Sustainable technology transfer

Five universities from three different continents held a legally-oriented conference in Vietnam on the subject of Sustainable Technology Transfer. The event was one of the final elements of a twelve yearlong project financed by the Swedish Development Agency (SIDA) under the title ‘Strengthening Legal Education in Vietnam’ and carried out by the Faculty of Law of Lund University. Over the course of its existence, the project has supported Vietnamese teachers studying educational and research methodology with a view to promoting international understanding. More than 200 teachers have undergone such training in Vietnam and abroad. In addition some 80 younger teachers earned a master’s degree in International Law and a small group out of these is in the process of completing their PhD dissertations – all now learning from international experience and applying their findings to the Vietnamese context.
The project is an example of what might be characterized as a technical assistance project. The Conference, which assembled distinguished scholars, international and national agency representatives and Vietnamese teachers, was focused on Sustainable Technology Transfer – from developed countries to developing countries - primarily LDCs. A review of past developments indicated their shortcomings and provided a lesson for the future. The more difficult task was to find ways to improve the outcome. The result of the conference is was published in 2011.