Volunteer resource centre provides aid

HA NOI — The Viet Nam Volunteer Information Resource Centre opened in Ha Noi on Thursday.

"Many volunteer candidates do not find appropriate opportunities where they can make a meaningful contribution to the development of their country. Many volunteer-involving organisations (VIOs) are also unable to find suitable volunteers to contribute to their organisation," said the centre communications representative Nguyen Thi Minh Tu.

The centre is designed to address these challenges," said Tu.

The centre, the country's first, is designed to strengthening volunteer capacity and is the result of co-operation between the Viet Nam Youth Union and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

Its purpose is to support the young and the vulnerable through co-ordination that provides information and opportunities for volunteers.

The centre will also help connect individuals and organisations to exchange information; organise volunteer training and management and raise money.

The centre's establishment was the result of a 3-year project on strengthening capacity of volunteerism for development in Viet Nam that has been implemented jointly by the Youth Union and UNDP since February 2009.

A research on voluntary situation will be carried out by the centre in the coming time with an aim to provide necessary information for the development of volunteer activities in Viet Nam, according to the centre representative. — VNS

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Province builds bio-tech centre

The Centre for Bio-technology Research and Application complex now under construction in southern Dong Nai Province is expected to be one of the leading centres of its kind in Southeast Asia , according to Nguyen Quan, deputy minister of Science and Technology.

Expected to be completed within the decade, the 227-ha complex is being built in Xuan Duong Commune in Cam My district.

The building cost of 1 trillion VND (50 million USD) is sourced from the province's budget and investors.

The centre is about 10 kilometres from HCM City-Long Thanh-Dau Giay Highway and Long Thanh International Airport , which is currently being built, and 15 kilometres from Ba Ria – Vung Tau province.

The province is seeking more investors for the complex, according to the project management board.

From 2010 – 2015, infrastructure such as roads, telecommunications, electricity supply, administrative areas and dormitories will be built.

From 2015 – 2020, state-of-the-art facilities for biotech research and application in agriculture, food, medicine and environment will be built.

The centre will work with local and international organisations to develop human resources as well as biotechnology research and exchange in the province.

In addition, in an effort to save money, the centre plans to cooperate with other biotech centres to prevent duplication of similar work or research.

It plans to create linkages among various hi-tech zones from universities and institutes in and outside the province and other countries.

In recent years, Dong Nai province conducted biotech research and applied those findings to the fields of agriculture, forestry and aquaculture./.

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Province builds bio-tech centre

HCM CITY — The Centre for Bio-technology Research and Application complex now under construction in southern Dong Nai Province is expected to be one of the leading centres of its kind in Southeast Asia, according to Nguyen Quan, deputy minister of Science and Technology.

Expected to be completed within the decade, the 227-ha complex is being built in Xuan Duong Commune in Cam My District.

The building cost of VND1 trillion (US$50 million) is sourced from the province's budget and investors.

The centre is about 10 kilometres from HCM City-Long Thanh-Dau Giay Highway and Long Thanh International Airport, which is currently being built, and 15 kilometres from Ba Ria – Vung Tau Province.

The province is seeking more investors for the complex, according to the project management board.

From 2010 – 2015, infrastructure such as roads, telecommunications, electricity supply, administrative areas and dormitories will be built.

From 2015 – 2020, state-of-the-art facilities for biotech research and application in agriculture, food, medicine and environment will be built.

The centre will work with local and international organisations to develop human resources as well as biotechnology research and exchange in the province.

In addition, in an effort to save money, the centre plans to co-operate with other biotech centres to prevent duplication of similar work or research.

It plans to create linkages among various hi-tech zones from universities and institutes in and outside the province and other countries.

In recent years, Dong Nai Province conducted biotech research and applied those findings to the fields of agriculture, forestry and aquaculture. — VNS

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HCM City set to fund 12 modern bio-laboratories

HCM CITY — The Biotechnology Centre of HCM City will get subsidies from the city to build 12 advanced laboratories at a cost of US$24 million.

The first six will be built by 2012 and focus on research in agriculture and aquaculture.

The rest will be built by 2015 for research in healthcare and environmental applications.

Duong Hoa Xo, director of the centre, admitted that all 12 cannot be built at the same time because there are not enough professional staff.

He pointed to many other laboratories in the city into which millions of US dollars were sunk but are not fully utilised due to the lack of personnel.

The 12 laboratories will need 200 – 300 researchers and the centre plans to gradually increase the number of experts it can deploy, he said.

Since 2007 it has sent 17 people abroad to pursue master's degrees and doctorates in bio-technology and plans to send six more this year to Canada, South Korea, Japan and other places.

Achievements

Between 2006 and 2009, the centre opened a laboratory each for research in plant-cell technology, nano-bio-technology, and micro-organism technology.

It has also built a plant that makes bio-tech products for test purposes.

All of them are functioning successfully, according to Xo.

The centre has made a kit for PCR (polymerase chain reaction) that aids easy diagnosis of four shrimp diseases at 50 per cent cost of imported kits.

PCR is a technique in which a small fragment of DNA can be rapidly duplicated many times and used to quickly detect pathogens.

PCR applications are commonly used at research centres and hospitals around the country.

The centre has now developed a replacement for PCR kits called the lamp kit. It is a new technology that is simpler and cheaper since it does not need high-cost equipment to operate.

Lamp kits are likely to replace PCR kits in the near future, Xo said.

The centre's agricultural research has led to successful breeding of seven groups of orchids.

