Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung hosted a reception on July 24 for Vietnamese-American professor Luu Le Hang who won a number of prestigious world astronomic prizes, including the Kavli Prize, considered the Nobel Prize in astrophysics.

The PM lauded Hang’s contributions to astronomy and expressed his admiration for the professor, saying Hang’s success is not only the pride of the nation but also a great inspiration for Vietnamese researchers and inventors.

The Government leader stated that considering education-training and science-technology as key national policies, Vietnam has dedicated substantial resources to the areas and created favourable conditions for youth in researching and studying.

He said he hopes the professor will continue to help develop the country’s astronomic sector and inspire Vietnamese youth.

Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung (L) receives Vietnamese-American professor Luu Le Hang (Photo: VNA)

For her part, Professor Hang said she believes that with adequate investment in education, more Vietnamese would be honoured in the world arena.

She pledged to do her utmost to join scientific events and activities in Vietnam, including the “Meet Vietnam” programme initiated by Professor Tran Thanh Van.

She also lauded the building of a scientific space complex in Binh Dinh and said she hopes the model will be expanded to other localities.

Born in 1963 in Saigon (now Ho Chi Minh City), Professor Luu Le Hang is now working at Harvard University and the Lincoln Laboratory at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

She has made great achievements in astronomy by discovering the Kuiper belt and more than 30 new small planets, one of which was named after her, Asteroid 5430 Luu.

In 1991, she received the Annie. J. Cannon Award from the US Astronomical Union. She was also honoured with the Shaw Prize in 2012./.

VNF/VNA