UK spends nearly 300 million USD in ODA science capital for developing countries

Anh dành gần 300 triệu USD vốn ODA khoa học cho nước đang phát triển - 1 — UK Minister of State for Science , Technology and Innovation George Freeman announced the funding on November 2 (Photo: PA).

The above information was announced by the UK Minister of State for Science, Technology and Innovation, George Freeman, on November 2, at a meeting with ASEAN Secretary General Kao Kim Hourn in London, according to the UK Embassy in Hanoi .

The grant is the ODA component of the International Science Partnership Facility (ISPF), one of the largest science and technology collaboration programmes between UK researchers and international partners.

British Ambassador to Vietnam, Mr. Iain Frew said: "With ISPF, we hope to connect excellent research groups and universities and research institutes from the UK and Vietnam to carry out research projects that can only be achieved through international cooperation."

The ISPF focuses on four main topics: environment, health, new technology, and human resource training.

Research topics between the UK and Vietnam can be diverse, from antibiotic resistance, sustainable aquaculture to energy transition, according to Ambassador Frew.

Previously, the UK and Vietnam also laid the foundation for scientific cooperation through the Newton Fund and the Global Challenges Research Fund.

Also at the event on November 2, Secretary of State Freeman announced a number of cooperation programs with ASEAN countries under the ISPF Fund in the coming time.

Specifically, the UK Medical Research Council is discussing with Southeast Asian partners a research program on infectious diseases, pandemic response and antimicrobial resistance worth 26 million USD from UK contributions alone.

The British Council is also preparing to announce details of an $11 million research partnership and a $3.1 million young researcher training programme for Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam.

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