Opening Ceremony Held for the SATREPS Analysis R&E Center Led by Professor MAWATARI Kazuma of Waseda University’s IPS at VNU Hanoi

The opening ceremony of the Analysis R&E Center, newly established at the Hoa Lac campus of Vietnam National University (VNU) under the JST/JICA SATREPS project “Development of Easy-operation High-tech Analytical Devices and Human Resource for Food Safety and Environmental Quality Control” (hereinafter “the Project”), for which Professor MAWATARI Kaszuma of Waseda University’s Graduate School of Information, Production and Systems (IPS) serves as Principal Investigator (PI), was held on November 18, 2025.

The event was attended by more than 160 participants, including H.E. Mr. ITO Naoki, Ambassador of Japan to Vietnam, and Prof. Hoang Minh Son, President of Vietnam National University (VNU),  as well as representatives from government agencies, industries, and academic institutions. The ceremony featured a tour of the new facilities and an introduction to the SATREPS project.

Environmental Challenges in Vietnam and the Significance of the Project

Vietnam faces increasingly serious water and air pollution, particularly caused by small-scale manufacturing industries, as a consequence of rapid industrial growth and urbanization. Meanwhile, analytical technologies, skilled personnel, and data analysis infrastructures—all essential for understanding actual pollution conditions—are still in the process of development.

In response, the Project promotes comprehensive and implementation-oriented initiatives through collaboration between academic institutions, governmental bodies, and industry sectors in Japan and Vietnam, including:

• Development of on-site, rapid-measurement heavy metal monitoring devices

• Advancement of water and air monitoring stations deployed nationwide

• Establishment of a certification program for environmental monitoring officers of government agencies

• Development of a data science platform enabling integration and analysis of environmental data

At the center of this integrated approach lies the newly established Analysis R&E Center.

Analysis R&E Center: A Core Research Hub for Environmental Monitoring in Vietnam

The Analysis R&E Center comprises approximately 1,000 m² of research space and is designed as Vietnam’s first integrated hub for environmental monitoring, combining three core functions: research and development, education, and data analysis.

1. R&D Hub for Advanced Analytical Technologies

The Center conducts R&D and proof-of-concept studies on advanced, field-deployable analytical technologies such as:

• Heavy metal analysis devices based on microfluidic technology

• Drone-based remote water sampling techniques

• Low-cost air sensing (LCS) devices

2. Training Hub for Environmental Analysis Personnel

The Center offers systematic training programs for government analysts and graduate students, covering water and air analysis, heavy metal detection, and data analysis.
With the capacity to train approximately 200 personnel annually, the Center functions as a national hub for developing environmental engineers and specialists in Vietnam.

3. Environmental Data Science Hub

The Center integrates data obtained from nationwide monitoring stations with new datasets generated through Project-developed devices. It conducts analyses that contribute to evidence-based environmental policy-making, including source apportionment and the development of pollutant dispersion models.

Participating Institutions

Japan: Waseda University (Project Lead), The University of Tokyo, HORIBA, Ltd., and Toa DKK Corporation
Vietnam: Vietnam National University (VNU), Ministry of Agriculture and Environment (MAE), Bac Ninh Provincial Department, NCEM, and others

Opening Ceremony Widely Reported by Major Vietnamese Media

The opening ceremony was covered by multiple newspapers and media outlets across Vietnam.
Please refer to the links below for local media reports:

【Local Media Coverage (External Links)】
Vietnam Government Online Newspaper
Vietnam National University (VNU) Official Website – Ceremony Report

Related Information

Official Project Website
JST “Development of Easy-operation High-tech Analytical Devices and Human Resource for Food Safety and Environmental Quality Control”