An image in "Tomble" by Robert Cahen.

VietNamNet – French leading video installation artist Robert Cahen will be in Hanoi February 22 to present two works: Even Deeper than Night and Tightening.

 “Even Deeper than Night” is a 14-minute video installation made in 2004 that looks on a market in Hanoi.

 The video tells the daily life of Hanoians through the unique perspective of an artist from France: a woman combs her hair at night, a train goes through houses, a group of journalists vie hard with each others… “Even Deeper than Night” is a real film with new images and a background of French music.

 In “Tightening”, audiences will see movement created by lights, as this black and white nine-minute film portrays the special effects, and endeavors to identify what connects the dead, life, love, and pain.

 Robert Cahen, was born in 1945 in Velencia, France, graduated from the Paris National Conservatory in 1971. He has added technological and language tests of the practical music school into the video arts. 

As a member of a music research group of the ORTF Television, Robert Cahen is a pioneer in using electronic musical instruments and one of the top artists in video arts. 

He has exhibited his video artwork since 1997 in France, Germany, Italy, Canada, Switzerland, the US, Morocco, Peru and now Vietnam. 

“Even Deeper than Night” and “Tightening” are his two latest video installations. 

H.T

VietNamNet – The conference “France - Asia Dialogue on Science and Working Orientation in Vietnam” opened in Hanoi yesterday.

This conference began with a cooperative project between the Pedagogy Department of Vietnam’s National University and France’s National Institute on Labour and Orientation.

 

According to Assistant Prof Nguyen Thi My Loc, head of the National University’s Pedagogy Department, it is an important opportunity for managers, policy officials, researchers and educators to discuss orientations for students in Vietnam.

 

Ms Loc said, because of financial and historical reasons, vocational counselling in Vietnam and other countries in South-east Asia fell behind the rest of the world in comparison to developed countries such as France, the US, England and regional countries like Singapore and the Republic of Korea.

 

Vietnam lacks a policy framework and professional experts in vocational training, and precipitated the cooperation of the University and the French Institute, the educator said.

 

Vietnam has a problem in job orientation for students. Most want to attend universities, churning out more management qualified employees than skilled labourers. The disproportion brings about unemployment for the intellectuals, pressuring parents and students, and seeing educational funds misspent.

 

According to a report of International Labour Organisation (ILO), the number of unemployed people in the world now is 88mil. In 2003, the number was 86mil, half of them in the age 15 to 24. More than 550 million young people earn less than US$1 per day.

 

Hoang Huong

VietNamNet – France’s Bostik, the world’s second biggest group in industrial adhesive materials, has stated its intention to build a factory in Vietnam .

A factory of Bostik.

“ Vietnam is a newly opened and fully potential market and in the future we will build factories there. This is a significant part in our business development plan in this market,” said C.F. Chen, Bostik General Director.

According to Mr C.F. Chen, Vietnam is strongly developing its infrastructure and Bostik sees many chances for its products in Vietnam .

In 2005-2006, Bostik will focus on products serving the construction industry and will be aiming at three kinds of clients. Projects invested by the Vietnamese Government and local investors; foreign-invested real estate projects, and product distribution.

“Bostik’s major target is providing solutions and construction methods for Vietnam ’s construction material industry. We want to build a complete sales system, and distinguish between distributors and agents,” he said.

Bostik is the inventor of the glue used to make sports shoes in the US and is now a multinational group that specialises in the provision of water-proof substances, construction glue and chemicals serving construction and industry.

Bostik is now a member of TOTAL, the world’s fourth largest oil and gas group. It is operating in 26 countries with sales for 2004 estimated around Eur1.2bil.

Truong Nam

Academician, Associate Professor Ton That Bach.

VietNamNet – On December 20, the French Embassy awarded the French Order of Academic Palm to the late Academician, Associate Professor Ton That Bach.

The order was in recognition for Mr Bach’s great contribution to the development of Vietnam-France relations, and in the training of medical workers.

Mr Bach was known as a cardiovascular surgeon with “golden hands”, and as a person who contributed greatly to the development of the medical service in Vietnam.

He was greatly involved in the training and improvement of the professional abilities of Vietnamese medical workers by expanding and boosting medical co-operation with other countries, including France, while he was rector of the Medical College and director of the Vietnam-Germany Friendship Hospital.

