The Prime Minister emphasized that female scientists and engineers, with their intelligence and acumen, are and will continue to contribute to finding innovative and effective solutions to overcome challenges.
On the morning of October 4th, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh met with delegates who came to Vietnam to attend the Asia- Pacific Network of Women Scientists and Engineers Conference, and leaders of the Vietnam Women Intellectuals Association under the Vietnam Women's Union.
Attending the meeting were: Professor, Dr. Nguyen Thi Doan, former Vice President of Vietnam, President of the Vietnam Association for the Promotion of Learning, Honorary President of the Vietnam Association of Women Intellectuals; Ha Thi Nga, President of the Vietnam Women's Union; Professor, Dr. Le Thi Hop, President of the Vietnam Association of Women Intellectuals; and Sarah Matilde Catherine Peers, President of the International Network of Women Scientists and Engineers (INWES).
After 13 years of operation, the Vietnam Women Intellectuals Association has grown stronger in both quantity and quality, successfully fulfilling its assigned political tasks and contributing to the country's economic and social development. The Association has gathered and attracted nearly 6,000 members in 12 provinces and cities, 31 research institutes, universities, government agencies, and state-owned and private enterprises.
The Association has carried out many diverse activities, leveraging its strengths, actively advising, providing feedback, and conducting social assessments, contributing opinions on economic and social policies, and protecting the rights of Vietnamese women, including female intellectuals. At the same time, it has promoted the strengths and enhanced the role of female intellectuals in scientific research, contributing to the socio-economic development of the country; actively participating in social welfare, charity, and humanitarian activities; and strengthening international relations and cooperation.
In 2018, the Vietnam Women Intellectuals Association, in collaboration with the Vietnam Women's Union, successfully hosted the annual conference of the Network of Women Scientists and Engineers in the Asia-Pacific region. This year, the conference, themed "The Role of Women in Science and Technology and International Integration for Sustainable Development," was a resounding success.
Speaking at the meeting, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh highly appreciated the Asia-Pacific Network of Women Scientists and Engineers Conference, which is held annually on a rotating basis among participating countries. He also affirmed the interest of countries and territories in creating a common forum for outstanding women scientists, not only to connect and share knowledge and experience, but also to affirm their important role in solving pressing issues facing humanity, the region, and each nation, contributing to the sustainable development and prosperity of the Asia-Pacific region and the world.
The Prime Minister stated that the 2024 Regional Network Conference, hosted by the Vietnam Women Intellectuals Association, is a vivid testament to the proactive international cooperation in science and technology by Vietnamese women intellectuals, especially as Vietnam has just organized the 2024 National Innovation Day.
The Prime Minister emphasized that throughout thousands of years of nation-building and national defense, Vietnam has always valued intellectuals, considering "Talented individuals as the lifeblood of the nation; when this lifeblood is strong, the country is powerful and prosperous; when it is weak, the country is weak and declines." The Communist Party of Vietnam has determined that "Building a strong and comprehensive intellectual workforce is an investment in building and nurturing the national lifeblood."
For decades, Vietnam has consistently pursued the goal of sustainable development, identifying science and technology as a top national priority. At the same time, it has always emphasized the role of women, striving tirelessly to promote gender equality, develop a team of female scientists, and create the best conditions for women to develop their talents, overcome their limitations, and contribute to the country, the region, and the world.
Over nearly 40 years of reform, under the leadership of the Party and with the joint efforts and solidarity of the entire nation and international friends, including the important contributions of intellectuals and female intellectuals, Vietnam has achieved many great and historically significant accomplishments.
Vietnam has become a middle-income developing country; its GDP per capita has increased 58 times compared to before the reforms, reaching US$4,300 in 2023; ranking 34th among major economies and among the top 20 countries in terms of global trade volume.
Vietnam is recognized by the United Nations as one of the leading countries in implementing the Millennium Development Goals; and is regarded by the international community as a symbol of friendship and healing the wounds of war.
Vietnam's ranking in the 2024 Global Innovation Index has improved significantly, reaching 44th out of 133 countries. Vietnam has become a trusted destination for many leading global technology corporations such as Samsung, Google, Apple, Meta, Nvidia, and others.
National goals on gender equality have always been prioritized. In 2023, Vietnam achieved or exceeded 11 out of 20 targets set in the National Strategy on Gender Equality for 2025. Vietnam's Gender Equality Index in 2023 ranked 72nd out of 146 countries, an increase of 11 places compared to 2022.
The Prime Minister assessed that, in the context of increasingly deep globalization and international integration, the fourth industrial revolution is impacting all aspects of social life, and the world is facing many major challenges such as natural disasters, epidemics, climate change, population aging, resource depletion, and gender inequality...
