International seminar "Environmental security: From theory to policy and practice"

In her opening speech at the seminar, Associate Professor, Dr. Tran Thi Minh Hoa emphasized that this seminar will create a premise for experts from the Institute of Policy and Management to continue to open up new research directions, interdisciplinary and inter-departmental research at the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, VNU, and expand the forum and research network among scholars and scientists on environmental issues in Vietnam.

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Tran Thi Minh Hoa, Vice Principal of the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, VNU, delivered the opening speech at the seminar.

Associate Professor Dr. Huynh Thanh Nha, member of the Party Committee of the CQDCĐ Bloc, Party Secretary, Rector of Can Tho University of Technology and Engineering also affirmed that the specific and practical orientations, programs and plans to ensure environmental sustainability, respond to and adapt to climate change proposed in the discussion will be the basis for contributing to promoting scientific research activities. From there, environmental protection requirements will be integrated into strategies, plans, programs and projects for socio-economic development to enhance capacity in environmental management and develop policies on sustainable development.

Associate Professor, Dr. Huynh Thanh Nha, member of the Party Committee of the Central Committee of the CQDCĐ Block, Party Secretary, Principal of Can Tho University of Technology and Engineering delivered a welcoming speech.

Attending the seminar were more than 70 delegates who were policy makers from ministries, local departments and leading experts and scientists from universities, research institutes, and leading research centers on policy and environment such as: Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics, Institute of Strategy and Policy on Natural Resources and Environment, Vietnam Academy of Agriculture, Can Tho University, Can Tho University of Technology and Engineering, Regional Academy of Politics IV, Can Tho Vocational College, Ho Chi Minh City University of Natural Resources and Environment, etc.

Colonel Luong Van Ben, Deputy Director of Can Tho City Police, along with many representatives of the Department of Science and Technology and the Can Tho City Military Command, also paid much attention to the research issues raised by the seminar. These are arguments serving the current policy-making process on environmental security in the locality.

At the seminar, 8 reports were presented, along with more than 20 opinions and comments on environmental security issues, solutions and policies on environmental security. In particular, the seminar listened to the introductory report of Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Chu Hoi - Permanent Vice President of Vietnam Fisheries Association on Ensuring Vietnam's environmental security in the international and regional context, opening the morning session on theoretical issues on environmental security in the context of economic, ecological and social transformation. The report raised many issues for discussion from theory to practice on environmental security. In the afternoon session, the reports focused on prospects and specific case studies at the local level such as tourism and environmental security issues in Can Tho City by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Tran Thi Minh Hoa presented, Building a map of salinity evolution and assessing groundwater quality in the coastal areas of the Mekong Delta or the impact of hydrogeological factors on riverbank stability,... The policy implications and solutions proposed by the groups of authors are highly appreciated by local policy makers and have the potential to be applied in practice.

Also in the discussion, the Institute of Policy and Management introduced the book "Prospects for economic, ecological and social transformation in Vietnam: From practice to policy”, a collection of articles presented at international seminars organized by the Institute within the framework of the cooperation project on “Economic, Ecological and Social Transformation” – (abbreviated as SEET) with the Rosa Luxemburg Foundation in Southeast Asia in 2018 and 2019. This is the first publication in Vietnam on the topic of economic, ecological and social transformation edited by Associate Professor, Doctor, Senior Lieutenant General Nguyen Van Thanh - Member of the Central Executive Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam, Deputy Minister of Public Security; Associate Professor, Doctor Dao Thanh Truong - Director of the Institute of Policy and Management, Head of the Faculty of Management Sciences and Mr. Philip Degenhardt - Regional Director of the Rosa Luxemburg Foundation in Southeast Asia.

At the end of the discussion, Associate Professor, Dr. Dao Thanh Truong and Mr. Philip Degenhardt emphasized that the research process and approach to the research issue of economic, ecological and social transition will continue to be expanded and developed on the basis of the cooperation project with the Rosa Luxemburg Institute in Southeast Asia. The Institute of Policy and Management hopes to continue to receive the attention and support of experts and policy makers in research activities on economic, ecological and social transition in Vietnam in the coming time.