Vietnam News Today (Sep. 23): Vietnam - 'Rising Star' in Startup Investment

Illustrative image. Photo: VNA

Over 1,900 new Covid-19 cases logged on September 22

The national Covid-19 caseload rose to 11,467,619 with 1,928 new cases recorded on September 22, according to the Ministry of Health.

With 1,259 patients given the all clear during the day, the number of recoveries rose to 10,583,947. Meanwhile, there are 123 patients needing breathing support.

No death from Covid-19 was recorded in the past 24 hours. The total fatalities stood at 43,146, cited VNA.

On September 21, an additional 77,933 doses of vaccines were administered, raising the total number of doses of Covid-19 vaccines injected to 259,733,668.

Vietnam rejects false claims from international human rights organizations

The spokesperson of the Vietnam Ministry of Foreign Affairs has refuted information released by foreign organizations regarding the nation's candidacy for the UN Human Rights Council.

These comments were made during a routine press briefing held by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on September 22. In response to a reporter's question on the country’s reaction to a number of international human rights organizations having mixed opinions on the Vietnamese candidacy for the UN Human Rights Council, spokeswoman Le Thi Thu Hang affirmed that, “We completely reject the untruthful and unobjective contents regarding Vietnam that some foreign organizations have released.”

Spokesperson of the Vietnam Ministry of Foreign Affairs Le Thi Thu Hang. Photo: VOV

“We have repeatedly affirmed Vietnam's consistent policy of protecting and promoting fundamental human rights. This has been specified in the 2013 Constitution and related legal documents,” the official added.

The nation’s efforts and improvements in the field of human rights over recent years has been recognized and appreciated by the international community, according to VOV.

Most recently, in March the country published the mid-term report on voluntary implementation of the recommendations that Vietnam has accepted under the Universal Periodic Review Mechanism on Human Rights (UPR) cycle III.

This demonstrates the clear responsibility of a transparent member state, along with the seriousness of the country in implementing the UPR mechanism, as well as international commitments, in order to ensure human rights.

The nation has also actively demonstrated a strong spirit for co-operation based on the special procedures of the UN Human Rights Council. Indeed, it regularly maintains bilateral human rights dialogue mechanisms with a number of countries, whilst also being ready to exchange issues of mutual concern in the spirit of frankness, openness, and mutual respect, Hang added.

Vietnam: 'rising star' in startup investment

The Science and Technology Enterprise and Market Development Department (Ministry of Science and Technology) and the National Innovation Startup Support Center (NSSC) have launched the Vietnam Open Innovation Landscape Report 2022.

This is the first report to provide a comprehensive, multi-dimensional map on the innovative startup ecosystem with emphasis on 11 prominent sectors: FMCG, Retail, Education, Finance, Healthcare, Martech & Salestech, Logistics & Supply Chain, Sustainable Investment, Agriculture, Travel & Tourism, and Blockchain & Crypto.

Vietnam is emerging as one of the dynamic economies and development hubs for innovative start-ups in the Asia-Pacific region.

Photo: VNN

According to the annual report of DO Ventures and Cento Ventures, the Vietnamese startup ecosystem has jumped from the 5th position to the 3rd position among the top 6 ASEAN economies, just behind Indonesia and Singapore. The growth is reflected in both the capital poured into the market and the number of active investors and start-up investment funds.

The Vietnam Open Innovation Landscape Report 2022 shows that Covid-19 was a catalyst promoting strong growth of unique business models. The pandemic created a major shift in consumer and business behavior, reported VNN.

E-commerce (E-commerce), financial technology (Fintech), health technology (Medtech), educational technology (Edtech), online media, and digital solutions for businesses are expected to create a breakthrough in investment attraction.

The report shows that investment in the technology sector in Vietnam has recovered after a turbulent year. The number of transactions in the first nine months of 2021 increased to the highest level in the past five years, reaching 108 deals.

Meanwhile, the total investment capital in the market in this period was US$604 million. Payment and retail are still two key areas that many investors are interested in. The capital poured into emerging fields such as education, healthcare and business automation also rose significantly compared to 2020, in which the health sector received a record high amount of capital.

Vietnamese universities, foreign partners co-launch over 400 training courses

Universities nationwide are implementing more than 400 joint training programs with foreign countries for the undergraduate level, as per statistics from the Ministry of Education and Training’s Department of International Cooperation.

Of the programs, 186 were licensed by autonomous higher education institutions and 222 by the ministry.

The UK tops the lineup of foreign nations by joining 101 join programmes, or about 25% of the total. It is followed by the US with 59 programs, France 53, Australia 37 and the Republic of Korea (RoK) 27.

Photo: VNA

Meanwhile, between 2016 and 2021, Vietnam annually welcomed 4,000 – 6,000 foreign students on average. The figure was the highest in 2019 with 6,300, dropping to some 3,000 each in 2020 and 2021 due to Covid-19, cited VNA.

Up to 80% of the foreign students in Vietnam come from Laos and Cambodia. Their proportion is followed by that of those from the RoK, China, France, and Japan. Most of them study short-term courses and undergraduate programs.

The Vietnam National Universities in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City are currently offering training to the highest numbers of students belonging to different nationalities, at 74 and 44, respectively.

Vietnamese movie to compete in Tokyo International Film Festival

A Vietnamese film titled "Tro tàn rực rỡ", known as “Glorious ashes” in English, by director Bui Thac Chuyen will compete for a prize in the Competition category at the Tokyo International Film Festival (TIFF) to be held from October 24 to November 3 in Japan.

Adapted from short stories produced by renowned Vietnamese writer Nguyen Ngoc Tu, the film won the Busan Award in the Asian Project Market of the Busan International Film Festival 2017.

Furthermore, the movie was also presented at the Cannes’ Cinefondation L’Atelier 2018, VOV reported.

A scene in Vietnamese film titled "Tro tàn rực rỡ", known as “Glorious ashes” in English, by director Bui Thac Chuyen. Photo: TIFF

This year the film has been selected from a total of 1,695 works submitted by directors from 107 countries and territories worldwide.

A total of 15 films have been chosen to compete in the Competition category at the Tokyo International Film Festival, including the Vietnamese movie.

The Tokyo International Film Festival was first established in 1985 and was held biennially from 1985 to 1991, with the event being held annually thereafter. It is widely considered to be the largest film festival in Asia.

Vietnam News Today (Sep. 20): Vietnam Elevates its Role in UN After 45 Years of Membership Vietnam News Today (Sep. 20): Vietnam elevates its role in UN after 45 years of membership; Vietnamese fruits successfully enter challenging markets; KOTRA to connect ...

Vietnam News Today (Sep. 21): Foreign Arrivals in Hanoi Up 18% in September Vietnam News Today (Sep. 21): Over 3,170 new Covid-19 cases logged on September 20; Vietnam highlights need to ensure fairness in quality education access; Foreign ...

Vietnam News Today (Sep. 22): Vietnam to Rank Among Top 15 Asian Economies in 2022 Vietnam News Today (Sep. 22): UKVFTA helps to promote agricultural trade exchanges with UK; Vietnam to rank among top 15 Asian economies in 2022; Vietnam ...