These are issues that are both global and national in nature, requiring close cooperation and great efforts from countries, communities, and especially from the scientific community. "It is female scientists and engineers, with their intelligence and acumen, who are and will continue to contribute to finding innovative and effective solutions to overcome these challenges," the Prime Minister emphasized.
Expressing his pleasure at learning that the Vietnam Women Intellectuals Association has carried out many rich, practical, innovative, and diversified activities in recent times, the Prime Minister pointed out that the Association has created scientific forums for women intellectuals to demonstrate their creativity, dedication, and passion for scientific research; and has made positive contributions to the development and implementation of socio-economic development policies. These include 264 published scientific works, research papers, and reports; over 130 scientific and technological products by 26 female scientists showcased in the exhibition "Achievements in Science and Technology of Vietnamese Women Intellectuals"; and more than 200 products on the direct and online technology and scientific and technological product exchange platform...
The Association brings together individuals who have been honored nationally and internationally, receiving prestigious scientific awards such as the Ho Chi Minh Prize, the State Prize for Science and Technology, the Vifotex Prize, the Kovalevskaia Prize, the Loreal-UNESCO Prize, and other international awards… for female scientists.
The Prime Minister mentioned scientists such as: Labor Hero, Associate Professor-Doctor Nguyen Thi Tram, who created dozens of high-yield and high-quality hybrid rice varieties; Labor Hero, Professor-Doctor Huynh Thi Phuong Lien, who made miracles for the country's medicine such as producing the inactivated Japanese encephalitis vaccine (a successful first-generation vaccine); and the Trinh Nu Hoang Cung medicine product of Pharmacist Dr. Nguyen Thi Ngoc Tram, which has been exported to the United States and Europe...
At the same time, it was stated that the Association has effectively supported female intellectuals in starting businesses, creating valuable products and services; participating in environmental protection and community development, contributing to building a sustainable society; affirming that the Vietnam Women Intellectuals Association has gradually demonstrated its pivotal role in uniting and promoting the creativity of female intellectuals, contributing to the socio-economic development of the country, and participating in the activities of the Asia-Pacific Network of Women Scientists and Engineers Conference.
Looking towards a new era of development, Vietnam has always paid special attention to science and technology and innovation, considering it an objective requirement, a strategic choice, and a top priority for rapid and sustainable development; contributing to solving important issues such as climate change, resource depletion, population aging, and improving labor productivity...
The Prime Minister emphasized that, with the spirit of "innovation to break through, surpass oneself - creativity to reach further and soar higher in the digital age and green development of humanity," Vietnam strives to catch up, keep pace with, and surpass the world's innovation process.
The Prime Minister affirmed that the Government highly values and strongly promotes international cooperation in research, transfer, and application of modern technology for development; creating all favorable conditions for intellectuals, including female intellectuals, to maximize their capabilities and dedication to participate in entrepreneurship and innovation; through the continued improvement of mechanisms and policies; strong investment in scientific and technological research, infrastructure for green transformation and digital transformation. At the same time, priority is given to financial resources, focusing on training high-quality human resources, improving modern management capacity for scientific and technological research and development; encouraging creativity and the application of science and technology in production and daily life...
On this occasion, the Prime Minister respectfully thanked and expressed his hope that the International Network of Women Scientists and Engineers would continue to pay attention to, closely coordinate with, and share experiences with Vietnam; connect and create conditions for Vietnamese women intellectuals to access, learn from, and have opportunities to work, exchange, and cooperate with experts, scientists, and high-tech enterprises around the world; and support technology transfer, human resource training, capacity building in governance, and the development of institutions, mechanisms, and policies.
The Prime Minister emphasized that women play an extremely important role in the development of each family, each society, and each nation. Women are not only mothers and wives but also workers, entrepreneurs, engineers, and scientists, playing a central role and being the main actors in building and developing the care economy. They also contribute to promoting the development of science, technology, innovation, and sustainable development in each country, region, and the world.
The Prime Minister hopes that the International Network of Women Scientists and Engineers and the Vietnam Women Intellectuals Association will achieve even more practical and meaningful results, making increasingly significant contributions to national development and the building of the Asia-Pacific region, as well as a peaceful, just, humane, compassionate, civilized, and sustainably developed world.
Regarding the proposal to establish a fund to support young female scientists by the Association of Women Intellectuals, the Prime Minister instructed the President of the Vietnam Women's Union to coordinate with the Minister of Finance to study the establishment in accordance with the law.
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