Vietnamese experts urge better schools

Professor Nguyen Van Hieu, former chairman of the Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, said researchers should take the initiative to link up with research institutes and universities to train students.

The government should ensure laboratories are used efficiently and that good researchers get stable incomes, he said.

It should also enable researchers to collaborate with their counterparts from other countries, he said.

Prof Pham Phu of the HCM City University of Technology agreed, adding the government should channel ODA funds into human-resource training.

For the development of natural sciences, Hieu listed seven fields the Government should prioritise - math, environmental protection, space science, agriculture, pharmaceutical science, information technology, and nano-technology.

The development of natural sciences will help the country effectively protect the environment, forecast natural calamities, and mitigate damages caused by them, he said.