President Nguyen Thi Thanh Hoa welcomed the World Women Inventors and Entrepreneurs Association

Mme. Thanh Hoa expressed her pleasure welcoming Mme. Han Mi Young and the delegation of WWIEA, and confirmed the interest, friendship and cooperation of the VWU to WWIEA and KWIA. Mme. Thanh Hoa also informed the delegation about the activities of the VWU to encourage innovation among Vietnamese women.

The VWU has been actively implementing the MOU signed with KWIA in 2008 and the MOU signed with WWIED in 2010, in order to promote innovation in many fields, particularly in business, manufacturing, and scientific research, among Vietnamese and Korean women. Starting in 2008 and continuing until now, the VWU has sent delegates to attend the Women Inventors Exhibition and Forum held by WWIEA, and has shared information and experiences o­n promoting and supporting women in creating and contributing to economic, cultural and social development. Based o­n WWIEA’s experience, the VWU successfully held the 1^st Women’s Innovation Day in 2011, with 139 organizations and individuals in attendance. The Women’s Innovation Day was organized across all levels of the VWU’s organizational structure. At the central level, this activity is to be held o­nce in 2 years.

Mme. Han Mi Young shared the success of WWIEA in promoting international women’s innovation and WWIEA’s work plans. In 2013, WWIEA will hold two training courses encouraging innovation among women in developing countries, including Southeast Asian countries. Ms. Han Mi Young hopes for the support of the VWU to WWIEA in coordinating the training course for Southeast Asian countries and sending representatives to participate in this training.

President Thanh Hoa and Mme. Han Mi Young both agree that encouraging and creating advantageous conditions for women in innovation is valuable not o­nly for women, but also for the country’s strategic development. Women’s innovations are useful not o­nly for women themselves, but also for their children, their family and for the community and society. If women are encouraged to be innovative, women’s work will become more effective, and in turn, the position of women in the family and society will be advanced.

In the meeting, President Thanh Hoa and Mme. Han Mi Young signed an additional MOU o­n cooperation in implementing education programs held by WWIEA and the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) in line with the MOU signed earlier. The signing of the MOU will enhance innovation and capacity to make use intellectual property by women, youth, and persons with disabilities, to advance their economic interests and improve their quality of life.