The announcement was made at the 17th TWAS General Conference held from September 29 to October 2 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, where the admission of 74 new fellows – the highest number in the academy’s history – was confirmed. Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva also attended the opening ceremony.
Professor, Doctor of Science Nguyen The Hoang, former Deputy Director of the 108 Central Military Hospital, and Professor Dr. Nguyen Thi Thanh Mai, Vice President of Viet Nam National University - Ho Chi Minh City, received their certificates from TWAS President Professor Quarraisha Abdool Karim in front of more than 300 scientists from around the world.
In a letter notifying Prof. Hoang of his election as a full TWAS member, effective on January 1, 2025, TWAS President Quarraisha Abdool Karim recognised his outstanding contributions to scientific advancement in developing countries.
Speaking at the event, Hoang said he was deeply honoured to become one of the two Vietnamese scientists newly admitted to TWAS.
“This is not only a personal honour but also recognition of the tireless efforts of the Vietnamese scientific community over many years,” he said, adding that the title carries with it a responsibility to further contribute to research, teaching and training of the next generation of scientists. He hoped that his achievements would inspire more Vietnamese researchers to engage globally and strengthen Viet Nam’s standing on the world scientific map.
Through TWAS, Hoang aims to expand international collaboration, connecting scientists globally to share knowledge and apply scientific and technological advances to tackle urgent challenges such as climate change, public health, and sustainable development.
Prof. Hoang, born in 1965 in central Ha Tinh province, has authored more than 100 research papers published domestically and internationally. His works focus on circulatory reconstruction, cell culture, and microsurgical techniques for congenital limb defects and organ transplantation.
He has received numerous national and international awards, including the prestigious Friedrich Wilhelm Bessel Research Award from Germany’s Alexander von Humboldt Foundation.
Prof. Mai, born in 1974 in central Quang Ngai province, has dedicated her career to pharmaceutical research, particularly to extracting drugs from medicinal plants in Viet Nam. She has published more than 80 papers in international journals and developed products to support the treatment of gastrointestinal cancers and arthritis. Her research team won Ho Chi Minh City’s Innovation Award in 2019 for work on products derived from domesticated bees. In 2021, she received the Kovalevskaia Award, honouring outstanding female scientists in the natural sciences.
With the latest election, TWAS now has 1,444 members from over 100 countries. Brazil and China each has 10 new fellows this year, followed by India with nine, Malaysia with seven, South Africa with four, and Viet Nam, Cuba, Egypt and the US two each.
Founded in 1983 and operating under UNESCO, TWAS brings together more than 1,400 distinguished scientists from across the globe and represents around 130 national academies.
The Rio conference, themed “Building a Sustainable Future: The Role of Science, Technology and Innovation for Global Development”, featured scientific sessions, high-level discussions, award ceremonies and the welcoming of new fellows, alongside the 32nd General Meeting of TWAS, co-hosted by the Brazilian Academy of Sciences.
