The Gift That Keeps On Giving

Knowledge is the most valuable gift teachers give their students on the journey to becoming responsible citizens. For the younger generation, the journey is often filled with challenges, setbacks, and financial hardship. To help ease that burden, Assoc. Prof. Bui Long Bien, former senior lecturer at HUST, has generously donated one billion VND to provide scholarships for underprivileged students who continue to strive against the odds.

Defending his PhD dissertation under a special exemption

Shortly after graduating as a member of Cohort 2 from the General University of Hanoi (now Vietnam National University, Hanoi), Assoc. Prof. Bui Long Bien began teaching Analytical Chemistry at the Department of Chemistry, School of Chemistry and Life Sciences, HUST. Despite being only a few years older than his students, he quickly earned their respect through his confidence and deep knowledge.
 

Assoc. Prof. Bui Long Bien often recalls how he completed his PhD without a formal advisor, conducting independent research and ultimately defending his dissertation under a special exemption granted by the university during the Resistance War against America. His thesis, which applied chemical analysis to physics-based experiments, was officially recognized in front of a packed hall of 250 people.

Due to impaired vision from childhood measles, Prof. Bien was unable to join the battlefield, but he remained steadfast on the home front and dedicated to teaching and supporting the national resistance through education.

A HUSTer's heart full of compassion

About three years ago, after visiting and financially assisting a wheelchair-bound student at HUST, Assoc. Prof. Long Bien had the idea of starting a scholarship fund to help students in need.

On April 23, 2025, he awarded 10 scholarships, each worth 10 million VND, to underprivileged students for the second semester of 2024. The Bui Long Bien Scholarship Fund will continue for five years, with two award rounds annually. The old professor with bright eyes and trembling  hands slowly walked across the stage and gently placed each scholarship into the hands of students.
 

For Assoc. Prof. Long Bien, supporting HUST students is his way of showing deep care for the younger generation. Recalling a personal experience, he shared, “Once, I had to hire movers, and the young men who came were around 20 or 21. They were bright-faced, hardworking students doing manual labor to afford college. Their determination truly moved me.”
 
“Assoc. Prof. Bui Long Bien’s meaningful contribution helps spread the spirit of compassion and the core values of Bách khoa, especially as we look ahead to the university’s 70th anniversary,” remarked Assoc. Prof. Tran Ngoc Khiem, Vice President of HUST.

Dr. Nguyen Viet Son from the Multimedia, Information, Communication & Applications Institute (MICA), School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, HUST, shared a heartfelt tribute to Assoc. Prof. Bui Long Bien on his personal Facebook: “I was lucky to be one of his students in high school and during my first year at university. He was always a dedicated and exemplary teacher. Now, even at an advanced age and with limited health, he continues to contribute to the university and support generations of students with gifts that are deeply meaningful both materially and spiritually. His generosity is truly admirable.”

Now 88, Assoc. Prof. Bui Long Bien no longer seeks personal comfort or leisure, and it is time for him to give. His only wish is that the students who receive his scholarships stay strong, keep learning, and do not let hardships pull them off course. Their future depends on education, so they have to fight for the chance to study.

We deeply admire the devoted HUST educator who continuously shares love and adds meaning to life.