FRANCONOMICS 2022: “Circular economy and cooperation opportunities in the Francophone community”

On the side of representatives of embassies, diplomatic and international organizations, including: Mr. Laurent Sermet, Regional Director for Asia - Pacific, AUF (Online Attendance); Ms. Trần Thị Mai Yến, Ad Interim of Asia - Pacific OIF; Mr. Thierry Vergon, Director of IFV; Mr. Edmond Dounias, Director of IRD in Vietnam and the Philippines; Mr. Hervé Conan, Director of the French Development Agency (AFD) in Vietnam; Ms. Emmanuelle Ledoux, General Director of the French National Circular Economic Institute (INEC); Mr. Shawn Steil, Canadian Ambassador in Vietnam; Mr. Ahmed Abdelmoaty, Deputy Ambassador, Embassy of Egypt in Vietnam; Mr. Jamale Chouaibi, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Morocco in Vietnam; Mr. Ali Akbar Nazari, Ambassador of Iran in Vietnam; Mr. Wibar Abdullah LAlbasseer, Deputy Head of the Saudi Embassy.

On the side of representatives of Vietnamese agencies, universities and enterprises, there were: Mr. Nguyen Hoang Hai, Deputy Director of Hanoi National University; Mr. Dang Huy Dong, Former Deputy Minister of Planning and Investment; Mr. Le Phuoc Minh, Director of the Institute of African and Middle Eastern Studies (IAMES); Mr. Bui Quang Tuan, Director of the Vietnam Institute of Economics (VIE), Ms. Truong Tuyet Mai, Deputy Director of the National Institute of Nutrition, Ministry of Health of Vietnam; Mr. Ali Benoit Tellier, Technical Director of Linaroga Company in Vietnam, Chairman of Apache James; Mr. Hoang Nguyen Van, Chairman of the Board of Directors of SAVIS Company; Ms. Luu Thanh Loan, Northern Director of TTT Biological Agarwood Joint Stock Company.

On the IFI side, there were: Mr. Ngô Tự Lập, Director, Head of the Organizing Committee; Mr. Phùng Danh Thắng, Vice President; and Mr. Hồ Tường Vinh, Vice Chairman of Science and Academic Council

Along with scientists, researchers, experts, business representatives, training organizations, news agencies, newspapers inside and outside the Francophone community were attending in the Hall and participating online from more than 30 countries around the world.

Exciting musical performance by internaThe forum opened with speeches from representatives of government agencies, representatives of international organizations and representatives of the organizers and co-organizers including: Mr. Nguyen Hoang Hai, Standing Deputy Director of the University. Hanoi National University (VNU); Ms. Trần Thị Mai Yến, Ad Interim, Representative of the Francophone International Organization for Asia-Pacific (OIF) (online participation); Mr. Đặng Huy Đông, Former Deputy Minister of Planning and Investment (MPI); Mr. Ngô Tự Lập, Director of IFI - Head of the Organizers.
tional students at IFI

At the opening ceremony, Standing Vice President of VNU, Mr. Nguyễn Hoàng Hải highly appreciated the significance of the annual Franconomics Forum organized by IFI in collaboration with partners and affirmed that Franconomics 2022 has mentioned a crucial topic: “Circular Economy”. Franconomics Forum has built a great reputation and brand.

for 3 years and has been organizing successfully since 2019. Mr. Hoang Hai expressed his belief that the 4th Franconomics International Forum this year would provide organizers and attendees with valuable and up-to-date information on the circular economy. The success of the event also helped increase the prestige and continued to affirm that the Franconomics Forum was a brand not only of VNU, IFI but also of the Francophone community, according to OIF Secretary General Ms. Louise. Mushikiwabo spoke at Franconomics 2020.

Ms. Trần Thị Mai Yến, Ad Interim, Representative of the International Francophone Organization for Asia-Pacific (OIF), affirmed that the formation and development of the circular economy was an opportunity to facilitate the conversion of the mode of consumption, production and resources exploitation as a goal of sustainable development. She believed the Franconomics 2022 International Forum with the gathering of leading experts would clarify the potentials and challenges of the circular economy, the targeted models as well as the necessary measures to develop a circular economy.

On behalf of the organizers and co-organizers, speaking at the opening of the Forum, Mr. Ngô Tự Lập, Director of IFI, agreed with the current situation of the circular economy in Vietnam and around the world, and emphasized that these were critical and urgent matters for mankind today. “In a context of exhaustion of natural resources, of potential political fluctuations, of environmental problems, and of non-traditional security risks (terrorism, epidemics, food security, etc.), new technologies, by creating new opportunities, aggravate the problems of development, in particular those of disparity between the rich countries of the North and the poor countries of the South. To solve these problems, the circular economy seems to be one of the promising solutions. But the circular economy does not come from nothingness. To realize this huge project, we need many things: investment and knowledge, of course, but also morality, responsibility, aesthetics and love – love for humanity and love for nature," he stressed.

After the welcome speech, the plenary session of the forum began with the presentations of the following speakers: Mr. Nguyễn Hoa Cương, Deputy Director of the Central Institute of Economics (CIEM); Mr. Laurent Sermet, Director of Francophonie University (AUF) Asia - Pacific; Mr. Bùi Quang Tuấn, Director of the Vietnam Institute of Economics (VIE).

After the plenary session, three thematic sessions took place parallelly with spaces of in-depth discussion related to the circular economy. Here are some pictures of three discussion spaces with the participation of scholars from many countries around the world in both online and offline:

Space 1 "Circular economy - Key to sustainable development" chaired by Mr. Đào Đình Khả - Director of Fintechlab, IFI with the participation of lectures and discussions of speakers from the Development Program of Vietnam United Nations (UNDP) in Cambodia, Institute for African and Middle Eastern Studies (IAMES), German International Cooperation Organization (GIZ), Senghor University (Egypt), African Circular Economy Network (ACEN) ) for Ivory Coast, Francophone Institute for Sustainable Development (IFDD).

Space 2: "New technology for the circular economy" chaired by Mr. Hồ Tường Vinh, Vice Chairman of the Scientific and Academic Council of IFI with the participation of lectures and discussions of speakers from the Institute French Circular Economy (INEC), French Association for Standardization (AFNOR), MEKONG Institute for Circular Economy and Sustainable Development (MEKONG CESDI), Linagora Company (France), DoGreen Co., Ltd., SOWAREEN Group .

Space 3 “Relation between circular economy, value chain structure and South-South/tripartite cooperation” chaired by Mr. Le Phuoc Minh, Director of IAMES with the participation of lectures and discussions of key stakeholders speakers from the International Francophone Organization (OIF), the Research Institute for Circular Economy (ICED), the African Circular Economy Network (ACEN), the Nigeria-Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (NVCCI), Brenthurst Foundation, School of Mines de Saint Etienne (France).

About Franconomics International Forum:
Franconomics is an annual international forum initiated by IFI, sponsored and organized by VNU with the participation of countries of the Francophone Community (including 88 member countries and observers) and many partners in and abroad. This is a multidisciplinary international dialogue space on theory and practice with topical socio-economic topics; is a place for cultural exchange, enhancing mutual understanding between domestic and international units, and an opportunity for connection between Universities, Enterprises, and Localities; among scientists, entrepreneurs, researchers, investors, policy makers inside and outside the Francophone Community.