Professor Shinya Echigo and Visiting Professor Shigeo Fujii (Professor Emeritus, Kyoto University) of GSGES, Kyoto University visited nine universities and four institutions in four cities in Vietnam from March 2 to 10, 2023.　(Part 2 : Danang・Hanoi）

This is Part 2 of the Vietnam visit report of Professor Shigeo Fujii and Professor Shinya Echigo.

On the morning of Tuesday, March 7, the team traveled to Danang by a car, arranged by HUAF. During lunch, the team met two GSGES graduates of Tran Nguyen Quynh Anh (Ph.D. program, completed in September 2016) and Hao Ho Dac (M.S. program, completed in September 2020) and heard about their activities (Photo 12). The team then visited the University of Danang and its affiliate, University of Technology and Science, the University of Danang (DUT). The University of Danang is the second university to participate in the Asia Platform Project after Hue University, and worked as one of three core universities together with Hue University and Hanoi University of Science and Technology (HUST) in the JSPS Core-to-Core programs (FY2013-15, FY2016-2018).

At the University of Danang, the team paid a courtesy visit to Vice-president Le Quang Son. During the meeting, Dr. Hoang Hai, Director of the Japan Center and Dr. Ton Nu Tra Mi, Deputy Director of Administration, University of Danang, and Dr. Tran Van Quang, former Dean, Dr. Nguyen Dinh Huan, Dean, and Dr. Phan Nhu Thuc, Vice-dean of the Faculty of Environmental Sciences, DUT joined the meeting to discuss future research cooperation. The meeting ended with an exchange of gifts (Photo 13) and a commemorative photo (Photo 14). After that, Dr. TV Quang took the team to DUT by his car to meet with Rector Nguyen Huu Hieu of Danang University of Technology and five others. After meeting, they exchanged gifts and took a commemorative photo (Photo 15), followed by a tour of laboratories at DUT, and then returned to the hotel. The former Dean of the Faculty of Environmental Studies, Dr. TV Quang, has long cooperated with GSGES in education and research, including the dispatch of internship students.

[Photo 12] Meeting with GSGES graduates at Danang (March 7)
From left to right: Hao Ho Dac, Shinya Echigo, Shigeo Fujii, Tran Nguyen Quynh Anh.

[Photo 13] Gift exchange between President Le Quang Son Vice- (University of Danang) and Professor Shinya Echigo (Kyoto University) (March 7) (Left: from Kyoto University, Right: from University of Danang)

[Photo 14] Group photo at the University of Danang (March 7)
From left to right: Hoang Hai, Ton Nu Tra Mi, Tran Van Quang, Shinya Echigo, Le Quang Son, Shigeo Fujii, Nguyen Dinh Huan, Pham Nhu Thuc.

[Photo 15] Group photo at University of Science and Technology, the University of Danang (March 7)
Nguyen Huu Hieu Rector (4th from right)

On March 8 (Wed.), the team moved from Danang to Hanoi by air in the morning. After that, at the hotel where the team stayed in Hanoi, the team became five members by joining Director Eiji Nawata, Ms. Chisato Saito, URA, and Ms. Ai Ichimiya from the ASEAN Center, KU in Bangkok. In Hanoi, the team first went to the Corner Stone Building, where many Japan-related organizations and companies have their offices, and then visited the JICA (Japan International Cooperation Agency) Vietnam Office and the JASSO (Japan Student Services Organization) Vietnam Office. The JICA Vietnam Office has helped GSGES on various occasions, including grassroots projects in Hue and the JICA-JDS scholarship program for students from Vietnam. At JICA, the team met with Mr. Amae Tsuchimoto, Ms. Mayumi Nakamura, and Ms. Trinh Thuc Thanh Thuy, and introduced the activities of the GSGES and ASEAN Center, and discussed future cooperation with JICA in Vietnam (Photo 16). The team then visited the JASSO Vietnam Office, and met Director Takeshi Hasegawa to hear about the current situations of Vietnamese students studying abroad (Photo 17). JASSO also has an overseas office in Bangkok, Thailand, in a building across Asoke Road from the ASEAN office. GSGES is grateful for their support at study abroad fairs and other events held in various locations overseas.

[Photo 16] Group photo at JICA Vietnam Office (March 8)
From left to right: Mayumi Nakamura, Ai Ichimiya, Amae Tsuchihaa, Saito Chisato, Shinya Echigo, Shigeo Fujii, Eiji Nawata, Trinh Thuc Thanh Thuy.

[Photo 17] Group photo at JASSO Vietnam Office (March 8)
From left to right: Ai Ichimiya, Takeshi Hagiwara, Shinya Echigo, Shigeo Fujii, Eiji Nawata, Chisato Saito.

On Thursday, March 9, the team visited Hanoi University of Science and Technology (HUST) (Photo 18). The collaboration between HUST and GSGES began with the return to HUST of Dr. Nguyen Pham Hong Lien, who obtained her Ph.D. at GS of Engineering, KU in September 2007. GSGES’s proposal for “Formation of Strategic Environmental Leadership Center”, one of the Special Coordination Funds for Promoting Science and Technology was accepted (abbreviated as EML in the adopted proposal), and GSGES selected HUST as a university installing its overseas field campus to implement the project (FY 2008-2012), which has accelerated its educational and research collaboration. The overseas field campus was also installed at HUAF.

At HUST, the team first paid a courtesy visit to President Huynh Quyet Thang, whom Prof. Fujii has known since the start of the EML project. He was invited to Kyoto University for the EML kick-off symposium (March 5, 2009 in Kyoto). At that time, he was the Dean of the School of Informatics, but has been promoted to Vice-president and then President. Prof. Huynh Trung Hai, Head of Research Management Office, Dr. Phung Lan Huong, Head of External Affairs Office, Dr. Nguyen Thi Anh Tuyet (KU graduate, completed Ph.D. at GS of Energy Science in September 2004), Dean of the School of Environmental Science and Engineering, and Dr. NPH Lien, Lecturer, joined the courtesy visit to discuss future collaboration in education and research. The courtesy visit ended with an exchange of gifts (Photo 19) and a commemorative photo (Photo 20), and the team then moved on to the School of Environmental Science and Technology (INEST). The School was a research institute before, known as INEST (Institute for Environmental Science and Technology), and the abbreviation (INEST) is still used after it changed the School.

[Photo 18] Photo in front of the headquarter office building of Hanoi University of Science and Technology (March 9)
From left to right: Ai Ichimiya, Eiji Nawata, Shinya Echigo, Shigeo Fujii, Nguyen Thi Anh Tuyet, Chisato Saito, Nguyen Pham Hong Lien.

[Photo 19] Gift exchange between Huynh Quyet Thang President (HUST) and Prof. Shinya Echigo (GSGES) (Left: from GSGES, Right: from HUST)

[Photo 20] Group photo at the courtesy visit to the president of Hanoi University of Science and Technology (March 9)
From left to right: Nguyen Pham Hong Lien, Phung Lan Huong, Nguyen Thi Anh Tuyet, Huynh Trung Hai, Huynh Quyet Thang, Shinya Echigo, Shigeo Fujii, Eiji Nawata, Saito Chisato, Ai Ichimiya.

At INEST, the team met Dean NTA Tuyet, former Dean Nghiem Trung Dung, Vice-dean Dang Xuan Hien, Vice-dean Nguyen Duc Quang, and about 15 other faculty members (Photo 21), discussed future collaboration, exchanged gifts, and took a group photo (Photo 22). The team then visited the GSGES office at INEST (Photo 23) and toured the laboratory (Photo 24). In the evening of the same day, the Kyoto University Alumni Reunion (Photo 25) was held at a restaurant in Hanoi. The reunion was attended by a total of 23 people, including Kyoto University graduates, Seeds Find recipients, and other related members.

[Photo 21] Presentation by Prof. Shinya Echigo at INEST, HUST (March 9)

[Photo 22] Group photo at INEST, HUST (March 9)
From left to right in front:Chisato Saito, Eiji Nawata, Shigeo Fujii, Shinya Echigo, Nguyen Thi Anh Tuyet, Nghiem Trung Dung, Dang Xuan Hien.

[Photo 23] Group photo in front of GEGSE Office at INEST, HUST (March 9)

[Photo 24] Laboratory Tour at INEST (March 9)

[Photo 25]　A scene at Hanoi KU Alumni Reunion (March 9)

Table 1: Schedule of Prof. Shinya Echigo and Visiting Prof. Shigeo Fujii’s visit to Vietnam

Visit Report Part 1

Visit Report Part 3