Decision No. 1187/QD-TTg 2020 Program on physics development during 2021 - 2025

DECISION

Promulgating the Program on physics development during 2021-2025^[1]

THE PRIME MINISTER

Pursuant to the June 19, 2015 Law on Organization of the Government;

Pursuant to the June 18, 2013 Law on Science and Technology;

Pursuant to the Government’s Resolution No. 46/NQ-CP of March 29, 2013, promulgating the Program of action for implementation of Resolution No. 20-NQ/TW of November 1, 2012, of the 6^th plenum of the XI^th Party Central Committee, on developing science and technology in service of industrialization and modernization in the conditions of socialist-oriented market economy and international integration;

At the proposal of the Minister of Science and Technology,

DECIDES:

Article 1. To promulgate the Program on physics development during 2021-2025 (below referred to as the Program), with the following contents:

I. OBJECTIVES

1. To enhance Vietnam’s science and technology potentials in the field of physics, combining high-quality training with basic research and application-oriented basic research. To link theoretical research with experimental research and applied research.

2. To raise scientific research capacity of physics lecturers of universities nationwide, attracting and training talented young physicists. By 2025, the rate of physics lecturers having doctor’s degree in physics faculties of major universities will surpass 50%.

3. To improve the position of Vietnam’s physics in the world, striving for the target that the country will be among the top 5 countries in ASEAN in the field of physics according to the SCOPUS rankings and the number of publications in prestigious international journals (on the ISI/SCOPUS list) will annually increase by an average rate of 30%.

II. VIEWPOINTS AND ORIENTATIONS

1. To prioritize researches in a number of modern physics majors, serving as the core for development of multidisciplinary sciences and technologies and application of research outcomes in production and life, in association with some key technologies of Industry 4.0 and research directions in the field of physics in which Vietnam has strengths.

2. To prioritize basic research and application-oriented basic research in physics by 2025, with a vision toward 2030, including:

a/ Basic research:

- Theoretical and computational physics;

- Condensed matter and soft matter physics;

- Quantum optics and photonics;

- Nuclear physics;

- Metal physics.

b/ Application-oriented basic research:

- Environmental monitoring and treatment;

- Electronic component, electronic card and integrated circuit (IC) design and manufacture;

- Electromagnetic, electronic and photon materials;

- Energy storage and transformation;

- Food hygiene and safety and biomedicine;

- Radiation and nuclear safety;

- Development of some modern, specialized and particular science equipment.

c/ Some other particular applied research contents as ordered by the State.

III. TASKS AND SOLUTIONS

1. The State shall order the formulation of national-level application-oriented, multi-disciplinary and inter-disciplinary science and technology tasks in the field of physics in association with some key technologies of Industry 4.0.

2. To encourage physics lecturers in universities to boost research activities. To develop and implement research programs for young physics lecturers in universities. To provide professional training and further training courses for physics teachers in high schools for the gifted.

3. To boost the training of students, masters and doctors in physics disciplines; to grant scholarships for pupils and students doing well in physics and national and international award-winning pupils.

4. To invest in building and upgrading some physics laboratories in universities and research institutes providing postgraduate courses in physics. To compile and publish physics syllabuses for gifted pupils, and develop physics syllabuses and course books up to the advanced level of the world for use in universities.

5. To enhance international cooperation in order to develop the physics branch, bring into full play and exploit effectively Vietnam’s membership status at the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research, Dubna, Russia; to participate in researches at international physics research centers and bilateral and multilateral international research projects; to manage operational effectiveness of the category-2 international center of physics under the recognition and auspices of UNESCO.

6. To organize big national and international physics conferences and seminars, and short-term international physics courses; to adopt policies on provision of financial support to competent young physicists from neighboring countries in order to create Vietnam’s attraction in the region.

7. To improve quality and increase the number of specialized physics journals of Vietnam on the ISI/SCOPUS list; to enhance information and communication work in the field of physics.

8. To encourage overseas Vietnamese scientists and international scientists to participate in research and training activities in the field of physics.

IV. FUNDS FOR IMPLEMENTATION

1. Funds for implementation of the Program come from the state budget, the National Foundation for Science and Technology Development, donations of enterprises, organizations and individuals, international cooperation and other lawful sources, of which funds from the National Foundation for Science and Technology Development shall be used to sponsor basic physics researches.

2. The management and use of funds from the state budget and other lawful sources for implementation of the tasks specified in this Decision must comply with the law on the state budget and relevant laws.

Article 2. Organization of implementation

1. The Ministry of Science and Technology shall be the agency in charge of implementing the Program and has the following tasks:

a/ To assume the prime responsibility for, and coordinate with related ministries and agencies in, studying and formulating regulations and policies to ensure the implementation of tasks under the Program; to concretize viewpoints and priority orientations specified in Section II of this Decision in basic research and application-oriented basic research in the field of physics by 2025;

b/ To formulate and promulgate a plan on implementation of the Program;

c/ To assume the prime responsibility for implementing Task 1 specified in Section III of this Decision; based on the contents and specific tasks specified in the Program, to formulate and implement schemes and projects as planned and currently prescribed.

2. The Ministry of Education and Training shall assume the prime responsibility for, and coordinate with the Vietnam National University-Hanoi and Vietnam National University-Ho Chi Minh City in, implementing Tasks 2, 3 and 4 specified in Section III of this Decision; and formulate plans on implementation of schemes and projects of the Program under current regulations.

3. The Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology shall assume the prime responsibility for implementing Task 5; assume the prime responsibility for, and coordinate with the Ministry of Education and Training, Vietnam National University-Hanoi and Vietnam National University-Ho Chi Minh City in, implementing Tasks 6 and 7; and assume the prime responsibility for, and coordinate with the Vietnam Union of Science and Technology Associations in, performing Tasks 7 and 8 specified in Section III of this Decision.

4. The Ministry of Planning and Investment and Ministry of Finance shall, within the ambit of their functions and tasks, assume the prime responsibility for, and coordinate with the Ministry of Science and Technology and related ministries and sectors in, allocating investment capital and budget funds for non-business science and technology and non-business education activities for implementation of the Program.

5. Related ministries and agencies shall organize the evaluation and acceptance of scientific and technological tasks approved in the Program on physics development through 2020 promulgated together the Prime Minister’s Decision No. 380/QD-TTg of March 24, 2015, according to the law on science and technology and related laws; and sum up and propose specific tasks which need to be extended for further implementation during the 2021-2025 period to the Ministry of Science and Technology for consideration and decision within competence and under regulations.

Article 3. This Decision takes effect on the date of its signing.

Article 4. Ministers, heads of ministerial-level agencies, heads of government-attached agencies, and chairpersons of provincial-level People’s Committees shall implement this Decision.-

For the Prime Minister
Deputy Minister
VU DUC DAM