Doctor graduated from top 10 university in the world shares reason for returning home

Doctor from top 7 school in the world leaves US to return home

Dr. Can Tran Thanh Trung was born in 1995, a former student of the Gifted High School (Ho Chi Minh City National University). During his high school years, he won a gold medal at the International Mathematical Olympiad in Colombia in 2013.

After finishing 12th grade, Trung received a full scholarship to Duke University (USA) - a school in the top 10 of the best university rankings in the US, according to US News 2024. He graduated as valedictorian in Mathematics in 2018.

After that, Mr. Trung did his PhD in Mathematics at the California Institute of Technology (USA). According to the THE 2024 rankings, the California Institute of Technology ranked 7th among the best universities in the world. According to the rankings of the Quacquarelli Symonds - QS (UK) education organization, this Institute ranked in the top 10 in the world.

At the recent 30th anniversary celebration of Ho Chi Minh City National University, Mr. Trung shared about his academic journey and the reason why he returned to Vietnam to work.

Dr. Trung said that 15 years ago, when he was a student majoring in Mathematics, he was fortunate to have the best conditions to freely pursue his passion for this subject. At the Gifted High School, he studied with talented friends and was inspired by his passion by dedicated teachers, especially Dr. Le Ba Khanh Trinh - who wrote the legendary story of the special solution in the 1979 International Mathematics Olympiad in London.

“That is the motivation for me to pursue the same heights, to represent Vietnam at the 2013 International Mathematical Olympiad and win a Gold medal,” said Mr. Trung.

During 10 years of studying in the US, Mr. Trung realized that Vietnamese students have qualities and passion no less than their international friends, but lack opportunities to develop early.

“Since 2015, Duke University has developed a summer research program on big data for students and graduate students, attracting millions of dollars in investment from businesses and local governments. This program instills passion and research skills, while nurturing a new generation of experts in the fields of big data.

“Today, in the context of the explosive development of artificial intelligence, leading to hundreds of billions of dollars in investments in large data centers around the world, the need for high-quality human resources has never been more urgent. Incubating talent early like Duke University, in my opinion, is invaluable.”

Dr. Can Tran Thanh Trung - valedictorian of Duke University, PhD at California Institute of Technology (USA). Photo: VNU

With the desire to nurture talents for Vietnam, in 2016, Dr. Trung used his personal scholarship with students, graduate students and the University of Natural Sciences to organize the PiMA summer research camp for Mathematics and Applications.

Over the past eight years, the camp has brought cutting-edge applications in machine learning, data science, and bioinformatics to hundreds of talented students. Many have gone on to pursue research at top universities around the world or work at major technology companies.

“These initial successes made me think seriously about returning long-term and contributing to my homeland,” Dr. Trung confided.

“When making decisions ahead, remember that home is always welcoming.”

According to Dr. Trung, when faced with the choice of continuing his career in the US or returning to Vietnam, he learned about the VNU350 Program of Ho Chi Minh City National University - an initiative to attract and develop outstanding young scientists. He was convinced because "this was the starting motivation and also the ambition that I wanted to realize".

Therefore, the young doctor decided to apply and was selected as a lecturer at the Faculty of Information Technology, University of Natural Sciences.

On the first day back home, he encountered many difficulties such as the new environment and cumbersome administrative procedures. His own determination and support from colleagues helped him overcome the obstacles.

Dr. Trung shared that, in addition to his teaching and research duties, and building new summer research programs for students, he wants to become a bridge for many of his friends. They are excellent young scientists studying and researching in the US, who also have the dream of "going to return" to contribute to their homeland, contributing to affirming Vietnam's position on the world knowledge map.

To young researchers and scientists studying and working abroad, Dr. Trung advised that "there will come a time when important decisions must be made about the path ahead, and when that happens, remember that the homeland always welcomes you."

Source: https://vietnamnet.vn/tien-si-tot-nghiep-dai-hoc-top-10-the-gioi-chia-se-ly-do-ve-nuoc-2374603.html