This marks the first time in history that a woman has led one of Vietnam’s largest and most prestigious higher education systems.

Born in 1974 in Quang Ngai Province, Nguyen Thi Thanh Mai graduated with a bachelor's degree in chemistry in 1996 from the University of Ho Chi Minh City - now known as the University of Science, VNU-HCMC.

She went on to earn her master’s degree in analytical chemistry at the same institution in 2001.

In 2002, she moved to Japan to pursue a PhD in pharmaceutical sciences at Toyama University, completing the program in 2005.

Upon returning to Vietnam, she resumed her academic career at the University of Science, holding a series of leadership roles including head of department, deputy dean, and eventually dean of the Faculty of Chemistry.

In 2021, she was appointed Vice Rector of the University of Science, and in 2022, she also assumed the position of Principal at the university's High School for the Gifted.

She was granted the title of Associate Professor in 2014 and became a full Professor in 2020. In 2024, she was honored with the title of “Outstanding Educator of Vietnam.”

On June 12, 2024, she was named Vice President of VNU-HCMC, responsible for international cooperation, university-business partnerships, and scientific research management.

A leading figure in pharmaceutical research, Professor Nguyen Thi Thanh Mai is renowned for her groundbreaking work in developing medications from Vietnamese medicinal herbs.

Her research team successfully created two pharmaceutical products for supporting treatment of gastrointestinal cancer and arthritis - both derived from local herbal sources and showing strong scientific and practical value.

She and her colleagues also received acclaim for their bee-derived product innovations, winning the Golden Globe Science and Technology Award in 2017 and the Ho Chi Minh City Innovation Award in 2019.

In 2021, she was awarded the Kovalevskaia Prize, Vietnam’s most prestigious recognition for female scientists.

To date, she has published over 80 international scientific articles.

On the global stage, in October 2025, at the 17th General Conference of The World Academy of Sciences (TWAS) held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, she was officially inducted as a TWAS Fellow - becoming one of the first Vietnamese women to receive this distinguished title.

Le Huyen