Vice President Nguyen Thi Doan presented the Friendship Order to Professor Tran Thanh Van and his wife Professor Le Kim Ngoc on July 8 for their contributions to science and childcare and protection in Vietnam.

The Vietnamese-French couple established the Support Association for Vietnamese Children in France in 1970 which called for donations to set up SOS Children’s Villages in Da Lat (1974) and Dong Hoi (2005) and support the SOS Village in Hue (since 2000).

The two professors also managed to persuade French Professor Odon Vallet from Sorbonne University to establish the Vallet Scholarship Fund, which has presented 25,000 scholarships worth about 120 billion VND (5.5 million USD) to students across Vietnam, including those living in SOS villages, since 2001.

They have organised ten “Meet Vietnam” events since 1993 alongside dozens of international conferences on particle physics and astrophysics, hosting renowned overseas scientists and a number of Nobel laureates.

“Meet Vietnam” is intended to provide an opportunity for Vietnamese researchers, particularly young ones, to meet with the world’s well-known scientists and encourage them to work harder.

Professor Tran Thanh Van expressed his thanks to the Party and State for the orders, adding that he and his wife will continue to devote their efforts to not only develop the homeland and support children but also promote the image of Vietnam globally.

He plans to work with the Ministry of Science and Technology to launch another science conference in 2016, bringing together leading scientists in the region.

Addressing the event, Vice President Nguyen Thi Doan said the Friendship Order is presented to foreigners who have made great contributions to Vietnam’s development.

Professor Van has inspired her and those who joined the award ceremony to love humanity and hold national pride, she added.

VNA