HUST Lecturer Wins 2024 Kovalevskaya Award: “I Can Be Myself At HUST!”

This morning (March 8) in Hanoi, Assoc. Prof. Nguyen Minh Tan from the School of Chemistry and Life Sciences, Hanoi University of Science and Technology (HUST), was honored with the Kovalevskaya Award for her scientific contributions to enhancing Vietnamese agricultural products.
  Named after female Russian mathematician Sophia Kovalevskaya, the award has been presented in Vietnam since 1985 to outstanding female scientists for their research and practical impacts on socio-economic development.
  From an ambitious student with long hair to a passionate scientist with her signature bob cut, Assoc. Prof. Nguyen Minh Tan has spent her career at HUST, earning prestigious research awards and making her mark in the global scientific community. Known for her relentless dedication, she often loses track of time while working and even discusses projects with colleagues in the middle of a market.
 

In this interview, she shares her journey, insights on scientific research, and passion for real-world innovations.

- When you took the university entrance exam, most girls chose education, foreign languages, or economics, yet you opted for HUST. What led you to that decision?

“In high school, I made a bet with the boys in my class that to be ‘cool’, I had to get into HUST—and I won! I became a freshman in Cohort 35, majoring in Chemical Technology. My reason for choosing chemistry was quite simple: everything around us is related to chemistry. After a year, I reflected on my interests and took the advice of my uncle, the late Nguyen Dung, a former professor at the Institute of Chemical Engineering (now the School of Chemical and Life Sciences), and I decided to specialize in Chemical Process Equipment Technology.

In 1995, HUST was training the next generation of lecturers, and two of my classmates and I were selected by the university. After earning my master's, I pursued a PhD at TU Dresden in Germany through a DAAD scholarship, followed by postdoctoral research at Johannes Kepler University Linz in Austria. In early 2005, I returned to HUST and have been here ever since.

It was a coincidence that I chose HUST and my major, but the more I learned, the more I realized it was the right fit. The more I worked, the more I loved it! I believe that if you’re passionate and optimistic about your profession, you will thrive. That’s why I approach everything and everyone with sincerity and enthusiasm!”
 

- Betting against the boys and choosing an engineering university suggests you’re strong-willed and decisive. Do you think your personality aligns well with HUST?

“(Laughs) People at HUST often say I have a masculine personality! Maybe it's because I throw myself into everything with passion, even the most technical and seemingly dry subjects.

I love HUST because here, I can truly be myself! Meeting so many dedicated people around campus makes everything enjoyable. My home is near HUST, and sometimes when I go to the market, I bump into colleagues, and we end up discussing work right there, groceries in hand!

Right now, I truly appreciate this phase of my life: my children are grown, and my parents are still healthy. Some days, I get so absorbed in work but I can come home late without any worries. It’s simple, but it makes me incredibly happy!”
 

Several agricultural research products by Assoc. Prof. Nguyen Minh Tan

- Is passion and enthusiasm your secret to success in scientific research?

“I believe that in anything you do, you need passion, determination, and resilience. If I fall short of my goal, I don’t get discouraged but find ways to optimize and achieve the best possible outcome. To pull through, you need patience and the ability to embrace challenges and failures.

I respect everyone and believe there’s always something valuable to learn from those around me. When you engage with the world, meet new people, and observe, you realize there’s always room for improvement.

Having a job expands your perspective. As you move forward, you see how your work influences the world, even in small ways, and you change along the way. At some point, you think, ‘Wow, I’m interacting with the world!’ I’m grateful that my career has given me this opportunity.”
 

- Scientific research involves setbacks. How do you handle failure and keep going?

“In research, I see failure as a necessary step toward gaining experience. When I was younger, I would agonize over setbacks, questioning what went wrong. Over time, I realized that what seemed like failures were often stepping stones to something new. Now, I embrace challenges with a positive mindset.

My Austrian professor once told me: ‘If you encounter a problem you can’t solve right away, leave it and sleep on it.’ I immediately challenged him: ‘What if the problem is still there in the morning?’

He explained: ‘You sleep on it to gain a new perspective, not to avoid the issue. Hasty decisions are often influenced by emotions.’

Still skeptical, I asked: ‘But what if it doesn’t change after one night?’ He smiled and said: ‘Then sleep on it again. And again, if needed. At nearly 80, I think I've earned the right to say this.’

Now, I understand that it’s not about delaying decisions, but about allowing yourself the clarity to see things differently.”
  - Journalists have called you the “savior” of agricultural products. In your Kovalevskaya Award nomination, you highlighted research with real-world impact, such as optimizing Spirulina cultivation for functional foods and developing JEVA Technology for low-temperature concentration. Are you currently working on any other groundbreaking projects?

“My focus is on taking research beyond the lab and applying it to an industrial scale, whether in agriculture or wastewater treatment.
Currently, my team is collaborating with researchers from the School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering to develop an AI-powered Electronic Nose System.

For example, when exporting durians (which may take up to two to three weeks), we need to ensure they reach their destination at peak ripeness. Traditionally, ripeness is determined using chromatography analysis, which takes hours and requires sophisticated equipment. Developing an Electronic Nose system would enable rapid, cost-effective ripeness detection.

Beyond agriculture, we’re also exploring applications like distinguishing fresh from spoiled milk, which would benefit school meal programs.”

- Thank you for the insightful conversation! 
 

Assoc. Prof. Nguyen Minh Tan is the lead author of seven Vietnamese patents and one international PCT patent. She has led nine research projects at various levels, completed five as principal investigator, and contributed to four others.   Her research has been applied in production, including optimizing Spirulina cultivation using a photobioreactor for functional foods and developing concentrated lychee juice and aromatic compounds using membrane technology.