Vietnam has five scientists recognized by Singapore-based magazine Asian Scientist in its Asian Scientist 100 list for 2026, underscoring the country’s growing presence and deeper integration into the regional and global scientific community.
Among the Vietnamese honorees is Prof. Dr. Nguyen Dinh Duc of the University of Engineering and Technology under Vietnam National University, Hanoi (VNU-Hanoi), who was recognized for his contributions to materials science. He received the Bao Son Prize in engineering and technology in 2024 and has authored more than 400 scientific papers, including 250 published in ISI-indexed journals, according to the Vietnamplus news site.
Also recognized on the list was Prof. Dr. Tran Xuan Bach of the University of Medicine and Pharmacy under VNU-Hanoi, who was honored in the field of public health. He received the Global Health Innovation Leadership Award 2025.
Associate Prof. Dr. Nguyen Minh Tan of Hanoi University of Science and Technology was honored for his contributions to chemical technology. He was awarded the Kovalevskaya Award 2024. The list also included Associate Prof. Dang Thi My Dung of the Institute for Nanotechnology under Vietnam National University HCMC, who was recognized for her work in nanotechnology. She was likewise a recipient of the Kovalevskaya Award 2024. Dr. Truong Hai Bang, a postdoctoral researcher at Van Lang University, was honored for his contributions to environmental research. He received the Golden Globe Award 2024.
The inclusion of Vietnamese scientists alongside recipients of the 2025 Nobel Prize, the Kyoto Prize and other leading researchers from across Asia marks a significant milestone, highlighting the growing stature and international integration of Vietnam’s scientific community.
Vietnamese doctor conquers Everest Triple Crown
Vietnamese doctor Ngo Hai Son has become the first person from Vietnam to achieve the Everest Triple Crown, one of mountaineering’s most demanding feats, after summiting Mount Everest, Lhotse and Nuptse in just four days.
The Everest Triple Crown refers to the challenge of climbing Mount Everest (8,848.86 meters), Lhotse (8,516 meters), and Nuptse (7,861 meters), a feat widely regarded as one of the most demanding achievements in high-altitude mountaineering.
Ngo Hai Son is a doctor at Viet Duc University Hospital in Hanoi. At 3 a.m. on May 20, Son and Nguyen Thanh Binh became the first Vietnamese climbers in the 2025 season to reach the summit of Mount Everest, the world’s highest peak.
After descending from Everest, the pair continued their ascent and successfully summited Lhotse on May 21, completing two of the three peaks that make up the Everest Triple Crown. Following a brief return to Everest Base Camp, Ngo Hai Son and his guide, Nima Sherpa, set out for Nuptse and reached its summit at 6:20 a.m. on May 24.
The achievement made Ngo Hai Son the first Vietnamese climber to summit both Everest and Lhotse within just 27 hours, a feat rarely accomplished even among elite international mountaineers. He also became the first Vietnamese to reach the summit of Nuptse, according to the Tuoi Tre news site.
HCMC student develops AI system to detect mental health risks
As the youngest recipient of HCMC’s Outstanding Young Citizen award, the 13-year-old has drawn attention for working with experts to develop AI tools to detect early signs of depression and emotional distress among students, reported the Thanh Nien news site.
Cap Hoang Dung, a 13-year-old student from HCMC, began programming in primary school and has since developed several award-winning technology projects inspired by challenges faced by students. His work includes educational software, a student counseling chatbot, and an AI-based emotion assessment system.
Currently, he is developing an AI platform designed to detect early signs of emotional and behavioral problems among students, helping teachers identify mental health risks and intervene sooner. His projects have earned multiple local and national awards in technology and innovation competitions.
“I noticed that many students in my class were experiencing emotional or behavioral issues, but teachers were not always able to spot them in time. That led me to think about developing a system that could help identify students’ emotions and behaviors through classroom cameras or teachers’ computers,” Dung said, explaining how the idea originated.
Museum displays 2,500 animal specimens from Cat Tien National Park
A museum in Cat Tien National Park is drawing visitors with a collection of around 2,500 animal specimens, including rare endemic species and animals that have disappeared from the protected forest.
Opened in 2015, the Nature Museum has become a stop on tours of Cat Tien National Park, one of Vietnam’s most biodiverse conservation areas. Located about 150 km from HCMC and spanning 71,000 hectares across Dong Nai and Lam Dong provinces, the park is home to 1,729 animal species and 1,655 species of higher plants, with more than 100 listed in Vietnam’s Red Book.
Among the museum’s most notable exhibits is the skeleton of the last Javan rhinoceros recorded in Vietnam. The animal was found dead in 2010 after being shot by poachers, and conservation groups later declared the species extinct in the country.
The museum also displays skeletons of elephants, gaurs, Asiatic black bears, deer, muntjacs, and civets. Many of the specimens come from animals that were illegally hunted or have since disappeared from the park.
The museum is open daily and also provides access to a nearby wildlife rescue center, according to the VnExpress news site.
