By Huynh Kim
 |
| Officials from the Can Tho University and the Japan International Cooperation Agency attend the ground-breaking ceremony for construction of the Can Tho University Improvement Project on November 20 – PHOTO: HUYNH KIM |
CAN THO – An official from the Japan International
Cooperation Agency (JICA) has expressed the belief that Can Tho University
could become a think tank in education, scientific research and technology
transfer in the Mekong Delta region.
Located in the center of the Mekong Delta, the university is expected to
become an “excellent institution of education, scientific research and
technology transfer,” according to Murooka Naomichi, deputy chief
representative of JICA Vietnam, at a ground-breaking ceremony for a school
upgrade project today, November 20.
He noted that strengthening the role of the university in both tangible and
intangible ways contributes to the region’s socioeconomic development.
The delta is the most important area for agriculture and fisheries in
Vietnam, so it plays a key role in ensuring food security for the country, the
official pointed out.
However, he highlighted a number of climate change-related issues, such as
rising sea levels and water pollution, which are threatening the stability of
the local agriculture and fisheries sectors.
As a result, JICA has pledged to assist the Vietnamese university with the
development of research facilities and equipment. The agency will offer its
support in the fields of agriculture, aquaculture/fisheries and environment, as
well as in the outreach training program for postgraduate students at Japanese
universities.
Professor Ha Thanh Toan, rector of Can Tho University, said at the ceremony
that the school is carrying out its own improvement project worth 10.456
million Japanese yen, or US$105.9 million, in Japan's official development
assistance loans.
The five major components of the project, scheduled for July 2015 to late
2022, involve the development of human resources, the execution of joint
research programs, construction of facilities, equipment procurement and the
hiring of consulting services.
Today’s event was aimed at starting work on a research laboratory complex
and an advanced technology laboratory, as part of the project.
Once completed, the
project will contribute to the development of the Can Tho University as an
institution on par with its regional and global peers, Toan said.
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