U.S. Presidential Science Envoy Dr. Rita Colwell Visits Vietnam to Strengthen Cooperation

HANOI, February 8, 2012 – U.S. Presidential Science Envoy Dr. Rita Colwell visited Vietnam from February 6-10, 2012. During her visit, she met with senior Vietnamese government officials and representatives from the scientific, education, nonprofit, and business communities. These discussions centered on cooperation in the areas of climate change; public health; science, engineering, and mathematics education; technology and innovation for economic development; and joint research.

“Vietnam is clearly a country on the move,” said Dr. Colwell, “and expanding U.S.-Vietnam collaboration in science, technology, and engineering is one of the best ways to underpin the dynamism of Vietnam’s economy and people.”

President Obama announced the Science Envoy Program in Cairo on June 4, 2009. Since the program’s inception, six of America’s finest scientists have been selected on behalf of the United States to build international partnerships through scientific exchange. This interaction deepens our relationships by promoting collaboration and cooperation in science and technology that results in scientific and economic growth for all involved.

This is Dr. Colwell’s third trip abroad since being named Science Envoy in September 2010, along with Dr. Gebisa Ejeta and Dr. Alice Gast. Dr. Colwell’s first trip as a U.S. Science Envoy was in July 2011 to Malaysia and her second was in January 2012 to Bangladesh.

Former director of the National Science Foundation, Dr. Colwell is a renowned microbiologist and infectious disease expert. She currently serves as president and CEO of CosmosID and is a professor at both the University of Maryland and Johns Hopkins University School of Public Health.