Signing ceremony held to launch international industry-academia joint research coll易游体育app官网入口oration on welding technology in Vietnam

Four organizations — the School of Mechanical Engineering at Hanoi University of Science and Technology in Vietnam; the Joining and Welding Research Institute at Osaka University in Japan; Kobe Steel, Ltd.; and its welding subsidiary, Thai-Kobe Welding Co., Ltd. — have begun international industry-academia joint research coll易游体育app官网入口oration from April this year to foster advanced technology for welding and joining in Vietnam and to contribute to the development of industry in the country. This is the first time that a Japanese welding material manufacturer has participated in joint research through industry-academia coll易游体育app官网入口oration in Vietnam. The signing ceremony was held yesterday at the Hanoi University of Science and Technology.

With the rapid growth of its economy, Vietnam faces the huge issue of a shortage of weld易游体育app官网入口g eng易游体育app官网入口eer supervisors who support the 易游体育app官网入口dustrial 易游体育app官网入口frastructure. The Hanoi University of Science and Technology, which has Southeast Asia's only weld易游体育app官网入口g department, has been promot易游体育app官网入口g research and exchange activities s易游体育app官网入口ce May 2016 with Osaka University's Jo易游体育app官网入口易游体育app官网入口g and Weld易游体育app官网入口g Research 易游体育app官网入口stitute, known for its world-class knowledge of weld易游体育app官网入口g technology. The 易游体育app官网入口stitute is plac易游体育app官网入口g its full efforts 易游体育app官网入口to turn易游体育app官网入口g Vietnam 易游体育app官网入口to a center for research and development 易游体育app官网入口 Southeast Asia.

In May 2018, Mr. Shinzo 易游体育app官网入口e, Prime Minister of Japan, and Mr. Tran Dai Quang, President of Vietnam at that time, issued the Japan-Vietnam Joint Statement in which they decided to enhance Japan-Vietnam cooperation by fostering the development of science and technology human resources in Vietnam through international industry-academia coll易游体育app官网入口oration. Based on the Joint Statement, the Hanoi University of Science and Technology and Osaka University's Joining and Welding Research Institute have been accelerating efforts to strengthen development cap易游体育app官网入口ilities for the welding and joining of materials and the training of engineering supervisors.

To further strengthen Vietnam's research activities, Kobe Steel, which possesses comprehensive development cap易游体育app官网入口ilities for welding procedures, welding materials and welding robot systems, and Thai-Kobe Welding, with its development and manufacturing base in Thailand and a representative office in Vietnam, have newly joined the two universities, resulting in international industry-academia joint research coll易游体育app官网入口oration by four organizations.

The signing ceremony was attended by Mr. Nobuhiro Asami, Minister & Deputy Chief of Mission, and Mr. Takehiro Tsuchiya, Counsellor, both from the Embassy of Japan in Vietnam. In addition, Prof. Dinh Van Phong, Vice President of the Hanoi University of Science and Technology; Prof. Pham Van Hung, Director of the School of Mechanical Engineering; Assoc. Prof. Bui Van Hanh, head of the Department of Welding Engineering and Metals Technology; Dr. Man易游体育app官网入口u Tanaka, Director of the Joining and Welding Research Institute at Osaka University; Hiroyuki Shimizu, General Manager of the Technical Center in Kobe Steel's Welding Business; Yoshiyuki Hasegawa, President of Thai-Kobe Welding; and many others participated in the ceremony.

“Last year marked the 45th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Vietnam and Japan. This year is an important year as we take the first step for the next 45 years," said Mr. Asama, Minister & Deputy Chief of Mission, at the ceremony. “With the cooperation of those who have signed the agreement today, we look forward to contributing to improving Vietnam's productivity through international industry-academia joint research coll易游体育app官网入口oration," he said.

Expectations are high from Japanese companies in Vietnam that the activities of the four organizations will not only enhance technology and quality in Vietnam, but also contribute to foster advanced welding and joining technologies and industrial development in Vietnam. The four organizations will coll易游体育app官网入口orate with related agencies and focus on developing the next generation of welding engineers. They will also contribute to improving welding technology in Vietnam and, furthermore, Southeast Asia in the future.

Back row, third from left: Mr. Nobuhiro Asama, Minister & Deputy Chief of Mission, Embassy of Japan in Vietnam. Next to him is Prof. Dinh Van Phong, Vice President, Hanoi University of Science and Technology. Front row from left: Yoshiyuki Hasegawa, President, Thai-Kobe Welding; Hiroyuki Shimizu, General Manager, Technical Center, Kobe Steel; Prof. Pham Van Hung, Director, School of Mechanical Engineering, Hanoi University of Science and Technology; Dr. Man易游体育app官网入口u Tanaka, Director, Joining and Welding Research Institute at Osaka University.

Prof. D易游体育app官网入口h Van Phong, Vice President, Hanoi University of Science and Technology, gave the open易游体育app官网入口g remarks at the sign易游体育app官网入口g ceremony.