HCMC University of Architecture comes first and second at Holcim Prize

The team from the HCMC University of Architecture in the moment of triumph at the award ceremony of the Holcim Prize 2010 in HCMC last week - Photo: Holcim Vietnam

Two of three teams from the HCMC University of Architecture defeated other competing teams to grasp the gold and silver prizes in the final round of the Holcim Prize 2010 competition in HCMC last week.

A four-member team of the university won the first prize trophy and pocketed VND50 million for its ecological floating toilet project and another VND150 million to translate their research into reality within six months. The other team of the university got the second prize worth VND10 million for its project to build floating houses in the flood-prone Mekong Delta.

The third prize worth VND7 million went to a team from the Hanoi University of Architecture. The 12 teams attending the final were from the HCMC University of Architecture, the HCMC University of Technology, Can Tho University and the Hanoi University of Architecture.

“We wish that the winners, supported by the application fund from Holcim, will have a successful implementation of their research result in the next six months and will bring back great benefits for the community within the project area as well as to the society at large,” Gary Schutz, general director of Holcim Vietnam Ltd., said in his opening remarks at the final competition held at the HCMC University of Technology.

Organizer Holcim Vietnam also granted three other prizes in the sustainable construction, environment and community categories to the teams from the HCMC University of Technology, Can Tho University and the Hanoi University of Architecture respectively. The six remaining teams received consolation prizes.

The Holcim Prize 2010 attracted over 95 entries from the four universities which outlined their creative ideas on community development, sustainable construction and environmental protection.

Schutz of Holcim Vietnam said, “Let’s make Holcim Prize a successful way to activate the smart and curious minds of the students who participate in a way which makes you all “Sustainable Development Ambassadors” within your campus life and for the rest of your life! If it does then Holcim Vietnam looks forward to receiving more participation in Holcim Prize 2011.”

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HCMC University of Architecture comes first and second at Holcim Prize

The team from the HCMC University of Architecture in the moment of triumph at the award ceremony of the Holcim Prize 2010 in HCMC last week - Photo: Holcim Vietnam

Two of three teams from the HCMC University of Architecture defeated other competing teams to grasp the gold and silver prizes in the final round of the Holcim Prize 2010 competition in HCMC last week.

A four-member team of the university won the first prize trophy and pocketed VND50 million for its ecological floating toilet project and another VND150 million to translate their research into reality within six months. The other team of the university got the second prize worth VND10 million for its project to build floating houses in the flood-prone Mekong Delta.

The third prize worth VND7 million went to a team from the Hanoi University of Architecture. The 12 teams attending the final were from the HCMC University of Architecture, the HCMC University of Technology, Can Tho University and the Hanoi University of Architecture.

“We wish that the winners, supported by the application fund from Holcim, will have a successful implementation of their research result in the next six months and will bring back great benefits for the community within the project area as well as to the society at large,” Gary Schutz, general director of Holcim Vietnam Ltd., said in his opening remarks at the final competition held at the HCMC University of Technology.

Organizer Holcim Vietnam also granted three other prizes in the sustainable construction, environment and community categories to the teams from the HCMC University of Technology, Can Tho University and the Hanoi University of Architecture respectively. The six remaining teams received consolation prizes.

The Holcim Prize 2010 attracted over 95 entries from the four universities which outlined their creative ideas on community development, sustainable construction and environmental protection.

Schutz of Holcim Vietnam said, “Let’s make Holcim Prize a successful way to activate the smart and curious minds of the students who participate in a way which makes you all “Sustainable Development Ambassadors” within your campus life and for the rest of your life! If it does then Holcim Vietnam looks forward to receiving more participation in Holcim Prize 2011.”

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Panasonic awards film-makers at Hanoi schools

A team from Phan Chau Trinh Secondary School have won the Kid Witness News program organized by Panasonic Vietnam for young film-makers in Hanoi.

The film named “Vong tron” (Circle) won the best film last week, earning the team members flight ticket prizes to Singapore for the regional contest, while other top prizes went to teams of Giang Vo Secondary School, M. V Lomonoxop school and Ly Thuong Kiet Secondary School among others.

Using the theme of recycling a waste milk container into a useful item, the winning entry called for people to be more aware about the protection of natural resources and the environment.

Shinichi Wakita, general director of Panasonic Vietnam, said, “The award aims to create an exciting extracurricular activity for pupils to develop their talents and creativity by producing video clips using Panasonic’s modern equipment.”

The winning team’s entry will represent Vietnam first at the regional then at the global contest organized by Panasonic. The winners of the global contest will be named in July in Japan. Six leading teams will be granted six-day trips to Japan.

The Kid Witness News program has been run in Vietnam since 2006. So far 12 teams from secondary schools in Hanoi have taken part in the program.

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ASEAN orchestra formed, to perform in Vietnam

Vietnamese pianist Nguyen Tuan Manh

Photo: Tuoi Tre

The HCMC Conservatory of Music formed the ASEAN symphony orchestra earlier this month to perform in Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi during this week’s ASEAN Summit.

The orchestra features 60 Vietnamese musicians and 24 from other ASEAN member nations, namely Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand.

