VinFuture Foundation launches science and technology webinar series "InnovaTalk 2022"

HANOI, VIETNAM - Media OutReach - 19 July 2022 - VinFuture Foundation officially launched a series of six InnovaTalk webinars focusing on key areas of science and technology to introduce new technology trends that may provide grounds for solutions to urgent global issues.

The series was launched by the VinFuture Foundation with the goal of promoting the community-oriented values of science and technology, inspiring domestic and international scientists, especially young scientists, as well as sharing knowledge in an engaging and accessible way to science enthusiasts.

The InnovaTalk webinar series includes six seminars taking place on Zoom from now until the end of November 2022.

Each seminar will be led by a member of VinFuture's scientific councils or a VinFuture Prize laureate. Invited guest speakers are leading international scientists from different high-tech fields and distinguished professors from top global universities and research institutes, such as the University of California system, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, University of Oxford, Stanford University, National University of Singapore, and other prominent universities.

A highlight of the webinar series is the active participation of the Vietnamese scientific community with leading domestic scientists and experts from technology institutes and academies, as well as representatives from businesses, organizations, ministries, and departments. Through discussions and interactive activities, VinFuture Foundation expects to portray the meaningful roles and contributions of the Vietnamese scientific community in the global value chain.

Sharing about the networking event series, Dr. Le Thai Ha – CEO of VinFuture Prize said: "With the 2022 InnovaTalk series, we want to join hands to resolve global issues. Each webinar opens up an opportunity to connect science and technology communities, promote interaction and cooperation, and help accelerate the development of industries towards a healthy, modern, and sustainable society after the COVID-19 pandemic, following the "Reshaping and Reviving" theme of the 2022 VinFuture season."

On June 29, the first webinar was successfully held with the theme of "High-tech Agriculture – Transgenic Livestock". The second InnovaTalk webinar is scheduled to take place on July 26, 2022 with the theme of "Cancer Measurement at the Point of Care". Professor Chi Van Dang, member of the VinFuture Prize Council, Scientific Director of Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, USA, will chair the webinar. The webinar's focus will be a presentation on methods and techniques to help develop precision cancer diagnosis technology from Professor Brian T. Cunningham - Intel Alumni Endowed Chair of the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Director of Center for Pathogen Diagnostics, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

To listen to the speakers' presentations, as well as participate in discussions and interactions in the second webinar with the theme of "Cancer Measurement at the Point of Care", interested viewers can register to join the webinar at: https://cloud.info.vinuni.edu.vn/vinfutureprize_innovatalk_2022_webinar_2

Through the webinar series, VinFuture aims to build a platform for more than 2,000 viewers to connect with science, exchange knowledge, and discuss with scientists and scholars about pressing global issues.

InnovaTalk webinar series' topics:
1. Webinar #1 (June): High-tech Agriculture – Transgenic Livestock
2. Webinar #2 (July): Cancer Measurement at the Point of Care
3. Webinar #3 (August): Artificial Intelligence
4. Webinar #4 (September): Green Energy
5. Webinar #5 (October): Advanced Materials
6. Webinar #6 (November): Environmental Sustainability

Hashtag: #VinFuture

About VinFuture Foundation

The VinFuture Foundation, established on December 20th, 2020, on the occasion of International Human Solidarity Day, is an independent, not-for-profit foundation established by Mr. Phạm Nhật Vượng, the Chairman of Vingroup JSC, Vietnam's leading private conglomerate, and his wife, Madam Phạm Thu Hương.

The vision and mission of the Foundation are to create positive changes in the lives of millions of people in the world. The core activity of the Foundation is awarding the annual VinFuture Prizes to breakthrough scientific research and technological innovations that have already contributed or have the potential to contribute to the betterment of life for people.

The VinFuture Prize consists of four prize categories, of which the Grand Prize – with a value of US$3 million – is one of the largest annual global prizes, and three additional Special Prizes, worth US$500,000 each, are dedicated to Female Innovators, Innovators from Developing Countries, and Innovators with Outstanding Achievements in Emerging Fields.

In addition, the Foundation also conducts many activities to realize its mission, such as funding research, collaborating in academic development, and promoting STEM education.

The 2021 VinFuture Prize Laureates
The Grand Prize: Dr. Katalin Karikó, Prof. Drew Weissman (USA) and Prof. Pieter Cullis (Canada) with their breakthrough research on mRNA technology for vaccines.

Special Prize for "Innovators with Outstanding Achievements in Emerging Fields": Professor Omar Yaghi (USA) with his work on discovering Metal-Organic Framework Materials (MOFs)

Special Prize for "Female Innovators": Professor Zhenan Bao (USA) with her work on developing flexible electronics with the sensing properties of human skin.

Special Prize for "Innovators from Developing Countries": Prof. Salim S. Abdool Karim and Professor Quarraisha Abdool Karim (South Africa), for their Research on Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis with Antiretrovirals to prevent transmission of HIV.