The plan was unveiled by Ho Quoc Dung, chairman of the People’s Committee in Binh Dinh Province, who spoke to scientists at a workshop on cosmology held in the provincial capital city of Quy Nhon on Monday.

The workshop, co-organized by the Ministry of Science and Technology, the Rencontres du Vietnam program, along with the provincial administration, saw the participation of 70 international scientists from 15 countries.

Among the attendees was Dutch theoretical physicist Gerardus't Hooft, who won the 1999 Nobel Prize in Physics "for elucidating the quantum structure of electroweak interactions."

The workshop was held at the International Center of Interdisciplinary Science Education (ICISE) in Quy Nhon.

In his opening remarks, chairman Dung expressed his vision of transforming Binh Dinh into a haunt of international scientists.

One of the steps toward realizing that vision, Dung said, was the development of a science complex in the province that would include a space museum, an observatory and a scientific exhibition space.

“These buildings would, along with ICISE, form the highlight of the future Quy Hoa Urban Area of Science and Education,” Dung said.

According to the chairman, Binh Dinh has already hired French architect Jean François Milou to sketch a plan for the science complex, which is expected to span 200 hectares over a valley in Quy Nhon.

Upon its completion, the so-called ‘urban area of science’ would be the first of its kind in Vietnam and the region, becoming an ideal rendezvous for research and innovation by Vietnamese and international scientists, Dung explained.

The new destination would also attract local youths to explore science through more immersive and interactive experiences across a range of themes.

Monday’s workshop was part of the 13th edition of Rencontres du Vietnam (Meet Vietnam), a major science and education program hosted by ICISE with the aim of helping Vietnamese and Pacific-Asian scientists to establish contact and exchange with western colleagues.