The role of Science and Technology books in the development of Vietnam

Books are the intellectual property of scientific research.

Speaking at the opening of the workshop, Mr. Le Thanh Tung – General Director for Communication and Knowledge Dissemniation of the Vietnam Union of Science and Technology Associations (VUSTA) said: Along with social consultancy and evaluation activities, knowledge dissemination activities are also recognized and evaluated as one of the most important tasks of science and technology development in particular and socio-economic development in general of VUSTA.

Workshop on the role of science and technology books in the development of Vietnam, November 18th in Ho Chi Minh City

The dissemination of scientific and technological knowledge has been diversified in many forms, such as compiling and publishing reference books, manuals, newspapers and magazines, and publishing issues in the field of science and technology.

However, at present, the publishing industry in general is facing a number of difficulties and challenges, such as reading culture demand of the whole society is increasingly high and diverse enhancing competition among publishers, book publishing and other media... And an undeniable fact is that printed books and newspapers no longer hold the unique position as they did in previous years. In the context of the 4th Industrial Revolution, the introduction of e-books, especially devices and software that support reading, exchanging, buying and selling books online has created a revolution in the publishing sector.

Mr. Le Thanh Tung – General Director for Communication and Knowledge Dissemination Department, VUSTA gives the opening speech at the ceremony

“Therefore, the current task of publishing science and technology books requires a good adaptation to the market mechanism and make a significant development in innovation, research and supplement the e-book publishing section, book quality in both content and form. At the same time, it is important to interact with the media during the release.

VUSTA's leaders always create favourable conditions for Knowledge Publishing House to organize seminars and activities to facilitate the dissemination of scientific and technological knowledge as well as the publishing work of Knowledge Publishing House be better in the coming time” Mr. Le Thanh Tung emphasized.

Prof. Dr. Nguyen Van Phuoc - Chairman of Ho Chi Minh Union of Science and Technology Associations delivered a speech at the conference

Prof. Dr. Nguyen Van Phuoc - Chairman of Ho Chi Minh Union of Science and Technology Associations said that among the intellectual property of the scientific research process, books are one of the indispensable products. Books play an important role in all fields. According to Vladimir Ilyich Lenin: "without books there would be no knowledge, without knowledge there would be no socialism”.

Mentioning about the importance of science and technology books, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Alpha Books said: "If we consider science and technology as the foundation, scientific knowledge must be paid more attention and further developed". Scientific and technical books have the nature of popularizing general and popular knowledge, and there are books for research, monographs and books for special purposes. This is an important source of knowledge to help enhance the level of scientists and promote national innovation capacity.

Dozens of science and technology books were introduced and displayed at the workshop by Knowledge Publishing House

From 2005 to 2021, the Ho Chi Minh Union of Science and Technology Associations received funding support from the municipal People's Committee to publish 57 subjects of science and technology books. These are specialized research works of scientists in many fields, which are useful sources of information and reference for the community.

Ho Chi Minh Union of Science and Technology Associations will continue to research, innovate and promote its role, strengthen support for the printing and publishing of science and technology books, as well as promoting on different channels, reflecting practical science and technology activities promptly taking place in the city to bring scientific information closer to readers. The Vietnam Union of Science and Technology Associations needs to establish a Book Council, to determine the future direction of socio-economic development, then disseminate and deploy it systematically.

Vietnam needs to promote scientific culture and reading culture for development

It is necessary to be aware of the importance of science and technology books, and not only people who do scientific research can "love" science and technology books but also develop the culture of reading science and technology books.

Mrs. Pham Thi Bich Hong - Director of Knowledge Publishing House said that publishing books in the field of science and technology is the main task and goal of Knowledge Publishing House

Translator Nguyen Xuan Xanh said that Vietnam needs a scientific culture, a reading culture. At present, scientific culture has not been well developed. “There are some good science and technology books, but there is no trend or direction for reading these books. There are no bookstores in the city that sell foreign scientific books. If we travel to Thailand, Singapore, we will see it differently. There are big foreign-language bookstores, with a lot of books regarding physics, natural sciences, and customers come to buy books in large numbers…,”.

It is necessary to expand the vision to the world starting from science and technology books of other countries

“If science and higher education are the mission of countries, books and scientific materials are an indispensable part. We need a translation as great as Medieval Europe did from the Greek scientific heritage into Latin, to revive and develop higher education; as well as the translation of Japanese orchids to understand the scientific development of Europe.... It is necessary to quickly change and build a scientific culture and reading culture for the nation," said Mr. Xanh.

Sharing about the development orientation of science and technology books in Vietnam, Mrs. Pham Thi Bich Hong - Director of Knowledge Publishing House said that publishing books in the field of science and technology is the mission and main goal of the Knowledge Publishing House.

Guests and Translators took photo at the workshop

In the process to bring knowledge closer to readers, Knowledge Publishing House has developed the Bookcase of World Knowledge Essence. The Bookcase consists of about 500 books, introducing the universal cultural knowledge and values ​​of humanity in a selective and appropriate way to Vietnamese readers, through the translation and publication of classic works in the world's huge cultural and intellectual treasures including On Liberty by J.S.Mill; The world as I see It by A. Einstein; The Psychology of Crowds by Gustave Le Bon; Democracy in American by Alexis de Tocqueville; Second Treatise of Government by John Locke; Democracy and Education and Way of Thinking by J. Dewey, etc.

Also at the workshop, there were many opinions delivered by translators about the reading movement, acceptance of book in general, and reading culture of science and technology books in many countries around the world in particular.