‘Vallet Scholarship supports many young scientific talents’

Speaking at the 25th Anniversary of the Vallet Scholarship Fund (2000-2024) held on the morning of September 21, Minister of Science and Technology Huynh Thanh Dat said that to date, the Vallet Scholarship Fund has awarded nearly 50,000 scholarships worth more than VND500 billion to excellent students across the country. “The Vallet Scholarship helps students confidently pursue their dreams and aspirations,” said the Minister.

Sharing about the journey of sowing seeds over the past 25 years, the head of the science and technology sector said that the scholarship has discovered and supported many young talents in the fields of natural sciences, engineering, and medicine, helping them develop their abilities and become scientists, experts, and leaders who make positive contributions to the country. The Vallet scholarship also creates many learning opportunities for students from remote areas and disadvantaged backgrounds, increasing their will to rise up. He mentioned the tireless efforts of Professor Odon Vallet, Professor Tran Thanh Van, Professor Le Kim Ngoc, Dr. Espéran Padonou, Director of the Vallet Foundation, and many colleagues.

He said that the Ministry of Science and Technology attaches importance to and creates favorable conditions for the Vallet Scholarship Fund to operate effectively, contributing to improving the quality of human resources, especially in the field of science and technology. The Minister hopes that Dr. Espéran Padonou, Director of the Vallet Fund, will continue to support and create conditions for the young generation of Vietnam to be nurtured and developed through the Vallet Scholarship Fund.

Professor Tran Thanh Van, Chairman of the Rencontres du Vietnam, emphasized that the Vallet Scholarship Fund is a testament to the international community’s interest in Vietnam’s education, especially the France-Vietnam friendship. “We are very proud of the achievements the Fund has made, and believe that the Vallet Scholarship Fund will continue to make positive contributions to the country’s development,” he said.

Vallet scholarships are awarded in three countries: France, Vietnam and Benin (a West African country). In Vietnam, the scholarships are carefully selected by Professor Tran Thanh Van and his colleagues, the number of scholarships has increased in both quantity and value over the years. Scholarship recipients are students with high academic achievements, winning medals in international science Olympiads, and being admitted to prestigious universities around the world.

Dr. Espéran Padonou, Director of the Vallet Foundation, said that in cooperation with the Rencontres du Vietnam and the International Center for Interdisciplinary Science and Education (ICISE), 2,100 scholarships have been awarded each year to outstanding students in the fields of natural sciences and medicine; supporting students at SOS Children’s Villages and building libraries for Vietnamese schools. “Many outstanding Vietnamese students who received scholarships continue to pursue research and become promising young scientists,” he said.

At the ceremony, Nguyen Dinh Ha, a former student majoring in Mathematics at Hanoi Amsterdam High School for the Gifted, shared his chance to be one of the first to receive a scholarship in 2003. He said that when he went to France to study, he encountered many difficulties and received 4,500 Euros in support to take the entrance exam to the Polytechnic University of Paris, France. “The Vallet scholarship became a big turning point in my life,” he said, adding that he had a job in Japan and the US as an Investment Fund Director. He is currently establishing an Investment Fund in Singapore.

From the US, Dr. Ngo Cong Truong, Chairman of J&P Global, who received the scholarship in 2002, said the scholarship was a stepping stone that gave him achievements and opportunities to continue his doctoral and postgraduate studies.

Mr. Nhat Minh, a former student in France who received the Vallet scholarship 20 years ago, said that the scholarship supported his path to success in his studies, helping him smoothly pursue a career in investment financial management. He hopes that the generation of excellent students who received the scholarship filled with love and respect will return to develop science and support the next generation.

In 2024, the Vallet Scholarship Fund will award 2,100 scholarships to excellent students nationwide, worth 15 million VND/scholarship for high school students, 29 million VND/scholarship for university students, and 45 million VND/scholarship for graduate students.

As one of 457 excellent students from the North receiving this year’s scholarship, Nguyen Thi Lan Huong (Thieu Hoa, Thanh Hoa) shared that she was very happy and honored. Huong comes from a difficult family situation and suffers from a serious illness, but she strives to study and is the valedictorian of Le Van Huu High School. The new graduate of the Academy of Finance said that she will use the scholarship effectively and consider it a motivation to strive in the coming school years.