Day: October 22, 2022

With COVID-19 well under control, Ho Chi Minh City’s trade, service and tourism sectors have been working to promote their digital transformation, especially supply chain technology.

 

 

 

The municipal chapter of the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI) and the Gotadi Travel Technologies JSC have recently signed a memorandum of understanding on boosting cooperation in the promotion of trade, services and tourism. The two sides also agreed to strengthen support for the business community to implement their innovation and digital transformation process in the fields.

 

 

 

The partnership was formed in the context that the municipal Tourism Department is stepping up the implementation of a smart tourism project, which aims to develop a tourism-service data system serving the needs from visitors, residents, travel companies, and management agencies.

 

 

 

It will build an ecosystem of closely related information technology solutions, which use a tourism sharing database to help tourists and residents look up tourist information, search for and book tickets, and accommodations, among other travel items. This will help enhance the experience for domestic and foreign consumers.

 

According to Bui Thi Ngoc Hieu, deputy head of the department, the sector has so far operated a smart tourism application, employed 3D technology in tourism advertisements, and posted the city’s tourism resources on the Google Earth and Google Map platforms. HCM City’s tourism products are available on the e-commerce trading floors such as Shopee and Traveloka.

 

 

 

In the first nine months of 2022, the southern metropolis reeled in over 804.7 trillion VND (32.53 billion USD) in retail and service revenue, up 25.9% annually.

 

 

 

As of September, it welcomed 21.6 million domestic and more than 2.1 million foreign tourists./.

 

Source: Vietnam News Agency

 

 

The south-central province of Binh Thuan will host the Visit Vietnam Year 2023 with the focus on promoting green tourism.

 

 

 

According to a plan recently approved by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, with the theme of “Binh Thuan: Green Tourism”, a host of activities are scheduled to spotlight green products and clean energy, cultural heritage and traditional values of Vietnam, serving green growth and sustainable tourism development.

 

 

 

They include an international food festival, summer camp, and sport, musical and carnival events, among others.

 

 

 

A ceremony to announce the “Visit Vietnam Year 2023 – Binh Thuan: Green Tourism” is scheduled to be organised in December.

 

The opening ceremony of the programme will take place in March 2023, while the closing ceremony is slated for December 2023.

 

 

 

Along with the activities hosted by Binh Thuan, ministries, sectors and localities nationwide will organise events in response to the programme so as to speed up tourism recovery and development./.

 

Source: Vietnam News Agency

 

 

The Vietnam Design Week 2022 will take place in Hanoi, the central city of Hue and Ho Chi Minh City from November 5-11.

 

 

 

Co-organised by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism’s Vietnam Institute of Culture and Arts Studies (VICAS) and Vietnam Design Group, the week will take the theme “Beyond Expectations” which is intended to seek and honour outstanding products and designers in fields that serve human’s everyday life such as Communication design, Living design, Decor & Object design, Clothing design, and Public design.

 

 

 

It will feature a series of events such as displays, seminars, and shows, aiming to stimulate the development of the cultural and innovative industry in general and designing in particular.

 

The organising board has so far selected 31 entries for completion for the final of the Designed by VietNam contest.

 

 

 

Last year, the week, themed “Awakening Traditions”, aimed to renew traditional values and promote sustainable design trends. It was co-hosted by the VICAS in collaboration with the Hanoi Department of Culture and Sports and the Centre for Scientific and Cultural Activities of the Temple of Literature./.

 

 

 

Source: Vietnam News Agency

 

A Vietnamese delegation led by Politburo member, Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) Central Committee and head of its Commission for Internal Affairs Phan Dinh Trac paid a working trip to Chile from October 19-22.

 

 

 

During the visit, Trac, who is also permanent deputy head of the Central Steering Committee for Anti-Corruption and permanent deputy head of the Central Steering Committee for Judicial Reform, met with General Secretary of the Communist Party of Chile (CPC) Lautaro Carmona.

 

 

 

He also held working sessions with Minister and Chief of the Cabinet of the Presidency Ana Lya Uriarte; Minister of National Defence Maya Fernández Allende; Undersecretary of Foreign Affairs Ximena Fuentes; Undersecretary of Justice Jaime Gajardo; member of the CPC’s Politburo, member of the Chamber of Deputies of Chile and President of the Chile-Vietnam Friendship Parliamentarians’ Group Karol Cariola.

 

 

 

During the meetings, Trac affirmed Vietnam’s consistent foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, peace, friendship, cooperation and development; multilateralisation and diversification of external relations; active and proactive global integration, building a comprehensive and modern diplomatic sector on the back of the collective strength of three pillars, namely Party diplomacy, State diplomacy and people-to-people diplomacy.

 

He expressed his belief that traditional friendship and comprehensive partnership between Vietnam and Chile will keep growing for the interests of the two countries and for peace, stability, cooperation and development in the two regions and the world at large.

 

 

 

The Chilean leaders believed that the visit will further promote the friendship and cooperation between the CPV and political parties in the ruling left-wing coalition in Chile, between the two States, Governments and peoples.

 

 

 

Leaders of Chilean political parties and Government agencies outlined specific measures to further boost bilateral ties, particularly in economy, trade and investment, as well as relations with the CPV in the near future.

 

 

 

Both sides pledged to enhance the exchange of delegations at all levels, maintain bilateral consultation mechanisms, jointly propose measures to lift two-way trade, promote cultural and people-to-people exchange to bring bilateral ties to a new development period.

 

 

 

Following the Chile visit, the Vietnamese delegation will pay a working trip to Argentina./.

