Goals and Tasks
The Tropical Department of the Institute has been organized in 1988. The main tasks of the Tropical Department are the science and methodological leadership of the Tropical Center activity.
The Tropical Department consist of science and administrative parts.
Besides the above the Tropical Department is to provide the activity of the Russian part of the Coordinating Committee (CoorCom) of the Tropical Center.
The Chairman of the CoorCom (Russian Side) in academician V.E.Sokolov.
The Joint Russian-Vietnam Tropical Research and Test Center (Tropical Center) is situated in Vietnam.

The main scientific thematics of the T.C. are the tropical ecology and biology, tropical technology, tropical diseases:
1) investigation of the ecology and medico-biology consequences of the mass usage by the US Army during the War in the South Vietnam the ecotoxicants-chlor-phenoxil-herbecides, contenting 2,3,7,8-tetra-chlordibenzo-para-dioxin («Orange agent»);
2) studying the biological damages corrosion and ageing of materials and techniques in tropics as well as elaboration of the means of protection with usage of the local raw material;
3) studying the dangerous infectious tropical diseases—plaque, cholera and malaria;
4) investigation of adaptating of the European people to the terms and conditions of the moist tropical climate and evaluation of adaptogene and other mean of Vietnam medicine effectiveness.

The Tropical Center has three regional departments—in the North Vietnam in Hanoi (headquarter), in the marine zone in Na Trang and in the South Vietnam in Ho Chi Min. Besides, there are permanent and temporary field eco- and climate test stations. Medical research are being done on the bases of Vietnam hospitals.