US embassy cable - 05HANOI742

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 HANOI 000742 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR OES/STC, EAP/BCLTV; EAP/PD 
BANGKOK FOR AID 
USDA FOR FAS/KRAMER-LEBLANC, FAS/ROSENBLUM, FAS/MUMMEY 
SECDEF FOR OFFICE OF NAVAL RESEARCH/SHEPPARD 
EPA FOR OFFICE OF INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS/CUNNINGHAM 
HHS FOR OFFICE OF ASIA AND THE PACIFIC 
DEPT PASS NSF FOR CHANG 
USDOC FOR NOAA/NOS/CALLENDAR, NOAA/NOS/JUSTI, 
NOAA/NWS/BOLHOFER, NOAA/NWS/DRAGGON, NOAA/NWS/MORISON, 
DEPT PASS EPA FOR INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS/CUNNINGHAM 
DEPT PASS TO AID 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: VM, PREL, KPAO, ESCI 
SUBJECT: Millenium Science Initiative Delegation Urges 
Cooperation at Meeting with Deputy Prime Minister Khiem 
 
 
1.  Summary:  The DCM accompanied a visiting delegation of 
prominent American scientists to call on Deputy Prime 
Minister Pham Gia Khiem March 23 regarding establishing 
Centers for Excellence under the Millenium Science 
Initiative (MSI) in Vietnam. The delegation, led by Dr. 
Harold Varmus, Nobel laureate and president of the Memorial 
Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York City, emphasized 
the need for such centers to renew Vietnam's focus on the 
basic sciences, provide a home to returning researchers and 
help Vietnam's scientists engage more deeply with the 
international scientific community. The delegation called 
for the GVN to create an interagency secretariat to 
administer the MSI, which would report directly to the Prime 
Minister. End Summary. 
 
2.  On March 23, a delegation of American scientists led by 
Dr. Harold Varmus of the Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center and 
1989 Nobel laureate in medicine for his work on the cellular 
origins of the oncogene of a chicken retrovirus, met with 
Deputy Prime Minister Pham Gia Khiem.  The DCM and Assistant 
Public Affairs Officer accompanied Varmus and the delegation 
to the meeting with the DPM.  The delegation spent a week 
visiting fifteen universities and research institutes 
throughout Vietnam.  Also joining the delegation were Dr. 
Chung Kim, physics professor at Johns Hopkins University; 
Dr. John Hopcroft, Computer Science Professor at Cornell 
University; Ms. Arlen Hastings, Executive Director of the 
Science Initiative Group (SIG); Mr. Frank Jao, newly 
appointed chairman of the Vietnam Education Foundation; Dr. 
Cuong Nguyen, Engineering Dean at Catholic University; and 
Dr. Vo Van Toi, biomedical engineering professor at Tufts 
University. 
 
3.  Varmus thanked the Ministry of Science and Technology 
(MOST) for its support of the delegation's visit and noted 
that Vietnam is now at a time in its development of science 
and technology (S&T) infrastructure where it would be 
appropriate to broaden its activities and place more 
emphasis on the basic underlying sciences instead of 
narrowly focusing on applied science.  During the 
delegation's visit to major research institutions in Vietnam 
over the previous five days, Varmus reported that without 
exception, the scientists they had met are energetic and 
enthusiastic, but they are currently operating under a rigid 
directive to apply their research purely for practical 
benefit. The research of importing, replicating and applying 
technologies created abroad limits technological innovation 
and prevents the nurturing of basic research underpinning 
the applications, Varmus argued. 
 
4.  The MSI is small in scale, but has the potential to have 
a disproportionately large impact on the development of 
science, Varmus said.  It would do so by introducing 
international best practices in scientific research 
including a transparent, competitive selection process 
involving international peer review and thereby setting high 
standards for scientific excellence in Vietnam, he 
explained. 
 
5.  He also emphasized that the long-term sustainability of 
Vietnamese R&D enterprises will depend on strengthening 
science across the basic-applied spectrum.  Areas of focus 
in the MSI include the life sciences, information sciences, 
pure and applied mathematics and materials sciences.  The 
MSI's Centers of Excellence could become strong research and 
training grounds for Vietnamese scientists, with funding 
coming from the World Bank, the Ford Foundation and other 
multinational organizations.  Varmus also called for the 
creation of an interagency secretariat in Vietnam to 
administer the MSI and report directly to the Prime 
Minister, thereby raising the project's visibility to the 
highest levels. 
 
6.  The DCM echoed Varmus' points, underscoring the 
Ambassador's and the entire country team's support for this 
project.  He also said that the concept fits into the broad 
goals of strengthening bilateral relations, especially in 
the areas of education, science and health. 
 
7.  The DPM responded that S&T is of great interest to the 
GVN and he understands the need to put more emphasis on the 
fundamental sciences. He went on to admit that the basic 
sciences have been ignored to some extent, but that applied 
science is still a high priority.  He also acknowledged that 
Vietnam's inadequate attention to the basic sciences over 
the past thirty years has been counterproductive, decreasing 
innovation and creativity.  However, he countered that the 
GVN has taken several solid steps to correct these 
tendencies, including strengthening two national research 
centers, creating two multidisciplinary national 
universities in Hanoi and HCMC and establishing a Science 
Fund for basic sciences. The DPM expressed his strong 
support for the Centers for Excellence because they would 
pool resources to train new talent in the sciences as well 
as create an environment in which Vietnamese scientists 
would be able to link up with scientists around the world. 
He agreed that the current working group at MOST would fully 
cooperate on this project. 
 
8.  Varmus responded that the MSI has experiences in many 
countries and the delegation would continue to consult with 
MOST officials on a plan appropriate to Vietnam's 
conditions.  He reemphasized the importance of investing in 
the basic sciences and sought the DPM and PM's full-fledged 
support. He and other delegation members stressed that 
Vietnamese scientists and researchers currently in the U.S. 
and Europe need to bring their talents back to Vietnam and 
the Centers of Excellence could be one avenue where they can 
continue to thrive upon their return. VEF graduates 
currently in the U.S. could also be included into the matrix 
of these centers. 
 
9. Next steps: The SIG Team and MOST Core Team will work 
together to draft a proposal for Centers of Excellence in 
S&T in Vietnam. This proposal will then be submitted by July 
2005 to the Prime Minister for approval, after which MOST 
can apply to the World Bank for funding under the MSI model. 
 
 
BOARDMAN