The Northern midland and mountainous region has great potential and tremendous advantages for development, but also has to confront with difficulties and challenges in development realities. Along with many target programs, the investment projects of economic, social, cultural and educational development for the Northwest, on 28^th June 2013, implementing the directive of the Prime Minister, the Minister of Science and Technology signed Decision No. 1746/QD-BKHCN on approval of the goals, content and expected product of the Northwest Program. VNU is assigned to be in charge of the program and VNU President Phùng Xuân Nhạ is the Chairman of the program.

The Northwest Program is the concretization of the strategic policy of the Vietnamese Party and State: considering Science & Technology as the primary national policy to promote to the highest degree the intellectual resources and create an impetus for the development of knowledge-based economy in the Northwest region, through the issues raised in the development realities of the region and of each locality, raise production capacity and competitiveness, promote the advantages, resources and potential, to create an impetus for the raising of overall growth level of the region and bring about the practical benefits to the community of ethnic minority groups living in the Northwest provinces, contributing to ensuring the national defense  and security.

The Northwest Program received a vigorous concern and support and the direct guidance from the Government, the Northwest Steering Committee, the Ministry of Science and Technology and the relevant Ministries, Central Agencies and especially highly valuable cooperation of all localities in the region. At the meeting with VNU and relevant Ministries and Agencies, Deputy Prime Minister Nguyễn Xuân Phúc – Chairman of the Northwest Program Steering Committee has grasped thoroughly the principle and guidelines of the program, which are practical, feasible and sustainable, guaranteeing that the Scientific and Technological products of the program will meet the requirements of the local development and make a concrete contribution to solving specific problems of the locality.

 This workshop is an opportunity for VNU to continue introducing the objectives, contents and expected products of the Northwest Program with localities, ministries and agencies. At the same time, the Steering Committee of the Program wishes to receive the exchanges and proposals for solution to improve efficiency of the program and to place order on research tasks and the mode of coordinating the organization of implementation, transfer and application of the research results of the program in conformity with the requirements of sustainable development in the Northwest localities.

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