Deputy Minister Bui The Duy attended the ceremony to award the Legion of Honor Officer Medal to Professor Tran Thanh Van and his wife Le Kim Ngoc.

On the afternoon of October 3 in Hanoi, French Ambassador Olivier Brochet, on behalf of President of the French Republic Emmanuel Macron, solemnly awarded the Legion of Honor, Officer rank, the highest honor of France, to Professor Tran Thanh Van and Professor Le Kim Ngoc. This is a special and rare event in the more than 200-year history of this prestigious award because this honorary medal was awarded to a couple of outstanding Vietnamese scientists.

Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Chi Dung and Deputy Minister of Science and Technology Bui The Duy attended the ceremony, sent congratulations and expressed their appreciation for the two scientists' decades-long efforts in promoting international cooperation and nurturing the Vietnam-France relationship.

French Ambassador Olivier Brochet awarded the Legion of Honor Officer to Professor Tran Thanh Van and Professor Le Kim Ngoc.

Speaking at the ceremony, Ambassador Olivier Brochet affirmed: "The President of the French Republic has made a special decision because the scientific careers of the two Professors are extremely rich and outstanding. But more than that, it is their lives and inseparable commitments that have created an outstanding journey, both as erudite scientists and as citizens who know how to dedicate themselves to the community."

Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Chi Dung, on behalf of the Vietnamese Government, sent congratulations and expressed appreciation for the two scientists' decades-long efforts in promoting international cooperation and nurturing the Vietnam-France relationship.

Deputy Minister Bui The Duy congratulated and respectfully acknowledged the two scientists' decades-long persistent efforts.

The Legion of Honor Officer Medal not only recognizes outstanding talent but also honors the wholehearted devotion that the two professors have given to science, to their homeland Vietnam and to the strong bond between the two countries.

"This honor is not just ours"

At the ceremony, Professor Tran Thanh Van emotionally shared that this noble award is not only for him and his wife, but also for his family, colleagues, generations of students and young scientists who have accompanied him and his wife on the journey of connecting knowledge.

Professor Tran Khanh Van sent his thanks to Professor Le Kim Ngoc, his life partner and colleague whom he called "the greatest source of encouragement in his life".

Professor Tran Thanh Van said: "France has nurtured us since we were young, making our scientific dreams come true. Vietnam is always the place we look to with the desire to contribute to the country's steady progress in the international arena."

The two professors' scientific careers are closely linked to the organization of the international conference series "Meeting Vietnam" which began in 1993. Every year, this conference brings together hundreds of the world's leading scientists in many fields: from basic sciences such as particle physics, astrophysics, mathematics, to applied fields such as biology, medicine, oceanography, as well as social sciences and humanities.

From the fund of "Meeting Vietnam", Professor Tran Thanh Van and his wife Professor Le Kim Ngoc founded the International Center for Interdisciplinary Science and Education (ICISE) in Quy Nhon in 2013. This is a unique model in Vietnam, aiming to turn Quy Nhon into an international scientific rendezvous.

For more than a decade, ICISE has welcomed many Nobel Prize and Fields Medal winners, and has expanded its activities to disseminate scientific knowledge to the public, especially young people. Located in the Explorascience complex with a planetarium and modern exhibition hall, ICISE has become a symbol of French-Vietnamese cooperation in the fields of science and education.

This effort was also mentioned in the talks between General Secretary To Lam and President Emmanuel Macron during the French leader's State visit to Vietnam in May 2025.

Science is linked to social responsibility

Not only scientists, Professor Tran Thanh Van and Professor Le Kim Ngoc are also known as pioneers in humanitarian activities. Since 1970, they founded the Association "Helping Vietnamese Children" (Aide à l'enfance du Vietnam), which initiated the construction of the first SOS Children's Village in Vietnam for orphans.

Portrait of the couple receiving the Legion of Honor Officer rank.

For more than half a century, the charity programs initiated by the two professors have supported thousands of children in difficult circumstances, giving them the opportunity to study and grow up.

The ceremony to award the Legion of Honor Officer Medal on October 3 is not only a source of pride for Professors Tran Thanh Van and Le Kim Ngoc, but also a common honor for the Vietnamese scientific community.

It is an affirmation of their persistent efforts and dedication to science, to the Vietnam-France friendship, and to the younger generation. For more than half a century, the two scientists have always maintained a simple ideal: connecting knowledge, sowing the seeds of science, and spreading love.

Center for Science and Technology Communication

Source: https://mst.gov.vn/thu-truong-bui-the-duy-du-le-trao-huan-chuong-bac-dau-boi-tinh-bac-si-quan-cho-vo-chong-giao-su-tran-thanh-van-va-le-kim-ngoc-197251003223001573.htm