Overview
Founded in 1993 by Jean Trần Thanh Vân, Rencontres du Vietnam is a non-profit organization and an official partner of UNESCO. With a strong commitment to the future of Vietnam, its mission centers on promoting international exchange in science and education—placing particular emphasis on nurturing the next generation of Vietnamese through quality education and global collaboration.
The association aims to support the integration of Vietnamese scientists into the international scientific community while encouraging scientific awareness and a passion for discovery among the youth. By fostering a culture of curiosity, critical thinking, and innovation, Rencontres du Vietnam plays a vital role in strengthening the foundation for Vietnam’s scientific and educational advancement.
Welcoming scientists from around the world, Rencontres du Vietnam serves as a bridge connecting Vietnam with the global scientific landscape. This vision is deeply rooted in a broader tradition of international scientific gatherings initiated by Jean Trần Thanh Vân, beginning with the Rencontres de Moriond in 1966 and the Rencontres de Blois in 1989.
In pursuit of this mission, the International Centre for Interdisciplinary Science Education (ICISE) was established in Quy Nhơn, Central Vietnam. ICISE provides a world-class venue where scientists from Asia-Pacific and across the globe come together to share knowledge, inspire young minds, and collaborate on solutions to the scientific and educational challenges of our time.
XXIInd Rencontres du
Vietnam
Sustainability, Circularity, and Bioeconomy (SCB) 2026:
Global Synergies in Forestry, Agriculture, and Biomass
Utilization
Vietnam is an established exporter of wood (timber), wood and non-wood (bamboo, sisal, kenaf) products. However, there is certainly room to grow in the sustainable forest management practice and the potential of the pulp & paper industry is relatively untapped. Vietnam has a few pulp & paper mills but mostly outdated, with relatively low capacity. Vietnam has been exporting a major part of wood chips, the important raw material for the pulp & paper industry (ca.15 Mtons export to mainly China and Japan in 2023).
On the other hand, agriculture still accounts for a significant proportion of the Vietnamese economy, the non-wood biomass stock is thus (theoretically) abundant.
The buzz words “bioeconomy”, “sustainability” and “circularity” are as vague as they are fancy. We would like to propose a concrete theme for the conference which not only aligns with the international trend, but also is actually useful and attractive for the local and regional governments and manufacturers: The synergy between forestry and agriculture, both on the resource management front (land use, sustainable practices, logistics) and technology front (pulping of alternative biomass, product blending and replacement) to accelerate Vietnam on the journey to Sustainability, Circularity and Bioeconomy.
The conference's purpose is to provide a forum for global experts, policymakers, and industry leaders to explore integrated solutions for advancing the bioeconomy, fostering circular practices, and accelerating sustainability transitions worldwide, with particular focus on forest-agriculture management and the pulp & paper industry in South East Asia.
Our objectives are (1) share global best practices in integrated resource management and circular value chains; (2) explore cutting-edge technologies for pulp, paper, biomaterials, and bio-based products; and (3) develop regional and global partnerships for research, investment, and policy action.
