{"id":86549,"date":"2017-11-22T07:06:02","date_gmt":"2017-11-22T07:06:02","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/?guid=7b1a78613defb00119b561659e3d348e"},"modified":"2017-11-22T07:06:02","modified_gmt":"2017-11-22T07:06:02","slug":"press-release-uk-vietnam-project-communicating-in-a-disaster-wins-prestigious-newton-prize","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/?p=86549","title":{"rendered":"Press release: UK-Vietnam project \u201cCommunicating in a disaster\u201d wins prestigious Newton Prize"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

British Ambassador to Vietnam, Giles Lever, and Vice Minister for Science and Technology, Tran
\nQuoc Khanh, presented the award in Hanoi on Thursday, 16 November 2017 to the winning lead researchers
\nDr. Vo Nguyen Son from Duy Tan University, and his UK-based counterpart Dr. Trung Duong from
\nQueen\u2019s University Belfast.<\/p>\n

Their Newton Fund project, \u201cBuilding a foundation for sustainable development networked societies
\nfor the cities of tomorrow\u201d designed an integrated heterogeneous wireless system (IHWS<\/abbr>), which is
\nrobust in maintaining communications during disasters such as floods, landslides and droughts. It
\ncopes with issues such as physical destruction of telecommunication networks, lack of power supply
\nand network congestion. The system also provides early warning of natural disasters by detecting
\nwater level, vibration and wind. In cities, the IWHS can detect increases in dust, temperature, noise
\nand carbon dioxide levels. Academic staff and students from 20 universities throughout Vietnam have
\nbeen trained in the system and several leading telecommunication companies are interested in
\nbringing it into production.<\/p>\n

Dr. Trung Duong said:<\/p>\n

\n

I am so pleased to have won the 2017 Newton Prize. Natural disasters are a big problem not just in Vietnam but throughout the whole world and the impact is worse for those in remote and isolated areas with no access to the ICT<\/abbr> facilities that are essential to providing vital warning information and aiding in rescue missions. This prize money will allow myself and my team to develop the system further and to work with the key telecommunications companies in Vietnam. By doing so we can provide citizens with better warning, measurement tools and education initiatives.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

More than 100 people attended the event at the Ministry of Science and Technology, including
\nresearchers, representatives of the Vietnamese government and Vietnamese delivery partners to
\ncelebrate three years of the Newton Fund Programme Vietnam and its growing success in research
\nand innovation collaboration between the UK and Vietnam.<\/p>\n

British Ambassador to Vietnam, Giles Lever, said:<\/p>\n

\n

International cooperation with a diversity of ideas,
\nviews and good practice plays a very important role in research and innovation. As a dynamic
\nemerging economy with a strong vision of the importance of science and innovation in human
\ndevelopment, Vietnam is a natural partner for the global Newton Fund. By working together and
\nleveraging each other\u2019s strengths, we can achieve more than what we would achieve alone. I am
\nexcited to think about the future possibilities, and look forward to a bright future for the Newton Fund
\nProgramme Vietnam.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

The Newton Fund Programme Vietnam is the first formal research and innovation partnership
\nprogramme between the UK and Vietnamese Governments. The programme aims to support
\nVietnam\u2019s economic and social development through science and innovation as well as recognise
\nchallenges and support Vietnam\u2019s research and innovation to be more impactful. Over the last three
\nand a half years, the fund has disbursed nearly \u00a35 million and rolled out 35 calls over 15 schemes.
\nThis has resulted in 162 grants that benefit nearly 400 individuals, mostly researchers from 60
\nVietnamese and 43 UK research organisations.<\/p>\n

The Newton Prize is an annual \u00a31 million fund awarded for the best research or innovation that
\npromotes the economic development and social welfare of developing countries. More than 150
\nNewton funded projects, fellowships or other awards applied for the Newton Prize from the eligible
\ncountries for this year \u2013 India, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam. There are 25 shortlisted
\napplications in total and five Prizes of up to \u00a3200,000 will be awarded to each winner to be used to
\nadvance or develop existing Newton funded work.<\/p>\n

The Newton Prize aims to incentivise researchers to participate in the Newton Fund as partners with
\nthe UK, and to work on the most important challenges facing Newton countries. The concept for the
\nNewton Prize has been developed to demonstrate how UK partnerships with Newton countries are
\nsolving global challenges.<\/p>\n

Notes to Editor<\/h4>\n

The Newton Fund builds research and innovation partnerships with 18 partner countries to support
\ntheir economic development and social welfare, and to develop their research and innovation capacity
\nfor long-term sustainable growth. The Newton Fund is managed by the UK Department for Business,
\nEnergy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS), and delivered through 15 UK delivery partners, which include
\nthe Research Councils, the UK Academies, the British Council, Innovate UK and the Met Office.
\nThe Newton Fund Programme Vietnam is the first formal research and innovation partnership
\nprogramme between the UK and Vietnamese Governments. Both countries have agreed the five
\npriority areas of mutual interest as health and life sciences; agriculture; environmental resilience
\nand energy security; future cities; and digital innovation and creativity; falling into three groups
\nof activities:<\/p>\n