Another Vietnamese scientist wins the prestigious Humboldt Research Award
On April 16, 2026, the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation (Federal Republic of Germany) officially announced the conferment of the Humboldt Research Award to Professor, Doctor of Science (Prof. Dr. Sc.) Phung Ho Hai - former Director of the Institute of Mathematics, Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology - in recognition of his outstanding and persistent contributions to the field of Mathematics.
The award was granted based on the nomination by Christopher Deninger, a reputable German mathematician, acknowledging the entire body of scientific achievements that Prof. Dr. Sc. Phung Ho Hai has built throughout his research career.
It is known that the Humboldt Research Award is one of the world's leading prestigious honors, dedicated to scientists of international influence. Each award is valued at 80,000 euros and opens up opportunities for research collaboration in Germany with top scientific partners.
Since its establishment in 1972, this award has honored many scientists who subsequently achieved the Nobel Prize, affirming its global prestige and impact.
Born in 1970, Prof. Dr. Sc. Phung Ho Hai is a leading expert in the fields of algebra, algebraic geometry, quantum groups, Hopf algebras, and category theory. He served as the Director of the Institute of Mathematics for the 2017-2022 term and is currently the General Secretary of the Vietnam Mathematical Society.
Previously, he received the Von Kaven Award from the German Research Foundation (DFG) in 2006 and is the lead author of many valuable scientific works, including a prominent study published in 2023 in the journal Algebraic Geometry.
He was also the first Vietnamese person to be elected as a Young Affiliate of the World Academy of Sciences (TWAS), and was specially recognized with the title of Professor in 2012.
Educated at Lomonosov Moscow State University (Russia), and having defended his PhD at the University of Munich (Germany) and his Habilitation (Doctor of Science) at the University of Duisburg-Essen (Germany), he spent many years working and teaching at prestigious international research centers before returning to Vietnam to dedicate himself long-term to the nation's mathematics.
Beyond making a mark in research, Prof. Dr. Sc. Phung Ho Hai also plays a vital role in training the next generation of young mathematicians while promoting international scientific cooperation.
His receipt of the Humboldt Research Award is not only a well-deserved recognition for an outstanding individual but also contributes to affirming the increasingly solid position of Vietnam's basic science on the international stage, opening up deeper collaborative opportunities between Vietnam and Germany in the coming time./.
Copyright belongs to the Vietnam Journal of Science and Technology (VJST-MOST)