On March 20th, 2024, the VNU - Foundation successfully organized the scholarship award ceremony for outstanding graduate students in the Natural Sciences field, who have contributed to applied interdisciplinary research addressing social issues.



Representatives from the Vietnam National University Hanoi included:
- Professor, Ph.D. Le Quan, President of Vietnam National University Hanoi;
- Associate Professor, Ph.D. Nguyen Hoang Hai, Permanent Vice President of Vietnam National University Hanoi;
- Associate Professor, Ph.D. Le Tuan Anh, Head of Cooperation and Development Department of Vietnam National University Hanoi;
- Dr. Tran Quoc Binh, Head of Political Affairs and Student Affairs Office;
- Associate Professor, Ph.D. Tran Thi Thanh Tu, Chair of the Management Board and Director of the Vietnam National University Foundation;
- Associate Professor, Ph.D. Tran Kien, Deputy Director of the Vietnam National University Foundation;
- Dr. Nguyen Minh Truong, Deputy Head of Political Affairs and Student Affairs Office, Vietnam National University Hanoi;
- Dr. Vu Tuan Anh, Deputy Head of the Investment Promotion Department of Vietnam National University Hanoi;
- Associate Professor, Ph.D. Truong Ngoc Kiem, Deputy Head of the Investment Promotion Department of Vietnam National University Hanoi.

Representatives from member universities included:
- Professor, PhD. Furuta Moto, Rector of the Vietnam-Japan University;
- Dr. Nguyen Hoang Oanh, Vice Rector of the Vietnam-Japan University;
- Associate Professor, Ph.D. Ngac An Bang, Vic-Rector of the University of Sciences.

The organizing committee was honored to welcome Mr. Yohei Sasakawa, Chairman of the Nippon Foundation, the primary sponsor of the Sylff Program, on his visit to the Vietnamese Government. During the ceremony, Mr. Yohei Sasakawa expressed gratitude for the warm reception by the VNU - Foundation and Vietnam National University Hanoi. He reaffirmed the potential for international integration and leadership development opportunities for candidates participating in the Sylff community. He also expressed his desire to see the participation of Vietnam National University Hanoi's graduate students in international forums to address global challenges.


 

Professor, Ph.D. Le Quan expressed joy and extended sincere thanks to Chairman Yohei Sasakawa and the Nippon Foundation for their support and collaboration with Vietnam National University. As a pioneering institution in the country's education system, Vietnam National University has actively coordinated with domestic and international organizations, especially Japanese partners including the Nippon Foundation, to learn from experiences in innovation, entrepreneurship, promoting impactful research activities regionally and globally, and fostering university-enterprise linkages; student exchanges; and supporting the training of young lecturers. This is an important milestone for Vietnam National University to advance further and build the country's leading ecosystem of research, entrepreneurship, and innovation.

Professor, Ph.D. Le Quan believes that the Sylff Program, combined with Vietnam National University's Young Talent Incubation Scholarship Program, will strongly promote the spirit of learning and research among young researchers, thereby nurturing, attracting, and nurturing excellent human resources and contributing to Vietnam National University's mission of becoming an internationally excellent university.
 

Representing scholarship recipients, Nguyen Thien Phuong Thao, a second-year environmental science doctoral student, shared:

"As recipients of this scholarship, we are entrusted with a profound opportunity and responsibility. We can delve deeper into our research, explore new avenues, and contribute to the advancement of our fields. But along with this opportunity comes a duty - a duty to use what we learn to truly make a difference in society, address critical issues, and promote meaningful change. To achieve this, significant contributions are made by scholarship funds like the Sylff Program."



The Ryoichi Sasakawa Young Leaders Fellowship Fund (Sylff Program) is an international scholarship program present in 69 universities across 44 countries. As the coordinating partner of the Sylff Program at Vietnam National University Hanoi, the VNU - Foundation is committed to supporting scholars in their research and application efforts to address pressing social challenges. All for the goal of contributing to a more integrated and developed Vietnam.