On January 9th, the fourth meeting of the Joint Coordination Committee (JCC) of the SATREPS Project, “Innovation of Science ang Technology on Natural Rubber for Global Carbon Process,” funded by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and the Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST), took place at Hanoi University of Science and Technology.
Representatives from the Vietnamese and Japanese sides pose for a group photo at the meeting session.
At the meeting, the parties assessed the project's progress, agreed on the annual work plan, and discussed important issues such as personnel updates, the progress of equipment handover, and the direction of cooperation in the next phase. Upto now, the first large-scale equipment batch has been successfully installed, with the remaining equipment expected to be completed after the Lunar New Year, facilitating in-depth research.
An overview of the meeting session.
Attending the meeting, on the Vietnamese side were Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Dac Trung – Head of the Parnership and Engagement Department, along with representatives from the School of Chemistry and Life Sciences, the Center for Rubber Science and Technology, and scientific management staff, lecturers, and researchers of the University. On the Japanese side were Prof. Takashi Yamaguchi, Prof. Kawahara Seiichi, Emeritus Prof. Masao Fukuda (Nagaoka University of Technology), representatives from JST, the JICA Vietnam Office, and experts and scientists participating both in person and online.
Japanese representatives attend the meeting.
After three years of implementation, the project has achieved many outstanding scientific results, published in international conferences and journals. Notably, at the International Rubber Conference held in Bangkok in December 2025, a research student from the project won the Outstanding Presentation Award, affirming the prestige and quality of Vietnamese research on the international stage.
Mr. Yoshitomo Kubo, JICA representative, delivers the closing remarks of the meeting.
In the closing remarks, the JICA representative emphasized the commitment to continue supporting Hanoi University of Science and Technology, expanding cooperation with businesses to bring research results into practice, contributing to the sustainable development of the rubber industry and deepening the scientific and educational cooperation between Vietnam and Japan.
Several images at the meeting:
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Dac Trung, Head of the Office of External Relations, delivers the opening remarks.
Emeritus Prof. Masao Fukuda of Nagaoka University of Technology presents the progress review report.
Prof. Takashi Yamaguchi, Chief Advisor of the SATREPS Project from Nagaoka University of Technology, presents the Project Design Matrix (PDM).
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Phan Trung Nghia presents the annual work plan.
Prof. Seiichi Kawahara presents his report at the meeting.
