Successful start of the bilateral programme Switzerland-Vietnam

Under the bilateral cooperation programmes of the Swiss government, the SNSF launched a joint call with the National Foundation for Science & Technology Development (NAFOSTED) in Vietnam. The call was open to projects with a duration of two to three years from all fields of research. Projects involving scientists based in Switzerland and Vietnam were jointly evaluated by the SNSF and NAFOSTED. The two organisations appointed a panel of international experts in the fields represented in the projects.

2.3 million for Swiss researchers

The panel approved 10 projects from a wide range of fields such as agriculture, environment, social work, paediatrics, and psychology. Researchers in Switzerland are funded by the SNSF with 2.3 million francs, while NAFOSTED is funding researchers in Vietnam.

Here are three examples: Christian Korff (Geneva University Hospitals) and Chi Bao Bui (Vietnam National University) will conduct a genetic study of children with developmental and epileptic encephalopathy in Ho Chi Minh City. Thomas Brunner (Berner Fachhochschule) and Bao Duong Pham (Vietnam National University of Agriculture) will focus on sustainable food consumption in Switzerland and Vietnam. And Rizlan Bernier-Latmani (EPF Lausanne) and Le Phu Vo (Ho Chi Minh University of Technology) will study the microbiological and hydrological characteristics of the Mekong Delta in Vietnam.

Close collaboration

This joint call was a first between Vietnam and Switzerland. It elicited a lot of interest in the scientific community and fostered close collaboration between the two countries, helping them to promote international research.

• List of grantees (PDF)
• Bilateral programme with Vietnam