Order of the Lion of Finland awarded to Ministry of Science & Technology department chief

By order and authority of the President of Finland, Ambassador of Finland to Vietnam Kari Kahiluoto recently conferred the Order of the Lion of Finland (First-class Knight) to Tran Thi Thu Huong, chief of the Department of International Cooperation at the Ministry of Science and Technology

Sophie Tran

sophie.tran73@gmail.com July 30, 2021 | 12:39

	Friendship Unions Support Struggling Friends Across the World
	Vietnam-Canada Friendship Association Reviews 2021 So Far
	VUFO and Vietnam-Cuba Friendship Association Send Message of Solidarity to Cuban People

The conferring ceremony was attended by Minister of Science and Technology Huynh Thanh Dat, former Deputy Minister of Science and Technology Tran Quoc Khanh, Chief of the Department of International Cooperation at the Ministry of Science and Technology Tran Thi Thu Huong and former Counselor of the Embassy of Finland Tomi Sarkioja.

Founded in 1942 by decree of the President of Finland, the Order of the Lion of Finland is one of the two official orders of the government of Finland, along with the Order of the White Rose. The order is conferred by the President of Finland to Finnish citizens or citizens of foreign countries who have made significant contributions to Finland in various fields.

Order of the Lion of Finland awarded to Ministry of Science & Technology department chief

Minister of Science and Technology Huynh Thanh Dat, Ambassador of Finland to Vietnam Kari Kahiluoto and other delegates took a commemorative photo at the Order of the Lion of Finland Conferring Ceremony. Photo: Vietnam Times

Speaking at the ceremony, Dat said the order was a meaningful recognition of Huong and the IPP2 program’s efforts and an honor of the Ministry of Science and Technology. It is proof of the friendship and cooperation between Vietnam’s Ministry of Science and Technology and Finland’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the past decade to lay the foundation for developing the innovation ecosystem in Vietnam, contributing to the sustainable socio-economic development of the country.

The Minister of Science and Technology requested that Huong continued to strive to fulfill the duties assigned and contribute to the cooperation between Vietnam and Finland in science, technology and innovation.

Dat said he appreciated the role of Ambassador Kari, who has been continuously supporting and promoting cooperation between the two ministries and contributed to the success of the Innovation Partnership Program phase 2 and cooperation in science, technology and innovation between Vietnam and Finland.

He thanked the Ambassador and expressed his hope that both countries would continue to strengthen cooperation in innovation, high-tech, circular economy, clean energy and sustainable development.

The minister wished the Ambassador would retain good memories of Vietnam and its people and make continued contributions to fostering friendship and cooperation between the two countries in science, technology and innovation in whatever position he would assume following his position as the ambassador of Finland to Vietnam.

The Innovation Partnership Program phase 2 (IPP2) was the cooperation program between the governments of Vietnam and Finland, co-implemented by the Ministry of Science and Technology of Vietnam and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Finland in the period 2014 – 2018 and officially ended in 2019.

IPP2 was a pioneer program in supporting innovative start-ups, laying the foundation for the development of the start-up ecosystem in Vietnam.

IPP2 was highly praised by the start-up community in Vietnam and abroad. In the first half of 2021, Finland’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs organized an independent international evaluation on the 10-year transitional period during which the government of Finland supported development projects in Vietnam in different fields.

IPP2 was highlighted in the evaluation as an example pioneer project that marked the success and positive influence of the government of Finland on innovation in developing countries.

Vietnam Offers 10,000 Tonnes of Rice to Cuban People

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh held a reception for Cuban Ambassador Orlando Nicolás Hernández Guillén in Hanoi on July 29 and the Party, State and ...

Mẹ Melba: Revolutionary for Cuba, Friend for Vietnam

Melba Hernandez Rodriguez del Rey (28/7/1921- 9/3/2014), a Cuban heroine who dedicated her entire life to the Cuban Revolution and national liberation movements ...

Vietnam, Cuba Look Toward Cooperation in COVID-19 Vaccine Production

Both sides have emphasized the significance of cooperation in COVID-19 vaccine production as a way to help Vietnam carry out its dual goal while improving ...

Sophie Tran