Richard Maino

A UNIVERSITY delegation from Vietnam has visited two leading academies in the UK, gathering ideas and solutions in sustainable construction to work towards creating a greener future for the industry in Vietnam.

Academics at Loughborough University welcomed the special party of visitors from the National University of Civil Engineering (NUCE) in Hanoi, Vietnam.

The four visitors stayed in Loughborough, central England, for five days as part of a new partnership funded by the British Council with the university to look at sustainability in the UK's construction industry with a view to implementing best practice in teaching and research at the NUCE.

The three-year knowledge-sharing project also incorporates the University of Liverpool, north-west England and the visit to Loughborough is the first of several to be held.

The party consists of Dr Le Van Thanh, NUCE vice-chancellor; associate professor Dr Pham Huu Hann, head of the Building Materials department; Dr Bui Danh Dai, head of the laboratory department; and associate professor Dr Do Huu Thanh, head of international development.

At Loughborough, Dr Chris Goodier, from the university's Civil & Building Engineering department, said: "In Vietnam they have one university per discipline area, so NUCE has 15,000 students [and] which makes it the country's leading authority on civil engineering, construction and sustainability issues.

"As Vietnam is currently being seriously influenced by climate change issues, the NUCE is keen to respond as it has thousands of students who will soon play key roles in the country's construction industry," he added.

Dr Goodier said that the NUCE visitors examined the knowledge and expertise held by both Loughborough University and the University of Liverpool in sustainable construction "to work towards creating a greener future for the industry in Vietnam".

For the visit, a number of seminars were organised and these included representation from the Aggregate Industries & Responsible Solutions company that is based in Loughborough University's Innovation Centre.

The Vietnamese delegation also toured Liverpool University's Department of Engineering, and the Lang O'Rourke Explore factory in Steetley, Nottinghamshire, the biggest pre-cast concrete factory in the UK.

Also visited were the Hockerton housing development, the UK's first earth-sheltered, self-sufficient ecological housing development, as well as key engineering projects such as London's Wembley stadium and Heathrow airport's recently built Terminal 5 building.

A return visit to Vietnam is being planned for six months' time with the Hanoi delegation returning to Liverpool in September 2011.

Dr Goodier added: "Sustainability in the construction industry is taken very seriously in the UK and we are always looking at ways we can improve. This collaboration with NUCE will help enable us to take the next step and have a greater influence and impact at an international level. I am looking forward to seeing how the NUCE team will be taking forward the ideas and solutions that they pick up while on their visit here in the UK."

The collaboration project between Loughborough University, Liverpool University and the National University of Civil Engineering in Vietnam is being funded by the British Council (http://www.britishcouncil.org/new/).

Loughborough is one of the country's leading universities, with an international reputation for research, excellence in teaching, strong links with industry, and unrivalled achievement in sport and its underpinning academic disciplines.

In the 2010 national student survey, Loughborough was voted one of the top academies in the UK. In recognition of its contribution to the sector, it has been awarded six Queen's Anniversary Prizes.

Loughborough is also the UK's premier university for sport and also has the country's largest concentration of world-class training facilities across a range of sports.