Due to Mr Bach’s efforts, more than 1,000 Vietnamese students and doctors have been sent to France for higher education under a medical co-operation programme between the two countries.

Mr Bach was former Deputy Chairman of the National Assembly Committee for Social Issues, Director of the Vietnam-Germany Friendship Hospital, and Director of the Hanoi Medical University.

PV
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French painter Dominique de Miscault, 57, will exhibit her work at the French cultural exchange centre IDECAF in HCM City from December 20, 2004 to January 9, 2005.

In March 2003, Ms Dominique de Miscault exhibited The Trembling of Life, a collection of silk paintings. She also participated in an exhibition with Vietnamese painters Nguyen Anh Tuan and Nguyen Tuan and illustrated Ngo Tu Lap’s Vietnamese-French poetry collection entitled L'Univers et Moi (The Universe and Me.)

After her debut in 1969, the Paris-born painter traveled through France and other countries throughout the world looking for inspiration for her work. She has had more than 300 exhibitions in France, Russia, Western Europe and Vietnam.

(Source: Nhan Dan)

There are currently 867 ancient homes over 100 years of age in a state of disrepair in Thua Thien - Hue.

The Nord-Pas de Calais Council of France has recently signed an accord to donate EUR100,000 to restore 20 ancient houses in Hue City , Thua Thien - Hue central province.

This is part of the project to restore 237 old houses in the city, beginning early next year.

In Thua Thien - Hue Province, there are currently 867 ancient homes over 100 years of age in a state of disrepair. These houses are listed for the preservation and restoration by authorities in Hue .

(Source: Nhan Dan)

A French International School will be built on a 2ha area in Nam Sai Gon ( South Sai Gon) of Ho Chi Minh City .

This was agreed upon by Chairman of the HCM City People's Committee Le Thanh Hai and the newly-appointed Consulate General of France, Nicolas Warnery, during their talks in HCM City on November 23.

Mayor Hai said he hoped that, during Warnery's term of office, the preservation of French architectural works in the city would continue.

The Consulate General acknowledged the mayor's ideas and said he would continue to coordinate with the Institute for Cultural Exchange to carry out a project on collecting photographs of Sai Gon in the late 19th century and HCM City in early 21st century.

(Source: VNA)

The northern city of Yen Bai in Vietnam and the French city Chevilly-Larue have signed a EUR 211,000 co-operation project on pre-education.

Chairman of the Yen Bai People's Committee Ha Duc Hoan, who is on a current visit to France, and Chevilly-Larue Mayor Christian Hervy signed an agreement for the project last week.

The project will help upgrade and build pre-education schools in Yen Bai city, provide equipment for food safety, and train teachers.

The project will go on for one year.

Addressing the signing ceremony, Hervy said that Vietnam needs international assistance to overcome the aftermath of wars and develop the country. Emissaries of the French city were attracted to the proposal because of their belief that children are the future of the country.

The two cities have cooperated since 1994 in a number of projects: donations of medial equipment and waste treatment for Yen Bai hospital, water treatment for Thac Ba, lake and cassavas processing.

(Source: VNA)

VietNamNet – French Lafarge Group wants to be the top provider of construction materials in Vietnam, said President Bertrand Collomb during his short visit to Vietnam.

Late last month Lafarge began the construction of a cement factory in southern Dong Nai Province with a total investment of over US$30mil.

Lafarge is one of the world leading producers of construction materials with four reputed products: cement, concrete, roof sheets and gypsum. It ranks second worldwide for concrete production and third for gypsum.

 

Late last month the group began the construction of a cement factory in southern Dong Nai Province with a total investment of over US$30mil (70% contributed by Lafarge), becoming operational in 2005. This is one of Lafarge’s four projects in Vietnam since 2001. The three others are concrete factories with a total output of 350,000sq.m/year.

 

“We see Vietnam as an important developing market in Asia with high economic and urban growth. The country’s cement market with consumption power of nearly 24mil tonnes and average annual growth rate of approximately 15% are attractive to us,” said Mr Bertrand Collomb on November 22.

 

“We want to expand our investment scale in Vietnam. Although Vietnam has had big cement joint ventures like Chinfon and Nghi Son, we are still determined to become of the leading providers in Vietnam,” he added.