Between 2007 and 2009, it produced more than 300,000 seedlings of various groups of orchids, supplying most of them to HCM City and neighbouring provinces.

It is developing a programme to grow clean vegetables using technology to supply the city market and has transferred the technology required to make organic fertilisers.

The 23-ha Biotechnology Centre of HCM City, situated in District 12, was set up at a cost of $100 million in 2004 by the city People's Committee. — VNS

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Ministry insists on new Hanoi road artery

The Ministry of Construction on August 23 affirmed that the country's national administrative centre would not be moved to Ba Vi, but noted that it was still necessary to build the Thang Long traffic axis despite the objections made by the city's People's Committee.

In the Committee's document 6496/UBND-XD concerning the future development of the capital, the committee stressed that the national political and administrative centre should be located in Ba Dinh district, where it has historically existed.

The committee recommended that the country's political centre should not be relocated to Ba Vi district, 65km northwest of Hanoi, which would negate the creation of the Thang Long axis that would connect Hoang Quoc Viet Street, Highway 21 and West Lake with the Ba Vi area.

Under the country's current economic condition in general and of the city in particular, funds raised should be invested in many other practical projects for the city, the committee said.

As planned, the traffic system to Ba Vi District would include the 10-lane Lang-Hoa Lac and 12-lane Tay Thang Long highways. The plan also calls for the construction of three urban railways that would provide additional transportation options between the city centre and its western area.

During the press meeting the same day, Deputy Minister of Construction Nguyen Dinh Toan said that since the master plan was submitted to the National Assembly for discussion on June 15, the relocation of the country's political and administrative centre was not further mentioned in the master plan. Toan said that there was not enough available funds to house the country's ministerial headquarters and agencies in Ba Vi district.

Headquarters would be relocated in close proximity to each other, but this does not mean that the centre would be there, Toan added.

However, the ministry insisted that the construction of the Thang Long axis would have three functions. First, it would help ease traffic pressure in the western parts of the city including Xuan Mai, Hoa Lac and Son Tay urban areas.

Secondly, beneath the axis, a water pipeline from the Da River to the inner city would supply clean water to city residents. Waste water treatment lines and underground electric cable systems would also be built. Along the axis, cultural and entertainment centres would also likely be constructed.

Deputy Minister Toan claimed that construction of the axis would not benefit any one group or individual.

Toan said that the Prime Minister would make his final decision on the future of the project soon./.

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Ministry insists on new Ha Noi road artery despite controversy

HA NOI — The Ministry of Construction on Monday affirmed that the country's national administrative centre would not be moved to Ba Vi, but noted that it was still necessary to build the Thang Long traffic axis despite the objections made by the city's People's Committee.

In the Committee's document 6496/UBND-XD concerning the future development of the capital, the committee stressed that the national political and administrative centre should be located in Ba Dinh District, where it has historically existed.

The committee recommended that the country's political centre should not be relocated to Ba Vi District, 65km northwest of Ha Noi, which would negate the creation of the Thang Long axis that would connect Hoang Quoc Viet Street, Highway 21 and West Lake with the Ba Vi area.

Under the country's current economic condition in general and of the city in particular, funds raised should be invested in many other practical projects for the city, the committee said.

As planned, the traffic system to Ba Vi District would include the 10-lane Lang-Hoa Lac and 12-lane Tay Thang Long highways. The plan also calls for the construction of three urban railways that would provide additional transportation options between the city centre and its western area.

During the press meeting on Monday, Deputy Minister of Construction Nguyen Dinh Toan said that since the master plan was submitted to the National Assembly for discussion on June 15, the relocation of the country's political and administrative centre was not further mentioned in the master plan. Toan said that there was not enough available funds to house the country's ministerial headquarters and agencies in Ba Vi District.

Headquarters would be relocated in close proximity to each other, but this does not mean that the centre would be there, Toan added.

However, the ministry insisted that the construction of the Thang Long axis would have three functions. First, it would help ease traffic pressure in the western parts of the city including Xuan Mai, Hoa Lac and Son Tay urban areas.

Secondly, beneath the axis, a water pipeline from the Da River to the inner city would supply clean water to city residents. Waste water treatment lines and underground electric cable systems would also be built. Along the axis, cultural and entertainment centres would also likely be constructed.

Deputy Minister Toan claimed that construction of the axis would not benefit any one group or individual.

Toan said that the Prime Minister would make his final decision on the future of the project soon. — VNS

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Golf courses probed for environmental effects

HCM CITY — Inspectors from the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment on Wednesday began appraising golf courses in HCM City for their use of land and effect on the environment and water resources.

There are five courses and their inspection will last a month.

In 2008 HCM City was considering licensing 13 golf courses which required thousands of ha of land.

But following the ministry's inspection end of last year, only seven, with an area of 725ha, were licensed.

New centre for testing medicines, cosmetics

CAN THO — Construction of a state-of-the-art centre for testing medicines, cosmetics and food began on Tuesday in Can Tho City.

The centre, invested in by the Can Tho City Department of Health, costs VND218 billion (US$11.4 million), including VND102 billion for construction and VND77 billion for equipment.

Covering a total area of 5,000 sq. metres in Ninh Kieu District's An Khanh Commune, the centre will have five storeys and will open after 18 months of construction.

The centre is expected to meet the requirements of ISO/IEC 17025:2005, a certificate of standards for testing and calibration laboratories and the Ministry of Health's Good Laboratory Practice standards.

Tran Thanh Man, chairman of the Can Tho City People's Committee, said the centre would be the most modern of its kind in the Cuu Long (Mekong) Delta. — VNS

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