Hanoi (VNA) – Prime Minister Le Minh Hung hosted a reception in Hanoi on August 24 for Prof. Tran Thanh Van, President of the Rencontres du Vietnam Association and Director of the International Centre for Interdisciplinary Science and Education (ICISE), and his spouse Prof. Le Kim Ngoc.
PM Hung praised the two professors’ dedication and contributions to Vietnam, particularly in science, education and support for disadvantaged children.
The Vietnamese Party and State consider science, technology, innovation and digital transformation key drivers of rapid, sustainable development, and value contributions from overseas Vietnamese experts and intellectuals. The Government will continue reviewing, amending and improving policies to enable those contributions, he said.
He assigned the Ministry of Science and Technology to take the lead, working with other ministries, agencies and localities, to urgently address the guests’ proposals, streamline procedures and create the best possible conditions for ICISE.
That would harness the professors’ expertise and commitment to Vietnam’s development, especially in advancing science and technology and training a quality workforce, he said.
Van, for his part, praised the decisive and effective leadership of the Party, State and Government leaders, especially their willingness to listen to recommendations and improve mechanisms. He highlighted the Politburo’s prompt issuance of Resolution 57-NQ/TW on breakthroughs in science, technology, innovation and digital transformation.
He briefed the PM on major recent activities by ICISE, the Institute for Interdisciplinary Research in Science and Education (IFIRSE) under ICISE, and the Odon-Vallet Scholarship Fund.
He said the proposals are made in a spirit of trust and cooperation, and sought continued support for ICISE, IFIRSE and himself to carry out more effective activities, particularly connecting international scientists, holding scientific events and supporting young talent.
Science and technology organisations want to be managed and supported in ways that drive initiative and creativity, allow them to operate under the law, and assess performance by tangible outcomes, helping them succeed and contribute more effectively to national development, he said.
PM Le Minh Hung (R) presents a painting of the Temple of Literature to the two professors at the meeting on August 24. (Photo: VNA)
Van, 90, is a renowned French physicist of Vietnamese origin with major influence in the global physics community. His spouse, Ngoc, 92, is a leading plant molecular biologist.
Beyond academia, they have devoted themselves to charitable and educational work. They founded Aide à l’Enfance du Vietnam in 1970, helped establish SOS Children’s Villages in Vietnam, and initiated ICISE in Quy Nhon in 2008.
Since 1993, the Rencontres du Vietnam Association has held international scientific conferences under the “Rencontres du Vietnam” banner, serving as a bridge for scientific exchange and funding training courses to develop specialised scientific personnel for Vietnam.
As of 2024, the association awarded more than 55,000 Odon-Vallet scholarships worth nearly 500 billion VND to outstanding Vietnamese students.
Inspired by Prof. Jerome Friedman - the 1990 Nobel laureate in physics, the association established IFIRSE under ICISE.
From 2017 to 2020, IFIRSE consistently ranked among Vietnam’s top five research facilities by the Nature Index. In April 2020, a neutrino research team led by the institute published in Nature, marking the first time a domestic Vietnamese research group co-authored a high-profile global scientific publication.
Van was awarded Vietnam’s Friendship Order in 2015. A decade later, the French President promoted both professors to the rank of Officer in the Legion of Honour for their contributions to science and Vietnam-France friendship./.
