Attending at the event were Minister of Education and Training Phung Xuan Nha, Prof. Odon Vallet, Vietnamese French Professors Le Kim Ngoc and Tran Thanh Van.
These are part of 2,200 scholarships for students, young researchers and high school students across the country with a total of VND 25 billion in 2018.
The Vallet Scholarship Fund for Vietnamese students was established in 2001 by Prof. Odon Vallet from France's Sorbonne University, providing more than 32,250 scholarships, worth VND175 billion (US$7.6 million) to students nationwide. Scholarship winners included 300 students who won international medals and over 200 students who entered Ecole Polytechnic in France.
On this occasion, Minister of Education and Training Phung Xuan Nha presented the medal "For the course of education" to Vietnamese-French professor spouses Tran Thanh Van and Le Kim Ngoc.
The two professors, Tran Thanh Van and his wife Le Kim Ngoc established an Association in France to help Vietnamese children in 1970. They have returned home to organize many exchanges between Vietnamese and foreign scientists since 1993.
In 1970, the couple established the Support Association for Vietnamese Children in France and called for donations from the French government and various charity organizations in many countries to set up the SOS Children’s Village in Viet Nam
In 1993, an organization namely "Rencontres du Viet Nam" (Meeting Viet Nam), led by the two professors as its co-chairmen, made debut and started operation. “Meeting Viet Nam” is the organizer of the most prestigious particle physics conferences, International Physics Science Conference in the country.
They managed to persuade French Professor Odon Vallet to offer Odon Vallet scholarships to best students and young researchers; built International Center of Interdisciplinary Science Education (ICISE) in Binh Dinh Province’s Quy Nhon City.; opened the Vietnam School of Physics and School of Physics and Astronomy with classes taught in English in the country, called for donations from the French government and various charity organizations in many countries to set up the SOS Children’s Villages Da Lat, Dong Hoi and in Hue.
