The French CNRS is a public basic research organisation that defines its mission as producing knowledge and making it available to society. The CNRS is the major French Research Institution with 26 000 permanent staff (40% full time researchers) about 1300 laboratories (82, 5 % of them being joint units with Universities, other research institutions, and private companies), publishing more than 20 000 publications in peer reviewed journals per year. It covers all fields of science, and mainly develops science driven research. It is under the supervision of the French Ministry of Education, higher Education and Research.

In terms of international cooperation management, the policy of CNRS is to favour the development of joint projects rather than individual visits of scientists, to identify and to structure collaborative actions of mutual interest with the foreign partners, to develop not only bi-lateral but also multi-lateral programmes of cooperation and to increase the flow of young scientists in both directions. The geographical priority of CNRS is Europe, since CNRS is an active member of the European Research Area construction, but these last years, Asia has become a major scientific partner, with an increasing number of visits of French scientists to Asia and an increasing budget dedicated to support cooperative actions.

In addition, CNRS has established specific agreements for so called International Associated Laboratories (i.e. one or two labs in each country which agree to work together on a common project) in Vietnam and in Singapore in the field of Chemistry, information and communication science and nano-technology. More over, CNRS contributes to a number of summer schools or training courses in Vietnam in various fields (physics, Economy, Chemistry, Environmental sciences..) . Since 2003, CNRS is part of a Network between France and ASEAN countries in information technology. Finally, to face the increase of interactions between CNRS and ASEAN countries, CNRS has decided to settle a permanent Office in Hanoi (2006) in charge of structuring the cooperation with whole the region.

Considering more specifically the ASEAN countries, CNRS has a strong involvement with Vietnam and a lesser extends with Laos and Cambodia for historical reasons. But last years, the interactions have significantly increased with all countries of the region. CNRS have signed bi-lateral agreements with several countries: Vietnam, Academy of Science and technology in 1983, Academy of social sciences in 2001, Thailand, the Thailand research fund in 2000 renewed in 2003, Singapore, Nanyang Technological University 2005. The involvement in the co publications is high, more than 6% with Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Myanmar, which number of publication is comprise between 20 and 400 international publications per year. CNRS laboratories are hosting numerous PhD students from those countries, in 2004, 161 from Vietnam, 47 from Thailand, 16 from Indonesia, 6 from Malaysia, 6 from Cambodia, 2 from Singapore.

In Asia, the main partners of CNRS are Japan, China, and Vietnam referring to the number of visits of CNRS scientists and of joint projects. Other countries with significant exchanges with France and CNRS are India, South Korea, Taiwan and Singapore.

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Ms. Chloé Thion

Tel: +33/(0)1/4954-2600

Fax.: +33/(0)1/49/54-2133

E-Mail: cthion@msh-paris.fr

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