VUSTA’s active contribution at 43rd CAFEO at Philippines

From October 28th - 30th, at the SMX Convention Center Clark, Mabalacat, Pampanga, Philippines, the 43rd Conference of the ASEAN Federation of Engineering Organisations (CAFEO43) was successfully organised under the cooperation of the ASEAN Federation of Engineering Organisations (AFEO) and the Philippines Technological Council. Attending the Conference were nearly 1,300 delegates from 10 member states. The delegation of the Vietnam Union of Science and Technology Associations (VUSTA) was headed by D.Sc Phan Xuan Dung, President of VUSTA.

President of VUSTA, Phan Xuan Dung (standing at the 5th position from the left of the row) taking picture with delegation leaders of the CAFEO 43

With the theme of this year “ASEAN Engineers: Beacons of Prosperity, Inclusivity, Equity, Resilience, and Sustainability”, CAFEO 43 concentrates on the role of engineering in promoting sustainable development in the region of South East Asia. The Conference is a significant forum for engineers, specialists and policy makers to discuss current challenges and opportunities.

The delegates discussed various issues, including (04) main topics:

• Education and Capacity Building;
• Water and Sanitation;
• Green energy and Net Zero;
• Sustainable and Intelligent Cities.

The Conference created space for the engineering community, technicians, specialists, scientists, and businesses to connect with each other in order to introduce and discuss technical measures to serve daily life needs and promote socio-economic development in the ASEAN region.

CAFEO 43 included activities praising ASEAN engineers; granting ASEAN professional engineer certificates and badges for qualified engineers in 2025; an engineering seminar at the plenary session, visits to engineering constructions, engineering exhibitions and engineering resolutions; connecting businesses with international and ASEAN engineer communities; meetings for working groups and the Engineering Commission such as: (i) Environmental Engineering, (ii) Logistics, (iii) Engineer Training (iv) Woman Engineer, (v) Sustainable City, (vi) Engineer Mobility, (vii) Reducing and Controlling Natural Disasters, (viii) Young Engineer…

President of VUSTA, Phan Xuan Dung speaking at the delegation leaders meeting session under the framework of CAFEO 43

President of VUSTA, Phan Xuan Dung conducted flag procession at the opening session of the CAFEO 43

The delegation of VUSTA actively contributed to meeting sessions and discussed at the conference. The delegates shared experience, knowledge and introduced scientific - technical breakthroughs of Vietnam in core sectors of the conference, including:

• Developing sustainable energy: Vietnam has presented engineering resolutions and its practical experience in developing green energy and transforming to a Net Zero economy.
• Constructing smart infrastructure: The delegation shared initiatives and projects aiming to build smart urban areas, highly resilient and eco-friendly.
• Promoting scientific and technical capacity: Vietnam emphasized on the importance of equipping young engineers with the ability to meet increasingly demanding requirements of the Fourth Industrial Revolution.

Mrs. Nguyen Thi Thanh Huyen, Deputy Head of the Department of Science and International Cooperation of VUSTA, presented a country report

The attendance of the VUSTA delegation, especially the presence of President Phan Xuan Dung, affirmed commitments of Vietnam in closely cooperating with ASEAN member states in order to solve common issues of the region and stimulate sustainable development.

Aside from professional meeting sessions, the working delegation of Vietnam also met, exchanged and strengthened relationships with partners in the region on this occasion. Bilateral and multilateral contacts have offered various new cooperation opportunities, especially in the field of transferring technology and high-quality human resource training.

Furthermore, in the framework of the conference, a lot of Vietnamese engineers were praised and awarded ASEAN professional engineer certificates. This is strong evidence for their contribution in regional engineering development.

Vietnamese engineers awarded 2025 ASEAN professional engineer certificates

CAFEO 43 is not merely a forum for professional exchange but an occasion for Vietnamese engineers to acquire knowledge, widen their networks and affirm their positions in the ASEAN engineering community, contributing to the goal of building a prosperous and sustainable ASEAN community.

The delegation of VUSTA attending the 43rd Conference of the ASEAN Federation of Engineering Organisations (CAFEO 43)