Agriculture is the "first priority in the economy" of Vietnam, Nguyen Van Hieu, director of the Institute of Physics in Hanoi, told a group of 40 at Jefferson Hall yesterday.

Hieu said the possibilities in physical science research are limited because the country's resources must be devoted to reconstruction.

U.S. Tour

Hieu, the first Vietnamese scientist to visit the United States in several years, spoke at Harvard during the first stop of his U.S. tour aimed at promoting scientific exchange and cooperation between the U.S. and Vietnam.

Hieu said he hopes Vietnamese students will be able to study in the U.S. in the future. The cost of travel, living expenses, and language makes this difficult, he said.

The French Do It

The French ministry of foreign affairs pays travel and living expenses of Vietnamese students in France, Hieu said, adding that he hopes the U.S. government will set up a similar program.

Hieu added that the war resulted in the relocation of many Vietnamese universities, a serious setback for research and education.