Vietnam Workshop on Microscopy 2024

Founded in 1993 by Jean Tran Thanh Van, the association Rencontres du Vietnam, a non-profit organization and an official partner of UNESCO, has as its objective the promotion of international exchanges between Vietnam and the international community, particularly in the areas of science and education. It also aims at the encouragement and integration of Vietnamese scientists into the international scientific community and at supporting the role of education and science by encouraging scientific awareness and stimulating passion for science in the younger generation. The Rencontres du Vietnam lies within the scope of two series of scientific meetings created by Jean Tran Thanh Van : the Rencontres de Moriond in 1966 and the Rencontres de Blois in 1989.

The creation of the International Centre for Interdisciplinary Science Education (ICISE) in the city of Quy Nhon (Central Vietnam) has the ambitious objective to focus on developing Science and Education by fostering exchanges between Asia-Pacific scientists and colleagues from other parts of the world.

The microscope was one of the most important inventions of the development of science and technology. Thanks to this invention, we have discovered a vibrant world at the microscopic and ultra-microscopic levels that the naked eye cannot observe. Today, science is still indispensable without the companionship of microscopes. They help technicians and technologists detect very small defects in electronic components or machine parts for repair or improvement. In life sciences, microscopes have been used to observe the morphology and structure of cells, the interaction of pathogenic agents (fungi, bacteria, viruses, etc.) .) to cells, as well as the properties of single molecules. In hospitals, microscopes could be used to diagnose abnormalities in cells or detect pathogens. In materials science, microscopes have been used to observe the morphology, structure, size and characteristics of samples to optimize manufacturing parameters toward specific applications.

In Vietnam, microscopes are widely used in hospitals, schools, universities, research institutions and factories. Many types of advanced microscopes have been equipped such as confocal microscopes, transmission or scanning electron microscopes, and atomic force microscopes. However, in reality, users mainly self-study or are trained by the supplier for basic operations without going through any formal training courses on microscopy. Therefore, exploiting the features of microscopies is still limited. Furthermore, the community of microscope users have not been engaged to share experiences and knowledge as well as maximize the features of microscopes in research or production.

Vietnam Workshop on Microscopy 2024 is organized at ICISE, Quy Nhon city, Binh Dinh from 17 – 20 December 2024 to bring Vietnamese microscopists together, establish a community of microscopists in Vietnam. Furthermore, a short training course on microscopy is also organized for excellent undergaduate students, graduate students, MSc/PhD students and young scientists to gain access to advances in micrroscopy applied in life – and materials science.

The topics of the VWM-2024 include the advanced microscopy imaging techiques (Fluorescence Micrcroscopy, Confocal Microscopy, TEM, SEM, Cryo-EM, EBSD, AFM, microscopic image processing, etc.):

• Advanced Microscopy Imaging in Life Science
• Advanced Microscopy Imaging in Materials Science
• Advances in Microscopic Imaging Techniques