East Sea Research Foundation makes debut

HANOI, 28 March (VNA) - A foundation aimed at supporting studies on the East Sea was launched in Hanoi on March 27. The East Sea Research Foundation (ESRF) is co-founded by the Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam (DAV), former Deputy Foreign Minister Le Cong Phung and former Vietnamese Ambassador to Singapore and Canada Nguyen Duc Hung. The foundation is expected to attract the participation of the whole of society and create a connection between donors and intellectuals in the protection of national sea and island sovereignty, said DAV Director Dang Dinh Quy, chairman of the foundation. The non-profit organisation will fund research works of scholars, students and postgraduates as well as domestic and foreign individuals who wish to contribute to protecting national sea and island sovereignty, he said. It also aims to foster measures to maintain peace, stability and cooperation in the East Sea, he added. According to Quy, the foundation serves as a channel to seek and gather competent individuals for the research of East Sea issues as well as raise public awareness of the protection of the nation’s sea and island sovereignty. Its main activities are to organise contests among students and scholars, seminars and discussions at home and abroad on the East Sea issue, support the publication of books and newspapers on the topic, and grant awards to excellent research works. Also at the ceremony, the organising board announced a programme supporting East Sea studies in 2014 and subsequent years, and presented 13 awards to outstanding research works in 2013.-VNA