Following 51 years of constant growth and consolidation, ASEAN- Japan cooperation has reached every sectors, and it was promoted to a comprehensive strategic partnership in September 2023. The two parties specifically decided to work on preserving and advancing trade and investment exchanges, stabilizing the region's supply chains and production, and easing exports to one another's markets. Simultaneously, ASEAN and Japan want to advance novel domains of collaboration that hold immense promise, including the green, digital, and circular economies. The Vietnamese government views Japan as an ASEAN friend and trustworthy partner.
One of the joint projects between Japan and ASEAN, the Human Resource Development Project in Agriculture and Food-Related Areas through Partnership with Universities in ASEAN Region (ASEAN – MAFF HRD Project) is funded by the Japanese Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries through the coordination of the ASEAN Economic Community Secretariat and focuses on implementing short-term training courses related to food. The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development has designated Vietnam National University of Agriculture as the exclusive training facility to conduct training sessions under the project's auspices.
The project activities will go into the fourth phase (2024–2026) in 2024. With the introduction of the "Food Safety Management 2024" training course, the HRD project operations were formally began. The ASEAN Secretariat is in charge of organizing this training, and the speakers are specialists from Ecore Co., Ltd.'s Food Safety Department. There are two sessions in the course, and the two primary subjects are: First session: instruction on food safety, July 2-4, 2043. Second session: audit training, scheduled for September 28 and 29, 2024. Students who successfully finish the course and meet all requirements will be awarded a certificate from the Japan Food Safety Management Association.
The course's inaugural ceremony took place early on July 2, 2024, at the Faculty of Food Technology, Vietnam National University of Agriculture. Students from various provinces and cities as well as those from the Japanese bridge participated in the event via the Zoom platform. Mr. Takefumi Sonada, Assistant Coordinator; Ms. Deandra Arifianti Wisnuputri, Project Officer from the ASEAN Secretariat; and Mr. Ichiro Abe, Head of the Department of Quality Management Improvement and Raw Material Procurement, representing the Japanese Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries, represented the Japanese side. Mr. Koei Miyazawa and Ms. Naemi Negishi from the Food Safety Department of Ecore Co., Ltd. were the lecturers from Japan. Dr. Lai Thi Ngoc Ha, The Vice Dean of the Faculty of Food Science andTechnology. Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Thi Bich Thuy, Head of the Department of Post-harvest Technology, HRD project coordinator, and lecturers which are training course support staff from the Faculty of Food Science and Technology were present on the side of Vietnam National University of Agriculture.
Mr. Ichiro Abe, Director of the Quality Management Improvement and Raw Material Procurement Division, Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, Japan, gave a speech to kick off the inaugural ceremony. He underlined in his speech the significance of managing food safety not only in Japan but also globally, and the rationale behind this course's inclusion in the ASEAN institutions' training curriculum.
Associate Professor Dr. Nguyen Thi Bich Thuy, the HRD project coordinator, gave a speech on behalf of the training course organizers and outlined the project's establishment and evolution through its various phases, highlighting the importance and value of the Food Safety Management course in particular. The Japan Food Safety Management Association (JFSM) offers a certificate for completing an intensive course with a maximum of 20 students. Alternatively, the course is designed to update and distribute knowledge on food safety management to the majority of interested learners.
With funding from the ASEAN Secretariat, the Vietnam National University of Agriculture will carry on offering 20 students a JFSM certification course in the form of in-person and online instruction in 2024. Following the announcement, the organizing team received 80 applications, of which 20 students were formally selected to attend the course after examination and screening. Participants in the training program include individuals with broad experience in food technology who are employed by food safety management organizations in cities and provinces, lecturers at food technology-focused universities, quality managers in food manufacturing firms, and lecturers at food research institutes.
The food safety management experts from Japan that will be sharing their knowledge with the trainees during the training course, according to Vietnam National University of Agriculture, will impart valuable and practical knowledge, particularly regarding methods of analysis, evaluation, and food safety management. This will help to improve the quality of ensuring food hygiene and safety in Vietnam and the surrounding region.
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| Assoc.Prof.Dr. Nguyen Thi Bich Thuy - Head of Post-Harvest Technology Department, HRD project coordinator delivered the opening remark. |
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| Japanese lecturers from Food Safety Department, Ecore Co., Ltd. participated in Food Safety training |
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| Students taking online course |
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| Students taking on-site course at VNUA |
Faculty of Food Science and Technology, VNUA