Engineers, technicians contribute to ASEAN's development

HÀ NỘI — The Government of Việt Nam will continue creating favourable conditions for Vietnamese engineers and technicians and those from other ASEAN countries to join co-operative programmes and initiatives launched by the ASEAN Federation of Engineering Organisation (AFEO), said Deputy Prime Minister Vũ Đức Đam.

Speaking at the 38th conference of AFEO in Hà Nội on Wednesday, Đam called on ASEAN countries to co-operate in training, mutually recognising certifications and fostering technical initiatives and infrastructure connections.

H.E Mr. Vu Duc Dam, Deputy Prime Minister speaking at the CAFEO38 Opening Ceremony

He said that in the last few years, compared with other areas in the world, ASEAN gained relatively high economic growth, improved infrastructure and human resources as well as increasing its scientific and technological ability.

“AFEO together with generations of engineers and technicians have contributed to those achievements,” Đam said.

“Since the ASEAN Economic Community was formed in 2015, ASEAN entered a new stage with an expectation to become a dynamic economic hub that speeds up the flow of goods, services, human resources and capital among countries in the bloc and all over the world.”

Although peace, co-operation and progress in science and technology brought development opportunities, every country faced non-conventional challenges including the COVID-19 pandemic, extreme weather with severe storms or floods as well as cybercrimes.

“It’s time for ASEAN to improve its capacity in responding to new threats through an improved technical infrastructure, specialised forces and public readiness,” Đam said.

He emphasised that engineers and technicians play an important role in providing technical responses and ensuring proper public responses.

Themed “Fostering initiatives and actions by AFEO to build a sustainable and prosperous ASEAN community,” the conference was chaired by the Vietnam Union of Science and Technology Associations (VUSTA) from November 18-26, drawing many professional engineers and the leaders of 10 ASEAN member countries.

Participants also discussed via online workshops the impact of COVID-19 on the transport and logistics sector, environmental engineering (waste management and violations in hazardous waste management), disaster response, and the development of an ASEAN energy system.

AFEO’s conference is held annually by 10 ASEAN member states in rotation. The federation was established in 1982 and is now home to engineering institutions from around the various countries involved.

Since its inception, AFEO has constantly promoted its role of gathering and developing a team of engineers in the region, proposing technical solutions and initiatives, cooperating in research, developing technology and training technical human resources, and strengthening exchanges between engineers from within and outside the bloc, contributing significantly to the formation and development of the ASEAN Community.

Thanh Hai