On April 21, 2026, a delegation from the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), led by Mr. Gerd Müller, Director General, visited and held a working session at Vietnam National University of Agriculture (VNUA).
Representing VNUA were Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Cong Tiep, VNUA’s Vice President; leaders of the International Cooperation Office and the Science and Technology Office; and representatives from the Faculty of Agronomy, Faculty of Food Science and Technology, Faculty of Fisheries, Center of Excellence Research and Innovation, and the Institute of Biology and Agricultural Technology. Representing UNIDO were Mr. Gerd Müller, Director General; Mr. Manuel Mattiat, Chief of Staff to the Director General; Ms. Le Thi Thanh Thao, UNIDO Country Representative in Vietnam; and program officers.
In his welcome remarks, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Cong Tiep expressed his honor in receiving the UNIDO delegation, especially the presence of Mr. Gerd Müller, Director General. He emphasized that the visit was of great significance and would lay the foundation for future cooperation between the two sides.
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Cong Tiep, Vice President of the University, delivering welcome remarks.
The Vice President also gave an overview of the University’s organizational structure, academic programs, and research orientation, highlighting the alignment between VNUA’s research priorities and those of UNIDO’s Country Programme for the 2025-2028 period. VNUA was particularly interested in cooperating in priority areas identified by UNIDO, including implementation of the national food systems action plan; promoting innovation in the food sector to support local economic development, the green economy, and the circular economy; and developing competitive, high value-added, climate-resilient agricultural value chains.
In addition, food safety, reduction of post-harvest losses, environmentally friendly technology transfer, low-emission technologies, and digital transformation in agriculture were also identified as areas in which VNUA hoped to collaborate with UNIDO.
On behalf of UNIDO, Director General Gerd Müller thanked VNUA for its warm hospitality and highly appreciated the expertise and resources of VNUA’s faculty members and specialists. He expressed his hope that the two sides could cooperate in development support projects in Africa, particularly by drawing on Vietnam’s experience in poverty reduction and sustainable agricultural development.
Mr. Gerd Müller, Director General of UNIDO, speaking at the meeting
He also showed particular interest in rice production, one of Vietnam’s key sectors and one of the country’s leading export industries. He expressed his desire for experienced Vietnamese agricultural experts, including those from VNUA, to participate in UNIDO projects in order to share knowledge and transfer technical expertise to African countries.
Agreeing with VNUA’s interests and cooperation proposals, the UNIDO Director General emphasized UNIDO’s priority areas, including food innovation; sustainable value chain development; food safety assurance; environmentally friendly packaging; reduction of post-harvest losses; and the application of digital transformation and artificial intelligence in agriculture.
At the conclusion of the meeting, both parties expressed their expectation that the visit would open the way for concrete, practical, and effective cooperation programs in the near future.
The UNIDO Director General’s delegation and VNUA’s leaders and staff at the Center of Excellence and Innovation, VNUA
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Viet Long, Head of the International Cooperation Office and Deputy Director of the Center of Excellence and Innovation, introduces products displayed at VNUA-Technmart to the UNIDO Director General
Immediately after the meeting, the UNIDO Director General and delegation visited rice breeding and variety selection research models at the Institute of Biology and Agricultural Technology, as well as a rice cultivation model under an agrivoltaic solar-sharing system. This model was part of the research agreement entitled “Assessment of Environmental Conditions and Crop Growth under an Agrivoltaic Solar-Sharing System”, implemented by the Faculty of Agronomy with cooperation and funding from a Japanese partner.
Dr. Nguyen Xuan Truong, Director of the Institute of Biology and Agricultural Technology, VNUA, and institute staff discuss about rice growth and development with the UNIDO Director General.
Mr. Gerd Müller, Director General of UNIDO, and Ms. Le Thi Thanh Thao, UNIDO Country Representative in Vietnam, visit the rice cultivation model under the agrivoltaic solar-sharing system.