 

 

 

Source: Vietnam News Agency

 

The Delegation of Vietnam to the UN on October 21 discussed the country’s contributions to and priorities at the UN with a delegation of learners from the US Military Academy.

 

 

 

This meeting took place within the framework of the academy’s training course for a strategic studies class whose learners are officers of the US army and other countries, including one officer from the Vietnam People’s Army.

 

 

 

At the event, Ambassador Nguyen Phuong Tra, Charge d’affaires a.i. of Vietnam to the UN, briefed the delegation on Vietnam’s participation in and contributions to the UN since its membership began in 1977.

 

 

 

Vietnam always strives to make maximum contributions within its capabilities to the common work of the UN regarding all three pillars of sustainable development, human rights protection and promotion, and maintenance of international peace and security, she affirmed.

 

 

 

Tra said as a responsible member of the UN, the Vice Chair of the 77th UN General Assembly, and a member of the UN Human Rights Council for the 2023-2025 tenure and many other important UN agencies, Vietnam will continue to work with other countries to deploy the UN’s major initiatives and priorities in the coming time.

 

The sides discussed a series of matters, including challenges facing the UN in the current period, and Vietnam’s foreign policy in relations with big countries at the UN and its efforts in ensuring and promoting human rights as well as in Vietnam’s engagement in UN peacekeeping activities, among others./.

 

Source: Vietnam News Agency

 

 

 

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh handed over the President’s appointment decisions to Minister of Health Dao Hong Lan and Minister of Transport Nguyen Van Thang for the 2021-2026 tenure during a ceremony in Hanoi on October 22.

 

 

 

Speaking at the event, PM Chinh asked the new ministers to uphold solidarity with other Government members and strive to overcome difficulties and fulfill assigned tasks.

 

 

 

Lan vowed to seriously follow the Party’s regulations and the Government’s working rules, and unite with the Party delegation to the Health Ministry to protect achievements in the fight against COVID-19 and other epidemics.

 

 

 

She also promised to continue with administrative reform, deal with the shortage of medicines and medical equipment, strengthen grassroots and preventive medicine systems, and improve the quality of medical staff to care for people’s health.

 

 

 

Thang, for his part, pledged to do his best and stay united with officials, public employees and workers of the transport sector to follow the Party’s guidelines and the State’s policies and laws regarding transport development.

 

 

 

In the immediate future, he vowed to step up the progress of key national projects, tackle obstacles to build-operate-transfer (BOT) projects, pool all possible resources for transport development, and actively fight corruption and negative behaviours to create a favourable environment for investment in the sector.

 

 

 

Earlier on October 21, Lan and Thang were approved by the 15th National Assembly at its ongoing 4th session as Minister of Health and Minister of Transport, respectively, following Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh’s nominations.

 

 

 

Lan, 51 and from Hai Duong province, has a Master’s Degree in economics. She became acting Health Minister this July from her then post as Secretary of the Party Committee of Bac Ninh province.

 

 

 

Thang, 49 and from Hanoi, holds a Ph.D. in finance and is a Party Central Committee member, 13th term. Previously, he had worked for VietinBank for 18 years, holding many positions like Director of VietinBank Hanoi branch, CEO of the bank, and then Chairman.

 

 

 

In July 2018, Thang became Vice Chairman of the Quang Ninh People’s Committee, then Deputy Secretary of the provincial Party Committee, and Chairman of the People’s Committee. He became Secretary of Dien Bien’s Party Committee in October 2020./.

 

Source: Vietnam News Agency

 

The Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism (MCST) has asked the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to direct the Vietnamese Embassy in France to verify information related to two Nguyen Dynasty antiques which is about to be auctioned in France by auction house Million.

 

 

 

According to a release published on its website, the French auction house, founded in 1928, will put up for auction 329 antiques at 11am on October 31 (Paris time). Two among them were said to be from the last Vietnamese feudal dynasty Nguyen Dynasty (1802-1945). They are a golden seal cast in 1823 during the reign of King Minh Mang (1820-1841) and a golden bowl dating back to the reign of King Khai Dinh (1917-1925).

 

The ministry’s Department of Cultural Heritage said that if the seal was the ‘Hoang de chi bao (Emperor’s Treasure)’, it had been used for public and political activities of the country throughout a historical period and carried significant historical and cultural values.

 

In its dispatch sent to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA), the MCST has urged the MoFA to direct the embassy to work with Million to quickly verify a series of information related to the items, including their owner, legality, expected selling price, and the ability to negotiate direct purchase without auction.

 

 

 

The body also asked for a suitable option to repatriate the antiques based on the results of discussion with the auction house and in accordance with the laws of the host country and international practices./.

 

Source: Vietnam News Agency

 

 

The Vietnam National University, Hanoi (VNU) has won the QS Recognition of Improvement, making it the first in the country to secure the accreditation.

 

 

 

The award will be presented to university at the 20th QS Higher Ed Summit: Asia Pacific to be held in Indonesia on November 8-10.

 

 

 

The “Recognition of Quality Improvement” certification is awarded to organisations that demonstrate a significant improvement in rating results based on an improvement in average rank.

 

 

 

In order to improve its results in the QS world university rankings, an institution needs to not only improve against itself, but also demonstrate improvement compared to other ranked institutions, with regards to the criteria of reputation, research prestige and ability to attract and retain international students and staff, among others.

 

 

 

In recent years, the VNU has maintained its position in the top 801-1000 in the rankings. Its position has steady rose from the top 78.5% of the world’s best universities in 2019 to the top 65.3% in 2023.

 

 

 

Currently, the establishment is also present in Group 101-150 in the QS global young universities rankings./.

 

Source: Vietnam News Agency