NEW STUDENT ALUMNI STUDENT STAFF VIETNAMESE

Visit of the delegation of Belgian Federal Parliament and the Belgian Embassy in Vietnam to Can Tho University

On March 9^th, 2019, at the Administrative Building, Can Tho University (CTU) was honored to welcome the delegation of the Belgian Federal Parliament and Embassy in Vietnam, led by Mr. Georges Dallemagne, Parliament member, in order to promote cooperation between CTU and Belgian partners. Receiving the delegation was Prof.Dr. Ha Thanh Toan, Rector and leader representatives of CTU' units.

CTU welcomed the delegation of Belgian Federal Parliament and Belgian Embassy in Vietnam

At the meeting, Prof.Dr. Ha Thanh Toan, CTU's Rector, sent a warm welcome to the Belgian delegates, and introduced CTU's overview, strengths and outstanding achievements in international cooperation through the process of establishment and development. Mr. Georges Dallemagne, Member of the Belgian Federal Parliament, sent thanks to the warm receive from CTU and expressed he Belgian delegation's desire to learn about the University's activities, post-graduate cooperation programs with Belgian partners, the challenges that are being posed to the Mekong Delta such as effect of climate change on agricultural cultivation, shortage of fresh water resources.

Prof.Dr. Ha Thanh Toan, Rector of CTU, welcomed the delegation and provided the overview of the University's activities

Mr. Georges Dallemagne, member of the Belgian Federal Parliament, spoke at the meeting

The cooperation between CTU and Belgium has been established since 1980s, starting with research in the field of aquaculture, in particular on Artemia production and rice - fish farming systems, research on soil improvement, followed in 1998 by the program with the Flemish universities (Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Catholic University of Leuven, University of Antwerp, University of Ghent, University of Liege, University of Namur, etc.) on institutional strengthening. Thanks to these cooperation projects, infrastructure of the university has been upgraded; research capacity has been built (12 PhD, 46 MSc, 71 short trainings on specific topics, 120 staff exchanges) to contribute to development of the Mekong Delta (sustainable agri-aquaculture production, sustainable natural resource management and environmental protection, rural development, and socio-economic situation improvement).

VLIR-IUC program offered CTU the opportunity to integrate in the international community. In addition, Flemish Universities also got mutual benefits (more than 100 professors and technical experts from Belgium visited CTU yearly during the implementation; cultural exchanges between Belgium and Vietnam, etc.)

The program of VLIR Vietnam Network (phase I) in 2013 is a cooperative program between institutes and universities of Vietnam and Belgium in postgraduate training based on scientific research in the field of fisheries, food sciences and technology. The program has attracted more than 20 master students, coming from Africa, Southeast Asia and Vietnam to take the international master courses in Aquaculture and in Food Technology. Continuing the success of the first phase, the second phase of the program is being discussed and soon launched this year.

It can be defined the collaboration between CTU and Belgian partners as a colorful picture of cooperation. During the period 1990 - 2010, there were nearly 138 staff members of CTU choosing Belgium to be the destination for their postgraduate study.

Based on the achievements of the projects and cooperation activities between the two sides, it is believed that in the near future, plenty of new cooperation projects and exchange opportunities between CTU and Belgian partners will be promoted, helping strengthening and expanding cooperation relationship between the two sides.