Science as a Platform for Dialogue and Policy AdviceIn its capacity as Vietnam’s national member organization at IIASA, VAST, together with the Vietnamese Embassy and IIASA, organized a seminar on science diplomacy in Vienna. The Vietnamese Ambassador to Austria, Vu Le Thai Hoang, emphasized the growing importance of science diplomacy as a pillar of modern foreign policy. As the seat of numerous international organizations, Austria offers ideal conditions for connecting Vietnam with European and global networks. Susie Kitchens, Director of Science Diplomacy at IIASA, emphasized that building mutual trust between people is the true foundation of successful science diplomacy. By combining scientific excellence with interpersonal diplomacy, VAST plans to sustainably strengthen its research and human resources and mobilize global resources for Vietnam’s development.