Young scientists- Ho Chi Minh City’s pride
Ho Chi Minh City demonstrated its commitment to scientific advancement this morning by hosting a key exchange where the city's leadership, chaired by Vice Chairwoman Tran Thi Dieu Thuy, honored outstanding young scientists and actively listened to their specific recommendations for accelerating research breakthroughs and technology transfer.
The event saw the presence of representatives of the Propaganda and Mass Mobilization Commission of the City Party Committee, the Department of Science and Technology, the Ho Chi Minh City Youth Union, representatives of universities in the city and 13 scientists who won the Golden Globe Award and the Science and Technology Female Student Award.
Congratulating 13 outstanding young scientists, Vice Chairwoman of the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee Tran Thi Dieu Thuy emphasized that they are exemplary young faces representing the intelligence, bravery, and aspiration to conquer knowledge of the generation growing up in the city named after beloved Uncle Ho. She noted that the Golden Globe Award and the Vietnam Science and Technology Female Student Award are two prestigious national honors, recognizing young talents with remarkable achievements in research, innovation, and the application of science and technology to everyday life.
The Vice Chairwoman highlighted that Ho Chi Minh City having 13 individuals named in the national list is both a great honor and a source of pride. It demonstrates the quality of the city’s human resources, the creative environment fostered here, and the spirit of aspiration that defines its youth.
She further stressed that the Politburo’s Resolution No. 57 has clearly identified “Developing science, technology, innovation and national digital transformation as one of the three strategic breakthroughs.” This, she explained, affirms that Vietnam’s development path today cannot rely on natural resources or low-cost labor, but must instead be driven by the intelligence and creativity of the Vietnamese people.
In addition, she referenced Resolution No. 71 on education and training, which affirms that “Education is the top national policy, the foundation for rapid and sustainable development.” Together, these two major orientations place people and knowledge, especially the younger generation of intellectuals and students, at the very center of the country’s development strategy.
Young scientists voice their opinions
At the exchange session, young scientists presented their aspirations and recommendations, engaging directly with the city’s leaders, departments, and agencies to promote breakthroughs in scientific research and innovation.
Researcher Mai Ngoc Xuan Dat from the Institute of Advanced Materials Technology (VNU-HCM) talked about his journey: “I applied persistently for three years before finally achieving the Golden Globe Award in 2025. From my experience, I believe the city should establish a dedicated fund to support science and technology development, enabling the formation of strong and potential research groups. In particular, it is essential to strengthen collaboration between the city, universities, and businesses to jointly place research orders and commercialize scientific products. Furthermore, there should be accessible funding sources for scientists to learn, cooperate, and partner with organizations both domestically and internationally.”
Dang Thi Le Hang, Deputy Head of the Department of Biomedical Materials Technology at the Institute of Advanced Technology (Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology) proposed that the city and universities should work together to establish shared research facilities. She emphasized that while interdisciplinary research is increasingly vital, the strengths of laboratories and research units in Ho Chi Minh City have not yet been fully connected or coordinated to maximize their potential.
Tran Thi Kieu My, a mechanical engineering student at the University of Technology (VNU-HCM), highlighted the challenges faced by women in engineering. In her class of 400 students, only four were female, and she was selected for the talented engineer program. She noted: “Female students in engineering, especially mechanical engineering, are rare but inevitable. The key is passion and the courage to pursue it. To encourage and inspire more women to study engineering, schools, together with the City and the Youth Union, should develop programs and policies that support female students in research and study within these fields.”
Student Vo Ngoc Minh Anh at the University of Sciences (VNU-HCM) with a strong passion for artificial intelligence (AI), shared her vision: “AI today has a profound impact across all fields and professions. My research direction is to apply AI in projects that preserve and promote Vietnamese identity and culture, while also building a network of female scientists focused on culture and creativity in Ho Chi Minh City. We hope that city leaders will provide funding to support young scientists and adopt financial policies that prioritize scientific topics led or participated in by women".
Ho Chi Minh City is making dedicated efforts to promote the establishment of six advanced research centers, alongside the innovation centers of the city and of the Vietnam National University Ho Chi Minh City (VNU-HCMC). The high-quality human resources and intellectual capital of its scientists particularly the enthusiasm and expertise of young scientists at universities across HCMC, represent a significant competitive advantage. This will be a major asset for HCMC in driving breakthroughs in scientific research, innovation, and technology transfer.
