INTRODUCTION

The twenty-first century presents the world with unprecedented challenges that could either threaten the survival of human societies as we know them or, if addressed in time, lay the foundations for sustainable societies on this planet for centuries to come.

What are these challenges? In this century, we will see the world's population grow from the current 6.7 billion to 9 billion (Chamie 2003). We will see crises in energy and water security, the catastrophic impacts of global warming, environmental degradation and species extinctions on a massive scale. We will see global economic integration of a kind never experienced before, with all its implications for growing interdependency and competitiveness between countries.

The challenges of the twenty-first century will affect all of humanity, and the solutions will have to be crafted at a global level. The solutions will need to draw on the skills and capacities of all sectors of societies. They will need to be based on sound evidence that is translated into effective responses. How do these challenges relate to Vietnam and to this chapter?

Vietnam will face these global challenges with its own unique set of circumstances. It has been transforming itself from a command economy to a market economy, and is now on a rapid growth path. It is changing from an insulated, to a gradually more globally integrated economy. But its geography and population distribution make it one of the most vulnerable countries in the world to the impacts of climate change.

For some time, developed countries have considered science, technology, and innovation (STI) as central to their strategies for addressing twenty-first century challenges. They have regarded increased collaboration between researchers and industry as fundamental for maximizing the application of research outcomes, and for ensuring that industry and broader societal needs can help to drive research.