Displaying scientific and technological achievements through books

16 booths displaying books, products from scientific research results, especially the Nasati knowledge transmission model were introduced at the 2023 Science and Technology Book Exhibition.

The exhibition with the theme " Reading culture inspires innovation" takes place from May 17 to 19, at the National Agency for Science and Technology Information (Nasati). The event is part of a series of events to celebrate Vietnam Science and Technology Day on May 18, in response to Vietnam Book and Reading Culture Day.

In his opening speech, Deputy Minister of Science and Technology Le Xuan Dinh said that the book exhibition was organized with the desire to build a reading movement, aiming to build a learning society and acquire knowledge. He emphasized that in order for Vietnam's science and technology foundation to develop quickly and sustainably, scientists must be given the most favorable environment to promote their creativity. To build the foundation, information and science and technology libraries are fundamental and important potentials.

Deputy Minister of Science and Technology Le Xuan Dinh delivered the opening speech at the 2023 Science and Technology Book Exhibition. Photo: NASATI — Deputy Minister Le Xuan Dinh delivered the opening speech at the 2023 Science and Technology Book Exhibition. Photo: *NASATI*

He said that in recent years, the Ministry of Science and Technology has focused on the potential for science and technology development through focal units such as Nasati and the Science and Technology Publishing House. He highly appreciated the efforts of the two units and wished to continue to innovate both in terms of content and form, providing science and technology information to meet development requirements.

Mr. Tran Dac Hien, Director of Nasati, said that reading culture is gradually fading away due to the strong development on digital platforms. Recent data from the Ministry of Information and Communications shows that in Vietnam, about 30% of people regularly read books, 26% do not read, and 44% read occasionally. On average, each Vietnamese person reads 4 books, 2.8% of which are textbooks. Meanwhile, Singaporeans read 14 books/year, Japanese people read 20 books/year, Israelis read 64 books, and among the 61 countries with the highest reading rates in the world, Vietnam is not included. He hopes that the exhibition will send a message to read books, contributing to restoring and promoting reading culture among the public.

Mr. Tran Dac Hien speaking at the exhibition. Photo: NASATI — Mr. Tran Dac Hien speaking at the exhibition. Photo: *NASATI*

The exhibition has 16 booths displaying products formed from the results of scientific research and technological innovation, in which the Nasati knowledge boat model stands out. The boat carries about 40 million full-text electronic documents, 340,000 domestic scientific and technological publications, along with 50,000 national, ministerial, provincial and grassroots scientific and technological tasks, nearly 400,000 books and printed magazine titles.