Vietnam's first Master of Physics once refused to be Minister of Education

The President was assigned by Uncle Ho to hold the position of Minister of Education, but the first Vietnamese teacher was Professor Nguyen Van Huyen.

He was the leading professor in Vietnam at one time - Nguy Nhu Kon Tum (1913 - 1991).

Professor Nguy Nhu Kon Tum is originally from Hue but was born and raised in Kon Tum. His father was Mr. Nguy Nhu Bich - a postmaster and famous doctor. For many years, he took his wife and children to work in the Central Highlands and Laos, often naming his children born there after the place names of the lands. Therefore, in addition to Nguy Nhu Kon Tum, his older sister was named Nguy Nhu Ban Me Thuot.

Since childhood, Mr. Nguy Nhu Kon Tum was more intelligent than others. In 1932, with the feat of passing all three Baccalaureate degrees: Baccalaureate of Native origin, Baccalaureate of Spanish Mathematics, Baccalaureate of Spanish Philosophy, he received a scholarship to study abroad at Sorbonne University (Paris, France).

Uncle Ho and Professor Nguyen Nhu Kon Tum (right). (Photo: Archive)

During his three years in France, Professor Nguy Nhu Kon Tum obtained a bachelor's degree in science, then a master's degree in physics. He is recognized as the first Vietnamese person to have a master's degree in physics.

In 1939, he continued his doctoral studies. His thesis advisor at that time was Professor Jolliot Curie - son-in-law of the famous scientist couple Pierre Curie and Marie Curie. At that time, World War II broke out, Mr. Nguy Nhu Kon Tum decided to return to serve the country.

In 1941, he returned to teach at Buoi School, along with patriotic intellectuals such as Professor Duong Quang Ham and Professor Nguyen Xien, constantly contributing to promoting the use of Vietnamese in education, fostering patriotism for the younger generation.

In 1945, Professor Nguy Nhu Kon Tum was the Director of Indochina School.

After the historic September 2, 1945 of the country, President Ho Chi Minh met this professor and invited him to become the Minister of Education. In response to Uncle Ho, he tactfully refused: "The Minister of Education must be someone with extensive expertise in social sciences and humanities to manage and innovate well. I am a natural scientist, I am afraid it will be difficult to complete the task."

After that, he nominated Professor Nguyen Van Huyen to hold the position of Minister of Education, and for his part, he happily accepted the position of Director of Secondary Education (under the Ministry of Education).

In 1951, Professor Nguy Nhu Kon Tum taught at the Central Campus in Nanning, China. Three years later, the professor returned to Vietnam, teaching Physics at the University of Science Education. In 1956, he became the first principal of Hanoi University of Science and held that position for 26 years.

Applying his profound knowledge of Physics, he and Professor Nguyen Xien joined hands to build the Vietnamese Geophysics industry. Professor Nguy Nhu Kon Tum was also the head of the delegation of Vietnamese scientists who attended the first international Geophysics conference in Moscow, Russia in 1957.

He passed away in 1991. To commemorate the patriotic intellectual, Hanoi has a street named after him. In Hanoi National University, there is also a hall named after Nguy Nhu Kon Tum. In Kon Tum province alone, a street, a school and a scholarship fund are also named after the respected professor.

Libra

Source: https://vtcnews.vn/master-of-physics-first-time-master-of-physics-of-viet-nam-used-to-play-as-minister-of-education-ar931487.html