UK Innovation Fellowships for Vietnamese researchers
Vietnamese researchers and scientists will get the chance to learn from UK experts how to develop their links to businesses and exploit the commercial potential of their research.
Newton Fund
Vietnamese researchers and scientists will get the chance to learn from UK experts how to develop their links to businesses and exploit the commercial potential of their research, under a new UK-Vietnam programme to promote science cooperation.
A Memorandum of Understanding on the “Leaders in Innovation Fellowships” programme was signed recently by the UK’s Royal Academy of Engineering (RAEng) and the National Agency for Technology Entrepreneurship and Commercialization (NATEC) under Vietnam’s Ministry of Science and Technology. The programme is within the framework of the Newton Fund between the two Governments.
Under the programme, 14 Vietnamese researchers and scientists will be selected for an 8-day training programme in the UK with the mentorship of the RAEng. After the training, these scientists will continue receiving support from NATEC to sharpen their business skills and refine their business plans to the context of Vietnam’s policies and situation.
For his part, the British Ambassador to Vietnam Mr Giles Lever said:
Britain is an innovation powerhouse. The research conducted in our universities is tackling the biggest problems facing humankind today. British researchers are delighted to share the UK’s experiences and to support Vietnamese scientists in commercialising their innovations. Science, technology and innovation need to play an increasingly important role in Vietnam’s economic growth and competitiveness, and this programme is designed to help turn that aspiration into reality.
The call for applications will be issued on the website of Ministry of Science and Technology in the second week of December 2014. The selection process will be jointly implemented by NATEC and RAEng on the basis of the researches’ outcomes, the potential for commercialization, and the potential contribution to Vietnam’s socio-economic development.
Note for editor:
The Newton Fund is a £375 million ODA fund (for 5 years starting 2014/15) of the UK Government, which is administered by Department for Business, Innovation and Skills. Through the Newton Fund, the UK will develop science and innovation partnerships to promote the economic development and social welfare of partner countries, including Vietnam. Vietnamese Ministry of Science and Technology and British Embassy Hanoi are lead coordinators in the country. The “Leaders in Innovation Fellowships” programme is one of many schemes the Fund offers in Vietnam.
Please click on the Newton Fund website for more information.
For further information about the Newton Fund in Vietnam, please send an email to Ms Phan Lien Huong , Research and Innovation Programme Manager, British Embassy Hanoi.