 

Lafarge is operating in 75 countries with 75,000 employees. The group’s total revenues last year hit nearly US$25bil.

 

Phuong Thanh

VietNamNet – Deputy Minister of Labour, War, Invalids, and Social Affairs Dam Huu Dac on November 12 presented a certificate of merit for a French citizen in Vietnam.

The certificate of merit was presented to Christian Gareia Cavalie, General Director of France’s Aubay Company, in recognition of his assistance to disadvantaged children in northern Ha Tay Province since 2000.

Specifically, Mr Cavalie presented three fully equipped classrooms for the Ngoc Liep School in Quoc Oai District and helped the school with repairs and new construction. He also presented a three-story building for the Ha Tay Orphan Camp.

Mr Cavalie established the Reve Association dedicated to helping children in Vietnam.

PV

The bilateral co-operation between the Vietnamese and French courts and the two countries' legal and judicial systems has been strong and effective for many years, said President Tran Duc Luong at a reception for France's Supreme Court chief justice Guy Canivet in Hanoi yesterday.

President Tran Duc Luong talks with France's Supreme Court chief justice Guy Canivet.

President Luong welcomed his guest to Vietnam, where Canivet will attend a conference commemorating the 200th anniversary of the French civil code in Vietnam and work with Vietnamese judicial offices.

He thanked the French Government and its judicial offices for actively sharing knowledge with Vietnam about legal enforcement, legal training, and disseminating information about law.

President Luong briefed his guest on some legal and judicial reforms Vietnam is making as it attempts to integrate its economy into the region and world.

He said it is necessary to take into account Vietnam's civil and economic situation as it perfects its legal system.

President Luong said he hoped French legislative and judicial officials would continue to share experiences with Vietnam and help build a strategy for the perfection of the legal system, their continued assistance in legal arenas such as training law enforcement officials and disseminating legal information.

In reply, Canivet pointed out there are some similarities between the French and Vietnamese legal systems. He confirmed the French Government's willingness to co-operate with Vietnam to train court officials and judges and to improve the French language skills of Vietnam's legal officials.

He said he believed that bilateral co-operation between the legal systems in general and between the courts in particular will continue to yield positive results.

(Source: Viet Nam News)

Vietnam joined more than 20 nations to introduce its products at the on-going Grenoble International Fair 2004 (AlpExpo) in Paris , France .

On display at almost 30 Vietnamese pavillions covering over 1,000 sq.m are lacquer, wooden and ceramic handicrafts, textiles and garment products. Visitors can enjoy Vietnamese foods through tasting specialities such as spring rolls, pho (rice noodle soup), lean pork paste, and grilled shrimp paste.

Opening the two-week fair last Saturday, the president of the AlpExpo said that the fair is a significant economic event for Grenoble-Alpes region. He highlighted the first ever presence of Vietnamese companies at the fair.

Vietnamese Ambassador to France Nguyen Dinh Binh said that Vietnam 's attendance reflected the country's success in international integration and the fine development of the Vietnam-France relationship. The two countries have been exploring each other's diversified economics, trade and culture as well as peoples, the Vietnamese diplomat said.

At the opening day of the fair, Vietnamese traditional dance, martial arts and musical performances attracted a large number of visitors.

(Source: VNA)

France has agreed to continue to transfer kidney transplant technology to Vietnam after the successful surgery for a 12-year-old child this June, said a health official.

According to Professor Tran Dong A, Deputy Director of the HCM City's Paediatric Hospital 2, France has agreed to continue transferring kidney-transplant technology to the hospital to conduct surgeries for two or three children in early 2005.

The Paediatric Hospital 2 on June 14, 2004 undertook the first child kidney transplant operation for Huynh Nguyen Nhat Truc, 12, from Central Highlands province of Gia Lai, taking a kidney from her mother, Nguyen Thi Tuyet Trinh, 40.

Truc has now recovered from the surgery and went from 18.5kg to a chubby and contented 26kg.

(Source: Tuoi Tre)

VietNamNet – L’Espace will present a screening of special French documentary films in Hanoi from October 28 to November 2.

In its fourth documentary film month in Hanoi , L’Espace will exhibit films screened at the 15^th Marseille International Documentary Film Festival (FID Marseille) this July.

