PROF. NGUYEN MINH THO’S CONTRIBUTIONS TO VIETNAM
The professor has supervised over 20 Vietnamese doctoral students at his laboratory at KU Leuven University or in Vietnam. Most of his Vietnamese PhD students, after graduating, come back to work in some research institutes in Vietnam.
Since 1997, he has come to Vietnam every year to teach intensive graduate courses at universities including Hanoi University of Education, Hue University, Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology and Ton Duc Thang University. He also initiated a joint research program between the chemistry department of Hanoi University of Education and KU Leuven University to train about 20,000 doctoral students under a sandwich scholarship funded by the Vietnamese government (program 322 ). In addition, he is helping his alumni build laboratories to research and organize international conferences in Vietnam. He is a board member of the Association of Asia-Pacific Theory and Computational Chemists (APATCC), and also convenes meetings between Vietnam - Taiwan and Taiwan - Thailand - Vietnam. Male (TTV) on computational molecular science.
In 2012, he initiated two VLIR-UOS development cooperation projects with Quy Nhon University to upgrade the master's and doctoral degree programs and research on theoretical chemistry and physiochemistry.
THE PROFESSOR’S CONTRIBUTION TO QUY NHON UNIVERSITY
1. Participating and coordinating SI projects (South Initiatives) “Building up a new Master program in Theoretical and Physical Chemistry in Quy Nhon University, Vietnam” funded by VLIR-UOS
Direct beneficiary: the Department of Chemistry
Helping to plan and manage the project signed by VLIR-UOS Fund between Quy Nhon University - Vietnam and KU. Leuven University, Belgium, on the construction of an advanced European master's program for graduate studies in Theoretical Chemistry and Physiochemistry – The Department of Chemistry - Quy Nhon University, and provided financial assistance in constructing a laboratory of computational chemistry and simulation. In this project, many professors from KU Leuven University came to give lectures to the Department of Chemistry’s MA students, do research, give scientific seminars with the Department’s lecturers; 6 lecturers of the Department of Chemistry were sent to KU. Leuven University to work and do research (about 3 months each). It is possible to consider this SI project as an important premise for international cooperation of the Department of Chemistry in particular and Quy Nhon University in general.
2) Participating, coordinating Team Project "Reinforcing the capabilities of Quy Nhon University - Vietnam in solving local problems by building a doctoral training program" sponsored by VLIR-UOS
Direct beneficiary: the Department of Chemistry
Helping to plan and chair Team Project, signed by Quy Nhon University - Vietnam and KU Leuven University, Belgium, sponsored by VLIR-UOS. The main goal of the project is to develop a doctoral program in chemistry, specializing in Chemistry and Physics, and establish a high-level research center on advanced materials and pollution treatment.
Through this project, The Department of Chemistry successfully administered a PhD program and recruited 5 PhD students (4 PhD students in Team Project) in 2016. In addition to the Department’s existing research equipment, more was provided. The project also helped solve the problem of antibiotic residues of shrimp wastewater, and transforms flood water into domestic water for inhabitants in Binh Dinh province and surrounding areas.
3) Participating and coordinating VLIR-UOS-sponsored SI projects
Direct beneficiaryt: the Department of Physics
Helping plan and co-lead SI projects for the Department of Physics under the heading "Enhancing the program education and research of the master in solid state physics at Quy Nhon University", the project's goals are (i) to improve the quality of the Master's program in solid-state physics at Quy Nhon University and (ii) to improve the quality of scientific research in the field of solid-state physics and applicability in solving energy problems and the environment of the localities in the vicinity of Binh Dinh province.
4) Participating in building and facilitating the implementation of the MOMA project
The name of the project is “Developing training programs in the field of molecular science and research-oriented materials in Vietnam (MOMA)”. KU Leuven University (Belgium) will be the European MOMA coordinator, Quy Nhon University will be the main Vietnamese coordinator.
The goals of the MOMA project are: (i) to improve lecturers’ professional competence and laboratory capacity in teaching molecular and material sciences in order to improve the quality of training in chemistry and physics and ( ii) to attract students to chemistry and physics programs every year.
5) Participating in doctoral training programs at Quy Nhon University (5 graduate students):
Nguyễn Tiến Trung
• Vũ Thị Ngân
• Trần Diệu Hằng
• Huỳnh Minh Hùng
• Nguyễn Ngọc Trí
6) Establishing the "Quantum Chemistry Scholarship Fund"
The professor offers a scholarship to graduate students, both doctoral and master’s, of the Department of Chemistry who have excellent academic achievements and research results in the field of quantum chemistry, computational chemistry. Every year, the professor donates 20,000,000 VND (about $US1000) to this scholarship fund.
Therefore, Prof. Nguyen Minh Tho’s enthusiasm and assistance, both spiritual and material, have helped the lecturers and students of the Departments of Chemistry and Physics have more opportunities to improve their professional knowledge and skills, laying a solid foundation for the comprehensive development of training, research and international cooperation of the departments in particular and the University in general.
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