Thuan has become the first Vietnamese and only the second Asian to receive the award.
The 300,000 EUR prize recognises people whose work in literary orscientific, has constituted a message of modern humanism.
Thuan is the author of many popular books on the Universe, writtenoriginally in French. He has had 10 books published since his first one,Melody Secrets in 1988.
The French Institute saidthat Professor Thuan was successful in helping people to understand thesplendid and surreal universe in simple language.
Healso received the Kalinga Prize from UNESCO in 2009 and the 2007 Moronprize from the French Academy amongst others.
When talking with a Vietnam News Agency correspondent in Parisafter the awarding ceremony, the Professor expressed his pride at beingthe first Vietnamese person to receive the world prize from the Frenchfoundation.-VNA