The Science and Technology Journalists Club and the Science and Technology Communication Research and Development Centre have selected and announced the sector’s most notable events in 2013.

1. National Assembly adopts amended Law on Science and Technology 

The 2013 Law on Science and Technology comes into effect on January 1, 2014. Many amendments in the law reflect the Party’s viewpoint that science and technology form an important driver of industrialisation and modernisation in a socialist-oriented market economy and in the context of international integration. 

2. Vietnam’s first observation satellite put into orbit 

Vietnam’s first observation satellite, VNREDSat-1, was launched into space on May 7. Its mission is to capture images of the Vietnamese territory for scientific research. Later in the year, a microsatellite made by Vietnamese scientists was launched into space aboard Japan’s HTV-4 cargo spacecraft. 

3. Genomes of native Vietnamese rice varieties sequenced 

The genetic secrets of 36 rice varieties endemic to Vietnam were uncovered, opening a new window on the selection and creation of healthy and high-yielding rice varieties. 

4. Viettel’s technological mastery helps modernise military 

Viettel Telecoms has supported the modernisation of the armed forces by providing high-tech military devices to ensure continuous communication between different military divisions. 

5. Meet Vietnam programme enjoys success 

The 9th Meet Vietnam programme, organised in the south-central province of Binh Dinh, was a great opportunity for young Vietnamese scientists to exchange experience and broaden their knowledge. The event was attended by over 200 Vietnamese and international scientists, including five Nobel Prize winners and Professor Ngo Bao Chau, recipient of the Fields Medal. 

6. Highly enriched uranium removed from Vietnam 

The Da Lat Nuclear Research Institute repatriated 16 kilograms of highly enriched uranium back to Russia with the assistance of Russian and American scientists. 

7. Vietnam signs nuclear deals for peaceful purposes 

In 2013, Vietnam signed co-operation agreements on the use of nuclear power for peaceful purposes with the US and the UK. 

8. Foreign-funded projects promote scientific and technological innovation 

The first stage of the Vietnam–Finland Innovation Partnership Programme (IPP) concluded with notable success in promoting innovation activities in Vietnam. 

The World Bank provided 110 million USD to the Fostering Innovation through Research, Science and Technology (FIRST) project in Vietnam. 

9. Vietnamese scientists’ research published in Nature magazine 

Vietnamese scientists, in collaboration with researchers from Columbia University, published their study on arsenic contamination in groundwater. They were responsible for organising the field work and carrying out the monitoring throughout the study. 

10. Vietnam inaugurates first Southeast Asia Museum 

The Southeast Asia Museum, located on the campus of the Vietnamese Ethnology Museum in Hanoi, opened on November 30. This is the first museum to feature the cultures of countries around Southeast Asia.