Public concerts will be held at the HCMC Conservatory of Music at 8 pm today and Hanoi Opera House Thursday.

A third, on Friday at the Vietnam National Convention Center in Hanoi, will be just for summit participants.

The musicians will perform symphony concerts under the baton of Japanese conductor Yoshikazu Fukumura, who has been the director of music and conductor of the HCMC Conservatory of Music Symphony Orchestra since 1993.

The performances will include “Academic Festival” by Johannes Brahms as the overture and “Symphony No 9 in E Minor from the New World” by Antonin Dvorak.

Young Thai violinist Anna Sowanna will perform “Carmen Fantasy” for Violin and Orchestra by Pablo Sarasate while Vietnamese pianist Nguyen Tuan Manh will play “Concertstuck” for Piano and Orchestra, Op.79 by CMV Weber.

Tickets to the shows will cost VND150,000 (US$7.5) to VND250,000.

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Vietnamese toy makers off to the fair

HA NOI — Vietnamese toy makers have registered to join an International Toy Fair to be held in Germany on February 2-8 next year, said Spielwarenmesse, a fair organiser and marketing services provider for the toy sector.

Nguyen Van Dung, a Ha Noi toy maker, said by attending the fair he would learn from foreigners making toys to help promote the local toy industry.

Ernst Kick, Spielwaremesse CEO, said at a meeting with toy makers in Ha Noi yesterday the fair would display more than 1 million different toys, plus toy know-how, innovation and networks.

The fair aimed to show sustainability in the toy industry, Kick said.

More toy manufacturers were pursuing environmentally compatible paths, he said. They were setting up ecological production lines or strengthening children's environmental awareness through play themes linked with nature.

The Nurnberg Toy Fair had the motto Toys go Green, Kick said. It would present ideas to encourage toy professionals to run their business operations in a more sustainable way.

Toy manufacturers already making products complying with ecological aspects or acting in line with social standards would provide best practice examples.

Forums on the toy business and special introductions on the most up-to-date toys would be held, while product managers, educators and psychologists would contribute their views on the design of the packages, product and colour to the role of dolls, action figures and technical toys, Kick said.

The fair was expected to welcome more than 78,000 visitors and 2,500 reporters.

For further information visit the website www.toyfair.de or www.yourtoycom.com . — VNS

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ASEAN orchestra has talent from 15 countries

A new symphony orchestra, assembled from the best musical talents from around Southeast Asia, will perform three nights for the 17th ASEAN Summit in Vietnam (October 28-30).

Hanoi and HCMC will have one public concert each - in HCMC October 26 at the HCMC Conservatory of Music, 112 Nguyen Du Street, District 1 at 8 p.m., and in Hanoi Oct. 28 at the Hanoi Opera House, 1 Trang Tien Street, Hoan Kiem District at 8 p.m. The third concert at Vietnam National Convention Center in Hanoi on Oct 29 is only for summit participants.

 Music director and conductor of HCMC Conservatory Music Symphony Orchestra, Yoshikazu Fukumura, auditioned more than 80 classical musicians from 10 ASEAN countries and five countries outside the grouping. He said he would guarantee a superb performance.

The Academic Festival – Overture by Johannes Brahms will open the program, followed by Carmen Fantasy for Violin and Orchestra by Pablo Sarasate, featuring solo violist Anna Sowanna from Thailand, and Concertstuck for the Piano and Orchestra, Op.79 by C.M.V Weber, featuring solo pianist Nguyen Tuan Manh from Vietnam. The last piece on the program would be Symphony No.9 in E Minor “From the new world” by Antonin Dvorak.

Tickets are on sale for VND150,000 to VND250,000. For more information, contact the HCMC Conservatory of Music or the Hanoi Opera House.

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ASEAN orchestra has talent from 15 countries

A new symphony orchestra, assembled from the best musical talents from around Southeast Asia, will perform three nights for the 17th ASEAN Summit in Vietnam (October 28-30).

Hanoi and HCMC will have one public concert each - in HCMC October 26 at the HCMC Conservatory of Music, 112 Nguyen Du Street, District 1 at 8 p.m., and in Hanoi Oct. 28 at the Hanoi Opera House, 1 Trang Tien Street, Hoan Kiem District at 8 p.m. The third concert at Vietnam National Convention Center in Hanoi on Oct 29 is only for summit participants.

 Music director and conductor of HCMC Conservatory Music Symphony Orchestra, Yoshikazu Fukumura, auditioned more than 80 classical musicians from 10 ASEAN countries and five countries outside the grouping. He said he would guarantee a superb performance.

The Academic Festival – Overture by Johannes Brahms will open the program, followed by Carmen Fantasy for Violin and Orchestra by Pablo Sarasate, featuring solo violist Anna Sowanna from Thailand, and Concertstuck for the Piano and Orchestra, Op.79 by C.M.V Weber, featuring solo pianist Nguyen Tuan Manh from Vietnam. The last piece on the program would be Symphony No.9 in E Minor “From the new world” by Antonin Dvorak.

Tickets are on sale for VND150,000 to VND250,000. For more information, contact the HCMC Conservatory of Music or the Hanoi Opera House.

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