L’Espace has invited Jean-Pierre Rehm, FID Marseille leader to participate in the opening ceremony to select specific films to complement the four days of screening.

Films by reputed French directors as Chantal Ackerman, Simone Bitton, Dominique Gonzalez-Foerster, Jean-Francois Imbert Marie – Helene Rebois will be brought to Hanoi for the first time.

After the opening ceremony, on October 28, a film by Chantal Ackerman, “With Sonia Wieder-Atherton” and “Ribatz, Ribatz or the time’s hallmark” by Marie-Helene Rebois will be presented.

“The Wall” by Simone Bitton, produced in 2003, which won the Grand Prix Prize at the FID Marseille 2004 will screen October 29.

The following day, another Chantal Ackerman directed feature, entitled “From the beyond” is to be featured.

The two last films, “The Beach” by Dominique Gonzalez-Foerster and “Don’t let them over, album for commemoration” by Henri Francois Imbert, will be presented November 2.

H.T

Vietnam and France signed agreements on the Hanoi tramway system and Airbus aircrafts as French President Jacques Chirac began his visit to the country on the eve of the 5th Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM 5).

President Tran Duc Luong and his French counterpart Chirac witnessed the signing of eight of the 20 memorandums of understanding expected to be finalised between the two countries during President Chirac's two-day visit.

They include French assistance of US$200mil for the Hanoi tramway system, US$50mil for modernising the signal system on the Hanoi-Vinh City railway section, purchase of 10 Airbus aircrafts from France and other co-operative projects on education and training.

President Chirac, on his second trip to Vietnam, was given a red-carpet welcome and a guard of honour at the Presidential Palace.

He later met President Tran Duc Luong, who expressed his wish to expand relations between Vietnam and France as a model of co-operation between an Asian and European country.

President Luong said Vietnam would build ties with France in the new century and promote traditional ties of friendship, co-operation, stability and mutual trust.

Pledging further support to Vietnam's doi moi (renewal) and process of international integration, President Chirac said Vietnam was always a top priority for France, especially in its foreign policy towards Asia.

Besides increasing development aids to Vietnam in the coming years, France would create favourable conditions for French businesses and encourage them to invest in Vietnam, President Chirac promised.

He re-affirmed French support to Vietnam's bids for membership in World Trade Organisation, non-permanent seat in the United Nations Security Council, as well as in its efforts to expand ties with the European Union.

Backing a project to set up a Vietnamese cultural centre in Paris, President Chirac promised to help the country in conducting archaeological surveys.

Praising the country's achievements in the ongoing doi moi process and its rising role in the international community, he asked President Luong to convey his personal regards to Hanoians preparing for ASEM5.

In his reply President Luong said France was the most important European partner of the country in trade, investment, culture, health, education and tourism.

President Chirac's second visit was evidence of dynamic relations and diversified bonds shared between the countries. President Luong said.

The two presidents expressed their delight over bilateral co-operation in all fields, especially politics, economy, culture, science and technology.

The two also discussed regional and international issues of mutual concern, and agreed to improving co-ordination and co-operation among the French-speaking community.

President Luong later hosted a banquet in honour of President Chirac and his wife. Tomorrow, President Chirac will attend the inaugural session of ASEM5.

(Source: Viet Nam News)

VietNamNet – French President Jacques Chirac and his spouse arrived at the Noi Bai International Airport at 2.30pm today, October 6, starting the four-day visit to Vietnam .

Mr Chirac was given the red-carpet welcome. (Photo Nguyen Vu)

Mr Chirac was given the red-carpet welcome at the Presidential Palace by Vietnamese President Tran Duc Luong at 4.30 pm today.

Tomorrow, Mr Chirac will have talks with General Secretary of the Vietnam Communist Party Nong Duc Manh and Prime Minister Phan Van Khai and meet with Vietnamese youth at the L’Espace.

The French president will also visit the Thang Long Royal Citadel historical site on October 8.

A business delegation is accompanying Mr Chirac to seek for co-operation opportunities.

A delegation of French large companies representatives is accompanying the French President to seek business opportunities in Vietnam .

A statement from the French Embassy in Hanoi said that France is supporting Vietnam in the country’s efforts to run for the post of a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council in 2008.

This is the second visit by Mr Chirac to Vietnam .

Thu Anh