Thanks to the BioEcoN project, there have been several years of collaboration between the University of Valladolid (UVa) and several universities in Vietnam. Now, this project has yielded results outside the project context. Consequently, the University of Valladolid ensures the continuity for its permanent mission in Vietnam (since 2013), to boost the collaboration with higher education institutions, private companies, NGOs, civil society and government in the country.
The BioECoN project establishes a Higher Education Institution (HEI) network of excellence for peer2peer learning and joint academic capacity building. Three European and three Vietnamese partners in the field of Sustainable Forest- and Bioeconomy merge different perspectives and connect a variety of stakeholders to address the challenge that bioeconomy is not by itself sustainable.
One of the most successful results of this collaboration is the mobility and double degree agreement with the Vietnam National University – Hanoi University of Science (VNU-HUS) and a Double Master Degree in the University of Valladolid (Master in Forest Management based on Data Science) and the VNU-HUS (Master in Environment and Sustainable Development or Master in Management of Resources and Environment). It is a two-year programme of which one year in Hanoi (Vietnam) and one year in Palencia (Spain).
The Vietnam National University of Forestry (VNUf) is associated partner in the Erasmus Mundus Programme MEDfOR, the master degree Mediterranean Forestry and Natural Resources Management. MEDfOR is a two-year world-class International Programme on the field of Forestry and Sustainability, implemented in 2012. It is the only programme in Europe that simultaneously addresses the economic, ecological and social challenges of sustainable Mediterranean forestry and natural resources management. MEDfOR also address specific topics on the field of forestry, with particular emphasis on the Mediterranean area.
In addition to all the formation activities, during the last two years different students (MEDFOR and DATAFOREST) have stayed in Vietnam as interns and investigated for their master thesis. So, the continuity of this permanent mission in Vietnam is the next step for continuing and reinforcing all the activities of collaboration that have been developed since 2007.
Furthermore, the University of Valladolid is contributing to the launch of the new Food Science and Technology bachelor’s degree with the Vietnam National University of Sciences. This new degree is having special attention from the students, as there were about 450 applications for the 60 places available. It is planned to further develop the collaboration between both institutions creating opportunities in the agro-business and food industry rising the social awareness for safety and healthier food value chains.
