On August 28, the Posts and Telecommunications Institute of Technology (PTIT) held a working session with Prof. Le Thi Hoai An of the University of Lorraine, France, to discuss potential directions for cooperation in scientific research, technology development, and the promotion of startups based on research outcomes.
Attending the working session, representatives from PTIT included Assoc. Prof. Dr. Dang Hoai Bac, President of PTIT; Dr. Nguyen Trung Kien, Vice President of PTIT; along with leaders of faculties, departments, and units across PTIT.
During the working session, PTIT and Prof. Le Thi Hoai An discussed several potential areas for research cooperation, including Applied Mathematics in Artificial Intelligence (AI), as well as directions for developing startup projects with practical applications. Building on the research strengths of research groups in France and PTIT’s capabilities in technology education and research, the two sides expressed their expectation of developing cooperation areas capable of generating meaningful research outcomes and practical applications.
Overview of the working session
A key topic of discussion was narrowing the gap between research, products, and the market. Prof. Le Thi Hoai An has many years of experience collaborating with universities in Vietnam and expressed her interest in further developing projects that are closely aligned with the needs of enterprises. According to the Professor, the strength of partners in France lies in their capacity to implement projects, while bringing research outcomes to the Vietnamese market remains a challenge that requires more appropriate support mechanisms.
In this context, PTIT shared its orientation toward promoting startups based on research projects, in line with national policies supporting enterprise development and technology entrepreneurship. PTIT can support research groups with flexible procedures for establishing startups, team formation, and partial initial funding, creating favorable conditions for projects to gradually develop into commercially valuable products.
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Dang Hoai Bac, President of the PTIT, speaking at the working session
Prof. Le Thi Hoai An also shared her experience in implementing startup projects and noted that operating a startup presents numerous challenges. Nevertheless, she expressed her continued interest in developing projects in Vietnam, with the goal of contributing to the development of core technologies and generating practical outcomes, while supporting the country’s efforts to promote industry and the startup ecosystem. Her research institute in France also has products that have been optimized for specific industrial applications in France, including energy optimization, logistics, and chip design, which could potentially be transferred and customized to address specific needs in Vietnam.
Prof. Le Thi Hoai An, University of Lorraine, France, sharing her insights at the working session
Building on these discussions, the two sides are considering the possibility of establishing a joint cooperation center between PTIT and French partners, with resources potentially mobilized from PTIT and the National Foundation for Science and Technology Development (NAFOSTED). At the same time, the Professor expressed her interest in participating in PTIT’s expert programs, thereby gradually building a strong research and development team capable of implementing long-term projects.
The working session opened up new opportunities for connections between PTIT and academic and research partners in France, particularly in combining scientific research, technology development, and entrepreneurship, with the goal of bringing research outcomes into practice and creating products that deliver value to society.
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Dang Hoai Bac, President of PTIT, presenting a commemorative gift to Prof. Le Thi Hoai An, University of Lorraine, France
Delegates of the working session
