HÀ NỘI – The central province of Bình Định will host the 12^th Recontres du Việt Nam (Meeting Việt Nam) next month – an international science conference set to feature about 250 domestic and foreign scientists, including several Nobel Laureates.

The conference “Fundamental science and Society” is the biggest event international exchange event held by Meeting Việt Nam this year.

Among the participants are 2004 Nobel laureate in physics David Gross, 1990 Nobel laureate in physics Jerome Friedman, 1984 Nobel Laureate in physics Carlo Rubbia, 2002 Nobel laureate in chemistry Kurt Wuthrich, 2004 Nobel laureate in economics Finn Kydland, 2007 Nobel laureate in peace Jean Jouzel and Fields Medal winner mathematician Ngô Bảo Châu.

The conference also marks the 50th anniversary of the “Rencontres de Moriond”, one of the most widely anticipated annual physics conferences throughout the world, founded by physicist Jean Trần Thanh Vân.

After establishing the “Rencontres de Moriond”, Vân went on to set up the “Rencontres de Blois”, then the “Rencontres du Vietnam” in his country of origin.. Since 1993 the Rencontres du Vietnam , a science and education foundation has held numerous international conferences aimed at helping young scientists establish contacts with international colleagues. It has also organised thematic scientific schools throughout the country to improve tertiary education.

Speaking at the press briefing yesterday, Minister of Science and Technology Chu Ngọc Anh said the 12^th Recontres du Việt Nam offered great opportunities for domestic and foreign scientists to learn and co-operate with each other.

This year’s conference also sees participants from the business arena, which is expected to help academic studies and research become practical applications, he said.

He also emphasised that Việt Nam attached importance to fundamental sciences, which are the roots of any scientific advances.

Prof. Nguyễn Văn Hiệu, former head of the Việt Nam Academy of Sciences and Technology said that it took decades for a scientific invention to be applied in daily life.

The Recontres du Việt Nam had accompanied Vietnamese scientists for more than 20 years, helping ideas grow through scientific exchanges, Hiệu said, adding that some start-up in Việt Nam were the results of the exchanges.

This year is the forth year central Bình Định Province has hostsed the international scientific exchange Recontres du Việt Nam. -- VNS