VNU Vice President, Prof. Dr. Nguyễn Hữu Đức, Head of the Organizing Committee, chaired the event.

Attending the symposium were also Prof. J.J.M. Franse - Former President of the University of Amsterdam, Prof. Nguyễn Đức Chiến - Deputy Chairman of the Vietnam Physics Committee, Prof. Phan Tuấn Nghĩa - Vice Rector of VNU University of Science and Assoc.Prof. Hoàng Anh Tuấn - Vice Rector of VNU University of Social Sciences and Humanities and a number of scientists working in the fields of physics, material sciences, chemistry, electronics and telecommunications from Vietnam and abroad.

This is the first time Hanoi Symposium on Advanced Materials and Devices has been organized in the hope of creating conditions for building a scientific journal of international standards, promoting advanced materials and devices research at VNU in particular and within the country in general. VNU Journal of Science special edition: Advanced Materials and Devices - JS AMD published the first two issues through ScienceDirect under the model of Product & Hosting with Elsevier in March and June 2016.

VNU hopes to provide a platform for reputable scientists within the country and abroad to exchange and share their latest experiences and research results in the field of advanced materials and devices, thereby networking the scientist community to promote scientific development in Vietnam.

The symposium was also an opportunity to network and build strong international teams of researchers in Vietnam, to attract and employ prestigious chief science officers, who could design major research programs and projects as well as create a network of collaborators to upgrade VNU Journal of Science to international standards.

The symposium attracted a large number invited papers by scientists working in Vietnam and abroad on such topics as Direct laser writing of multi-dimensional & multi-functional photonic structures, Low power consumption gas sensors for the Internet of Things (IoT) applications, Advanced Magnetic Materials: From Energy-Efficient Refrigeration to Nanomedicine …

At the symposium, VNU affiliates implemented a number of specific models to attract foreign scientists to the building of joint research programs and international research groups.

During the symposium there was also a function to celebrate Vietnam - Netherlands cooperation as well as to commemorate Dr. Peter E. Brommer, a Dutch physicist, a 2002 Vietnam Friendship Medal awardee, who had made a significant contribution to the training and building of strong research teams and a number of magneto-physics schools in Vietnam.