PM Pham Minh Chinh visits Sweden’s Uppsala University

Stockholm (VNA) – Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh visited and held discussions at Uppsala University, one of Sweden’s most prestigious and oldest academic institutions, renowned globally for its excellence, as part of his official visit to the European country.

With a history spanning over 500 years, Uppsala is the oldest university in Scandinavia and consistently ranks among the top 100 universities worldwide. It has produced numerous Nobel laureates and influential political leaders, and stands as a symbol of academic distinction in Sweden.

The university has forged partnerships with the Vietnam National University-Hanoi, the Hanoi University of Science and Technology, and the Foreign Trade University, supporting joint research, capacity-building courses, and doctoral scholarships for Vietnamese scholars.

PM Chinh held discussions with Uppsala’s leaders, prominent researchers, members of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, and the Secretary of the Nobel Committee, exploring the prestigious Nobel Prize and its global impact.

He praised Uppsala’s rich legacy, international prestige, and academic excellence, calling it a model for Vietnam’s higher education institutions.

He thanked the university for its significant contributions to Vietnam’s education, science, and sustainable development, noting that programmes like student exchanges, doctoral training, and collaborative research not only bolster Vietnamese academic institutions but also foster deeper cultural and mutual understanding between the Vietnamese and Swedish people.

The Vietnamese leader proposed Uppsala University establish a partnership with a national university in Vietnam; strengthen collaboration in education, research, and academic exchanges with Vietnamese institutions; and offer scholarships to Vietnamese students and researchers, thus advancing the newly established sectoral strategic partnership in science, technology, and innovation between the two countries.

He expressed his hope that Vietnamese students and researchers will continue to uphold the traditional values of the Vietnamese culture and people, marked by diligence, creativity, ambition, and big dreams. He encouraged them to strive for academic excellence, deepen their understanding of local laws and culture, and develop essential skills to ensure they can thrive whether working in Sweden or returning to contribute to Vietnam.

The PM called on the university to continue supporting and creating favourable conditions for Vietnamese students and researchers to pursue their studies, with the hope that they will grow into distinguished scientists, perhaps even Nobel laureates in the decades to come, contributing to further deepening the good friendship between the two countries.

Talking with Prof. Ulf Danielsson, member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences and Secretary of the Nobel Committee, PM Chinh expressed his sincere appreciation for the Professor’s insights on how Vietnamese individuals might be recognised with a Nobel Prize in the future.

The PM invited Prof. Danielsson to visit Vietnam for further, in-depth exchanges. He highlighted Vietnam’s ongoing efforts to modernise its education system in line with advanced international models, including that of Sweden, and its commitment to creating a supportive environment that encourages scientific research and innovation with the spirit that discovery and science has no borders and limits.

This was the final activity of PM Chinh during his official visit to Sweden. It is also the final activity during his working trip to attend the 3rd United Nations Ocean Summit (UNOC 3) in France and engage in bilateral activities in France, and official visits to Estonia and Sweden.

In the afternoon of June 13, PM Chinh, his spouse, and the high-ranking Vietnamese delegation left Stockholm for Hanoi, successfully concluding their working trip./.