Recently, a working group of Department of Energy of the University of Science and Technology of Hanoi – USTH (also called Vietnam France University) has visited the University College Cork (UCC) in Ireland.
The visit trip is part of the project “Capacity Building on Energy and Climate”, under the framework of the Vietnam-Ireland bilateral education exchange program. The project is funded 122,000 Euros for two years 2018-2019 by the Irish Aid – an official agency for International Development of the Irish Government.
The project is co- run by USTH’s Clean Energy and Development lab – CleanED and Centre for Marine and Renewable Energy (MaREI) of UCC. It aims to develop human resources for research and teaching about climate and energy planning in Vietnam as well as to enhance international cooperation between Irish and Vietnamese partners in the same region.
Besides the representatives from USTH’s Energy Department, the trip was also attended by representatives from the Institute of Energy Science – Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, Centre for Socio-Economic Information and Forecast – Ministry of Planning and Investment, Institute of Strategy and Policy on Natural Resources and Environment – Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment.
During the visit, the parties discussed the upcoming plan of the project and the application of the long-term energy planning model for sustainable energy development in Vietnam. The Vietnamese group also participated in a short training course on energy planning using the LEAP model. Additionally, the group met experts and visited high-tech facilities of the Tyndall National Research Institute and the Centre for International Energy Research.
Phan Nguyen Tuan Long, Project Assistant and Alumni of Energy Department 2014-2017, said: “Ireland is one of the leading clean energy countries not only in Europe but also in the world. Through the trip, meeting top industry experts and visiting research facilities has helped me gain more experience and knowledge on energy as well as culture, people and working style in Ireland. This will be beneficial me to work with our teachers and colleagues in the most effective way, thereby contributing to sustainable energy development in Vietnam. “
According to Dr. Nguyen Trinh Hoang Anh – Principal Investigator, Vietnam holds large potential of renewable energy and energy saving. However, the problem now is how to reduce the intensity of energy use as well as exploit the types of renewable energy effectively to serve the development of the country in the most sustainable way.
He added that the project, in collaboration with the UCC, aims to develop green development scenarios for Vietnam, including measures to improve energy efficiency and develop wind and solar power most effectively. The learning experience during the trip is crucial for the team to work together with our partners to implement the project effectively and successfully.
Prior to that, in January, the USTH’s Department of Energy signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to establish a partnership for research and training with the UCC. Accordingly, the two sides agreed to promote joint scientific research projects and shared expertise through the exchange of lecturers, students and researchers. They will also work together to build short and long-term training courses at USTH, with the participation of professors from the UCC. It also demonstrates that the USTH has diversified its international partners in research and training to provide the best international education for its students.
