Enhancing Effective Participation in Regional and International Multilateral Organisations
On July 26, VUSTA organized an expert panel with the theme "Enhancing Effective Participation of VUSTA in Regional and International Multilateral Organizations." The panel, chaired by Associate Professor Dr. Pham Ngoc Linh, VUSTA Vice President, was attended by numerous experts and scientists in the VUSTA system.
Addressing the opening ceremony, Vice President Pham Ngoc Linh shared that VUSTA is a member of the International Science Council (ISC), the ASEAN Federation of Engineering Organisations (AFEO), and an observer of the World Organization for Science Literacy (WOSL). The mission of ISC is to be the global voice for science, providing information and scientific-based evidence for decision-making that affects the global; stimulate and support international scientific research and scholarship on issues of global concern; promote the continued and equal advancement of scientific rigour, creativity and relevance in all parts of the world. The AFEO was established in 1981 to bring together engineering associations, unions, and federations from all Southeast Asian countries. It aims to promote goodwill and mutual understanding and to establish and develop an ASEAN baseline standard for the engineering profession to facilitate the mobility of engineers within the ASEAN countries. WOSL, proposed by the China Association for Science and Technology in 2019, is still applying for establishment. Up to now, VUSTA has actively participated in AFEO, organizing three annual conferences (in 2000, 2010, and 2020) and facilitating the registration of 631 ASEAN engineers, primarily in the power industry.
An overview of the expert panel
At the panel, experts from member or affiliated organizations shared numerous practical experiences in regional and international multilateral mechanisms. They also wished to receive detailed updates on VUSTA’s participation in multilateral organizations. In addition, they suggested several specific coordination activities, such as promoting the registration of ASEAN professional engineers to universities and businesses and expanding the professional field of registration of ASEAN engineers.
Member organizations and affiliated organizations have expressed their willingness to collaborate with VUSTA for the upcoming annual events of ISC, AFEO, and WOSL. Specifically, VUSTA will inform its members about the annual AFEO event to be held on October 22-24 in Sabah City, Malaysia, and the ISC annual event to take place on January 26-31, 2025 in Oman. Representatives of member organizations and affiliated organizations can participate in specialized workgroups of AFEO and ISC to communicate, share information, and establish collaborations.
The panel was organized within the framework of the task "Researching and proposing solutions to increase the participation of the Vietnam Union of Science and Technology Associations in regional and international multilateral organizations" implemented by VUSTA in 2024. The task has a general goal to propose solutions to promote the proactive, active, and responsible role of VUSTA in regional and international multilateral organizations in the field of science and technology from 2025 to 2030, with a vision for 2045.
