On November 3, 2018, the University of Science and Technology of Hanoi (USTH) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the French National Centre for Space Studies (CNES), the third largest space research center in the world, to promote training and research activities in the field of Space science.
The event was within the framework of French delegation’s visit to USTH, including representatives of prestigious French educational and research institutions. The visit involved the signing of different cooperative agreements, which played a significant role in the development of USTH.
The signing ceremony was attended by Mr. Jean-Yves Legall- President of CNES, Mr. Jean-Paul Moatti- President of French Research Institute for Development, Mr. Bernard Legube – Chairman of USTH Consortium, Assoc.Prof. Dinh Thi Mai Thanh – USTH Acting Rector, Prof. Yannick Giraud-Heraud – Director of Space and Aeronautics; as well as other lecturers, researchers and experts in the field of Space.
According to the President of CNES, Mr. Jean-Yves Legall, the signing ceremony “marked a significant milestone in the partnership between the USTH and CNES.” Earlier on November 16, 2015, USTH signed the first MoU with CNES, laying the foundation for joint training and research activities between the two parties. With the positive results obtained after the first MoU, USTH and CNES have agreed to sign the agreement phase 2, which mainly focuses on the training activities to provide high skilled labor in the field for Vietnam.
Accordingly, CNES will continue to send their experienced professionals to give courses for USTH students, as well as to coordinate and develop the Space and Applications training programs. In addition, CNES also facilitates opportunities for internship and project participation for USTH students at its headquarters in France. Working with experts from a leading organization in Space in Europe will open up valuable opportunities for USTH lecturers and students in studying or working later.
The National Centre for Space Studies (CNES) is a government space agency under the supervision of the French Ministries of Defense and Research. By April 2018, CNES has had the second largest national budget of all the world’s civilian space programs, only after NASA. With NASA and ESA (European Space Agency), CNES is 1 of 3 leading space agencies of the world.
It is also one of the key partners of Vietnam in the field of space science, participating in three most important satellite launchings of our country. In 2013, Vietnam’s first remote sensing satellite – VNREDSat-1, which is under the Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, was launched successfully with the support of CNES.
As one of the pioneering universities in the field of space science in Vietnam, as well as the only university offers a master’s degree in this field, USTH is constantly fostering cooperations with prestigious institutions in Vietnam and abroad, to provide golden opportunities for lecturers and students in training and research. The close cooperation with CNES promises to help training and scientific research activities at USTH to reach the international standard.
