On 15 December 2025, the University of Science and Technology of Hanoi (USTH) welcomed and held a working meeting with a delegation from Université Paris-Saclay (France) to discuss prospects for future cooperation in education, with a particular focus on postgraduate training.
The delegation from Université Paris-Saclay included Prof. Sandrine Ongeri, Vice-President for Doctoral Studies; Assoc. Prof. Isabelle Turbica, Deputy Director of the HeaDS Graduate School and Co-Director of the Master’s program “Pharmaceutical Biotechnology and Innovative Therapies”; Prof. Myriam Taverna, Director of the Galien Paris-Saclay Institute (IGPS, CNRS); and Assoc. Prof. Duc Mai, Co-coordinator of collaborative programmes in chemistry, pharmacy, and medicine between Université Paris-Saclay and partners in Vietnam.
Representing USTH were Prof. Jean-Marc Lavest, Principal Rector; Assoc. Prof. Nguyen Hai Dang, Vice Rector and Director of the Department of Life Sciences; Assoc. Prof. Nguyen Van Quynh, Director of the Department of Advanced Materials Science and Nanotechnology; Assoc. Prof. Mai Huong, Deputy Director of the Department of Chemical and Environmental Technology, and Ms. Do Thi Thuy Trang, Deputy Head of the Department of Research, Innovation and International Affairs.
In his opening remarks, Prof. Jean-Marc Lavest, Principal Rector of USTH, presented the context of science and technology development in Vietnam, the establishment and development of USTH, and highlighted the University’s strengths in training and research. He reaffirmed USTH’s mission to train high-quality human resources in science and technology, meeting the demands of international integration and contributing to Vietnam’s sustainable development goals.
As a long-standing member of the USTH Consortium —the Consortium of French universities and research organisations supporting USTH—Université Paris-Saclay has accompanied and supported USTH for many years through various training and research collaborations. Prof. Jean-Marc Lavest expressed his hope that the partnership between the two institutions would continue to be strengthened and expanded, thereby creating high-quality academic and research opportunities for USTH lecturers, researchers, and students.
During the meeting, Prof. Sandrine Ongeri, Vice-President for Doctoral Studies, introduced the key achievements and figures of Université Paris-Saclay. It currently enrols 43,500 students, including 21,000 undergraduate students, 18,000 master’s students, and 4,400 doctoral candidates. Ranked 13th worldwide, Université Paris-Saclay is recognised for excellence across several disciplines, notably Mathematics, Physics, and Ecology. It operates a network of 220 laboratories and 550 experimental platforms, producing over 13,000 international publications annually, accounting for approximately 13% of France’s total scientific output.
Prof. Sandrine Ongeri also presented an overview of postgraduate training at Université Paris-Saclay, highlighting opportunities for master’s and doctoral studies. Each year, Université Paris-Saclay allocates funding for 120 international master’s scholarships, 400 fully funded doctoral grants, and an additional 30 scholarships for double doctoral programs in collaboration with partner universities. She emphasised that these schemes offer valuable financial support opportunities for Vietnamese students, particularly those from USTH wishing to pursue graduate studies at Université Paris-Saclay.
The two sides discussed broader prospects for academic cooperation, with a strong emphasis on doctoral-level collaboration. Prof. Sandrine Ongeri proposed that the two institutions consider signing a framework agreement for cotutelle doctoral training, thereby facilitating doctoral candidates’ academic pathways, research activities, and dissertation development.
In response, Prof. Jean-Marc Lavest expressed USTH’s interest in further strengthening cooperation with Université Paris-Saclay in developing Vietnam–France bachelor double-degree programs, as well as exploring potential collaboration in the field of Nuclear Engineering.
At the conclusion of the meeting, the delegation from Université Paris-Saclay visited USTH’s laboratory and research facilities to gain first-hand insight into the training and research environment.
The meeting concluded successfully, paving the way for new and expanded opportunities for cooperation between USTH and Université Paris-Saclay across multiple academic and research domains in the future.
Some highlights of the event:
