President Nguyen Xuan Phuc presented awards to representatives of the authors and author groups of 29 outstanding research projects in science, with high value in technology and practical applications.
President Nguyen Xuan Phuc presents the Ho Chi Minh Prize in Science and Technology to Professor Dr. Nguyen Quang Hong. (Photo: Hoang Hieu).
The Ho Chi Minh and State Awards for Science and Technology Ceremony was held solemnly at the Hanoi Opera House on the evening of November 23, with the participation of hundreds of delegates, scientists, authors, and co-authors of the awarded projects. This marks the sixth time the awards have been held.
According to Minister of Science and Technology Huynh Thanh Dat, these are the two highest awards in the field of science and technology granted by the Party and State to authors of projects with significant scientific and technological value, having a wide-ranging, effective, and lasting impact on socio-economic development.
Minister Huynh Thanh Dat reports on the award assessment work. (Photo: Hoang Hieu).
Mr. Dat stated that in this sixth round, 44 projects and project clusters were nominated for consideration. “All projects have high scientific content, contributing positively to the practical construction and development of the country’s socio-economic and national defense,” he said.
190 leading Vietnamese scientists, representing various fields of science and technology, participated in 17 specialized councils and the State-level council to select worthy projects. The award committee chose 12 projects to receive the Ho Chi Minh Prize and 17 projects and project clusters for the State Award. “These projects are very deserving and have a significant impact on the nation’s science and economy,” he noted.
Immediately after the Minister’s report on the award assessment, President Nguyen Xuan Phuc, on behalf of the Party and State, presented the awards to the representatives of the authors and author groups.
President Nguyen Xuan Phuc presents the Ho Chi Minh Prize to the representatives of the authors and author groups. (Photo: Hoang Hieu)
Representing the awarded authors, Dr. Ngo Huu Hai from the project cluster Research and Development of Technology for Exploiting Gas-Condensate Fields Under Particularly Complex Conditions on Vietnam’s Continental Shelf expressed that this is his second time receiving the Ho Chi Minh Prize, which is a great honor and joy for himself and his co-authors.
He also sent a message to young scientists to always be confident. To succeed, one must be passionate, committed, and willing to sacrifice; the more challenges, the more determined and confident one must be.
President Nguyen Xuan Phuc presents the State Award for Science and Technology to representatives of the author groups. (Photo: Hoang Hieu)
In his closing remarks, President Nguyen Xuan Phuc acknowledged that the scientific and technological workforce has made significant contributions and sacrifices over the years. “These two awards recognize and commend the scientists and authors of exemplary and outstanding projects,” he said, congratulating the 281 authors and co-authors who received the awards.
Recognizing the role of science and technology, the President stated that without bold investment and innovation, the country would be trapped in a low value-added and middle-income trap. Therefore, the consistent viewpoint established by the Party is that “science and technology is the leading national policy, the key driving force for developing modern productive forces.”
“More action is needed; a strategic shift is required to promote scientific research and technology application in key sectors,” Mr. Nguyen Xuan Phuc said, urging the government to continue improving the legal framework and implementing policies to promote innovation, especially in the business sector. Additionally, there is a need to invest in human research resources and provide appropriate benefits for scientists to attract them to Vietnam.
The President also suggested considering enhancing the prestige of the awards and expanding them to international scientists.
The sixth Ho Chi Minh and State Awards for Science and Technology were implemented by the Ministry of Science and Technology – the Standing Agency starting from December 2020. The awards are held every five years. Over six editions, 263 projects have been awarded, including 105 projects receiving the Ho Chi Minh Prize and 158 projects receiving the State Award.
