 |
|
Nguyen Thi Mai Anh (L) and Nguyen Binh Giang from the High School for Gifted Students
of the University of Science under the Vietnam National University, Hanoi (VNU)
win the third prize at Regeneron ISEF 2023) Grand Awards (Photo: moet.gov.vn)
|
The winning project, which helps Vietnam one of 33 countries and territories be honoured at the competition, was developed by Nguyen Thi Mai Anh and Nguyen Binh Giang from the High School for Gifted Students of the University of Science under the Vietnam National University, Hanoi (VNU).
Another project, a quadruped robot model used to assist search and rescue operations in landslide-affected areas by Le Minh Duc and Le Nguyen Trung Kien from Le Hong Phong High School for Gifted Students in Ho Chi Minh City earned a Special Awards presented by the US Agency for International Development.
REGENERON ISEF 2023’s organising board highly valued Vietnam's extensive promotion of scientific research and the organisation of an annual science and engineering competition for high school students, saying that these are an important foundation to gradually improve the quality of scientific research in general and projects for national and international competitions in particular.
Initiated in 1952, ISEF is the world's largest global science competition for high school students. Every year, about 1,800 high school students from 80 countries and territories around the world introduce their research results in 22 fields of the competition.
This year's competition was held in Dallas, the US, from May 14 - 19, attracting the participation of 1,600 students from 61 countries and territories with 1,302 projects. Vietnam had seven projects competing in the competition.
Free COVID-19 vaccination continues this year: ministry
People will continue benefiting from free COVID-19 vaccinations in 2023, and funding will come from the state budget, the COVID-19 Vaccine Fund, with sponsorship from domestic and foreign organisations and individuals, along with other legal sources, according to the Vietnam News Agency.
 |
|
COVID-19 vaccines (Photo: MoH)
|
This is part of the Ministry of Health (MoH)’s recently issued plan on COVID-19 vaccine use for 2023, which aims to help localities identify their vaccine demand and build and carry out their own vaccination plans.
The MoH said Vietnam has completed the administration of primary doses to people aged 12 and over, and that in 2023, it is necessary to continue giving primary doses to those reaching the ages eligible for COVID-19 vaccination, along with booster shots.
Existing COVID-19 vaccines will be maximised, especially the ones recommended or included in the list of vaccines for emergency use by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and those licensed by the MoH.
The health sector will apply the mixed use of vaccines based on research findings and the experience of Vietnam and other countries to enhance the immune response and guarantee safety, according to the plan.
The MoH will conduct vaccination for groups of people in line with WHO recommendations. Meanwhile, the administration of primary doses to children under five and other doses to those aged five and above will be guided by the MoH when there are sufficient scientific grounds and the disease situation requires.
The ministry also said in the plan that COVID-19 vaccination campaigns could also be combined with regular vaccination activities in localities.
 |
|
People will continue benefiting from free COVID-19 vaccinations in 2023 (Photo: baochinhphu.vn)
|
Assoc. Prof. and Dr. Tran Dac Phu, former Director of the MoH’s Department of Preventive Medicine and senior advisor to the Vietnam Public Health Emergency Operation Centre, said the COVID-19 situation in the country remains under control. Most new infections have shown light or no symptoms, and have not caused overload for the healthcare system.
The majority of severe cases and deaths are people with underlying health conditions, the elderly, unvaccinated persons, or those with immunodeficiency. Given this, he recommended those patients suffering from immunodeficiency, underlying health conditions, and chronic diseases get vaccinated sufficiently and on schedule as instructed by the MoH.
Lotus-based dishes of Dong Thap set Asian Records
The Asian Records Organisation (ARO) has presented a culinary value certificate to lotus-based dishes of the Mekong Delta province of Dong Thap for the 2022 - 2023 period, Radio the Voice of Vietnam reported.
The setting of the Asian record will help the lotus-related sector in the Mekong Delta province of Dong Thap to discover new products and specialities which have great potential for export worldwide.
Dong Thap makes up a leading locality for farm produce, with lotus the most renowned, making it the land of the pink lotus.
 |
|
Lotus-based dishes (Photo: VOV)
|
According to Pham Thien Nghia, chairman of the provincial administration, Dong Thap plans to expand lotus farming, increase the value of lotus products, and promote tourism based on visits to lotus fields.
The province has also developed tourism products such as visiting lotus fields and foods made from the flower.
Lotus is one of the five key products in the locality’s agriculture restructuring plan. It is a key export item that brings high incomes for farmers.
Thap Muoi District of Dong Thap province has nine lotus products recognised under the national ‘One Commune – One Product’ programme, including lotus flower tea, lotus lumule tea, lotus leaf tea, fresh lotus seeds, and dried lotus seeds.
In May 2022, the World Records Union (WorldKings) and the Vietnam Records Organisation (Vietkings) recognised the first Dong Thap Lotus Festival 2022 as the world's largest event of processing and presentation of 200 lotus-based dishes.
Mekong Delta has 10 more typical tourist destinations
Ten more places in the Mekong Delta have been recognised as typical tourist destinations of the region in 2023, said the Vietnam News Agency.
The 10 destinations, recognised by the Mekong Delta Tourism Association, comprises the ecotourism site of Tra Su cajuput forest (An Giang province); the Noc Nang national historical relic site (Bac Lieu province); the special national relic site and the memorial site of scholar Nguyen Dinh Chieu, the tourism site of Hai Van farm tourism site - Vam Ho bird sanctuary, the Ben Tre TTC Palace, and the Ben Tre TTC culinary site (Ben Tre province); the Hung Kings Temple (Can Tho city); the Go Thap relic site (Dong Thap province); and the national landscape and relic site of Ba Om Pond; and the Huynh Kha ecotourism site (Tra Vinh province).
 |
|
Tra Su cajuput forest in An Giang province (Photo: NDO)
|
Meanwhile, four others received the re-recognition, namely the Gao Giong ecotourism site (Dong Thap province), the memorial site of Professor and Academician Tran Dai Nghia, Van Thanh Mieu Vinh Long (Vinh Long Temple of Literature), and the Vinh Long Museum (Vinh Long province).
So far, 53 tourist attractions across the Mekong Delta have been recognised as typical ones of the region.
Tran Viet Phuong, Chairman of the Mekong Delta Tourism Association, said the places were surveyed and selected every three years so that travellers can easily choose safe, hospitable, and quality destinations to visit, thereby helping develop the tourism brand of the region./.