The final workshop of the project "Improving Community Resilience and Sustainability through Operational Research Capacity Building in Southeast Asia - CREST-OR" was held on March 29, 2022, in Siem Reap, Kingdom of Cambodia,
Attending the workshop were more than 50 professors and doctors from the UK and Southeast Asian countries. The Vietnamese delegation, including staff from VNU-HUS, Institute for Advanced Study in Mathematics, Hanoi University of Science and Technology and Phenikaa University, was led by Assoc.Prof.Dr. Vu Hoang Linh, Rector of VNU-HUS, Co-coordinator of the project.
The CREST-OR project was conducted in the period 2021-2022 to build Operational Research (OR) capacity for scientists in Southeast Asia in order to address challenges in four areas: Disaster Risk Management, Food Security, Transport Infrastructure and Smart Cities. The project was funded by the UK Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) and the Global Challenges Research Fund (GCRF).
Professor Maria Paola Scaparra, Project leader, presented a summary of the project's goals and results achieved in the period of 2021-2022. Professor Grazia Speranza, former President of the International Federation of Operational Research Societies, introduced opportunities for research, cooperation and exchange on Operational Studies in the world. In addition, 05 young researchers, representing young research groups from participating countries, presented the results of their research project on the application of Operations Science in disaster relief, improving the efficiency of the multimodal transport system and optimizing crop farming and forestry.
Dr. Nguyen Quoc Huy (VNU-HUS) on behalf of Vietnam young research group presenting at the Workshop.
On behalf of the young research group from Vietnam, Dr. Nguyen Quoc Huy (VNU-HUS) presented the report on "Some issues in optimizing forest management in Vietnam". He also presented another project on "Optimizing forest planning from policies and women's participation" on behalf of the research team from VNU-HUS, Phenikaa University, the Academy of Posts and Telecommunications Technology, the Institute of Forest Survey & Planning. This project was conducted under the guidance and support of the Vietnamese and UK co-ordinators, approved and funded by the Center for People and Forests for implementation phase 2.
The fact that Dr. Nguyen Quoc Huy and other young staff participated in the CREST-OR project clearly demonstrate the will to promote interdisciplinary training and research cooperation at VNU-HUS.
Southeast Asia Operations Network Web Site Demo
At the special working session, Assoc.Prof.Dr. Vu Van Manh, Project Coordinator, introduced the official website of the Southeast Asia Operational Research Network (SEAORN) and Learning Management System (https://lms. seaorn.net/) which was developed by VNU-HUS under the support of the CREST-OR project. In addition, the participants also gave comments on the establishment of the Executive Board, how to operate and manage the new network in order to form a sustainable OR community in Southeast Asia.
Since the CREST-OR Project Kick-off Workshop was conducted on July 15 and 16, 2021 at VNU-HUS, a series of related activities have been conducted such as: seminars, research and project writing skills training for young researchers v.v.
In the long-term, the CREST-OR project aims at developing a dynamic, independent, and viable community of operational scientists in Southeast Asia and beyond.
Assoc.Prof.Dr.Sc. Vu Hoang Linh and Prof. Paola Scaparra, Kent Business School, project leader, in the photo session
Assoc.Prof.Dr.Sc. Vu Hoang Linh and Vietnamese delegates and Prof. Paola Scaparra, Kent Business School, in the photo session