da Nang Institute for Socio-economic Development, Ho Chi Minh City Institute for Development Studies and Nha Trang Oceanography Institute. From VNU-UEB, there were Assoc.Prof.Dr. Nguyen Hong Son - UEB Rector cum National Project Director and Dr. Nguyen Truc Le - UEB Vice-Rector.

Opening the Workshop, Assoc.Prof.Dr. Nguyen Hong Son underlined the role of GDPRTE Project to the implementation of the One United Nation Plan and Vietnam Green Growth Strategy. He also highlighted that the establishment of cooperation networks among national and local policy-makers, universities and research institutes to share mutual interests of green growth strategy was of great importance to fuel the success of GDPRTE Project.
On behalf of National Implementing Partner - VNU, Dr. Nguyen Thi Anh Thu delivered the welcoming speech, expressed her hope on the realization of the project objectives. She enunciated that this project would assist VNU in general and VNU-UEB in particular to improve capacity to become one of the leading universities in Vietnam regarding research and training on climate change and green development.
After an overall introduction part of Dr. Nguyen Anh Thu - National Project Deputy Director about common goals, objectives, components and expected outputs of GDPRTE Project, the Workshop was divided into three sessions chaired by Assoc.Prof.Dr. Nguyen Hong Son.
In the session 1 of the Workshop “Overview on Vietnam Green Growth Strategy and role of universities and research institutes”, representatives of national and local policy makers presented two presentations which were “Vietnam Green Growth: from Strategy to Action” of Dr. Nguyen Tuan Anh - Deputy Head of Department of Science, Education, Natural Resources and Environment - MPI  and “Green growth action plan in Quang Ninh Province” of Dr. Hoang Danh Son - Deputy Director of Department of Planning and Investment respectively. The two presentations pointed to the some general standpoints of Vietnam government on the green growth strategy and the executing process at provincial level. Dr. Hoang Danh Son emphasized that Quang Ninh has been making great efforts to implement sustainable development path with the goal of restructuring the economy from “brown” to “green” one, solving the contradiction between the rapid economic development objectives and social and environmental sustainability. After that, delegates from Quang Nam, Da Nang, Nha Trang and Ho Chi Minh City also shared their difficulties in the process of promoting socio-economic development and resolving challenges and negative impacts of climate changes.
Part 2 of the Workshop was dedicated to the issue of research on green development with three presentations: “Research activities for Green Growth in Vietnam” presented by Mrs. Vu Xuan Nguyet Hong, Former Deputy Director of CIEM; “Brief introduction of four research topics in the framework of GDPRTE Project” by Dr. Nguyen Anh Thu - National Project Deputy Director and “Green Procurement of Government towards Green Growth” by Assoc.Prof.Dr. Nguyen The Chinh - Deputy Director of ISPONRE. The Workshop had received many comments from the delegates. The four research topics of the project enjoyed the wide consensus among participants concerning their necessity and concordance to the current conditions of Vietnam. Some participants also suggested other ideas related to these topics and expressed their support and wishes to work with VNU-UEB in the implementation process.
Another important issue in the GDPRTE project put up for discussion in session 3 of the Workshop was training on climate change and green growth. There were three presentations, which were “Some comments about the training associated with green growth, climate change and sustainable development at the University of Economics and Law - Vietnam National University, Ho Chi Minh City” presented by Assoc.Prof.Dr. Nguyen Tien Dung - Rector, “Capacity development for training and research on climate change” by Prof.Dr. Nguyen Thi Kim Anh – Director of Master Programme in Marine Ecosystem Management and Climate Change, and “Master Programme in Climate Change of Vietnam National University, Hanoi” by Dr. Nguyen Thi Hong Minh - Associate Dean of VNU - School of Graduate Studies. In the discussion session, participants made many comments on the implementation of the training programmes on green growth in order to provide the most practical results. The participants also agreed that the idea of green growth should be integrated into existing curriculum to raise awareness for both students and lecturers, and can bring about spillover effect out of society.

Delegates and participants took photo together

At the end of the Workshop, Assoc.Prof.Dr. Nguyen Hong Son expressed his sincere thanks to the delegates for spending their time participating and contributing valuable ideas to the Workshop. This was a good opportunity for the parties to understand each other, learn about the existing research and training programmes of each other to find collaboration opportunities. He believed that this workshop would set an important foundation for the next cooperation programmes between the parties.

>> Click to see the original news in English and Vietnamese