State President Nguyen Minh Triet congratulated Prof. Ngo Bao Chau for winning the top mathematics award, describing it as a national honour, during his meeting with the Fields laureate in Hanoi on Sept. 1.

The State leader took the opportunity to praise the national education service for overcoming prolonged war difficulties and post-war poverty and backwardness to foster young talents, culminating in Prof. Chau’s success.

He expressed an expectation that the Ministry of Education and Training would try harder to nurture as many as possible talents like Prof. Chau in order to put the national economy and science on a par with world standards.

Triet also expressed thanks to the professor’s parents and wife for their contributions to his success.

“Family should continue to be a momentum for Prof. Chau to win more successes in his career of scientific research in the interest of the nation and the world of mathematics,” said the national leader.

Prof. Chau said it was touching to his heart for the State President’s deep thoughtfulness to be given to him personally, as well as to his family and the entire scientific and technological community of Vietnam .

“I was very proud to be the first Vietnamese to step onto the highest platform for mathematicians in the world. The Fields medal is not only my honour but also an honour for the entire Vietnamese nation and a huge momentum for Vietnamese youths advancing on the scientific research road,” Prof. Chau confided.

He also looked happy at hearing the Government’s approval of a national programme on mathematic development up to 2020 and the project to build a high-grade mathematic research institute.

“They are very important conditions for the development of basic sciences and show the government’s renewal in this field,” said the Fields laureate./.