First Vietnamese doctor awarded 2018 Nikkei Asia Prize
Nguyen Thanh Liem, Director of the Stem Cell and Gene Technology Institute at Vinmec Times City International Hospital, has become the first Vietnamese doctor to receive the 2018 Nikkei Asia Prize in the science and technology category.
Doctor Nguyen Thanh Liem (Photo: vietnamfriendship.vn)
Tokyo (VNA) – Nguyen Thanh Liem, Directorof the Stem Cell and Gene Technology Institute at Vinmec Times CityInternational Hospital, has become the first Vietnamese doctor to receive the2018 Nikkei Asia Prize in the science and technology category.
The honour was awarded to the doctor at a ceremony in Tokyo on June 13 inrecognition of his work advancing health care for children.
Nikkei said Liem performed Asia's first laparoscopic surgery on a child.Commonly used on adults, the procedure involves making small incisions in theabdomen, but is more difficult to perform on children because their bodies aresmaller, leaving less room to work.
Having learned minimally invasive surgery from French pioneer Philippe Mouret,Liem was determined to "bring pediatric endoscopic surgery toVietnam" to reduce the need for major procedures that leave serious painand scars. In 2014, he became one of pioneers in using stem cell transplants totreat serious disorders such as cerebral palsy.
The Nikkei Asia Prize was also presented to Chinese environmentalist Ma Jun inthe field of business innovation prize, and founder of Sulabh International ofIndia Bindeshwar Pathak, in the culture and community category.
The prize was created in 1996 to commemorate the 120th anniversary of Nikkei'smain Japanese language newspaper. Past winners include Manmohan Singh, who wonin 1997 before becoming India's prime minister, and Bangladeshi socialentrepreneur Muhammad Yunus, who was honored in 2004 and went on to receive the2006 Nobel Peace Prize for pioneering the concept of microfinance.-VNA
The Nikkei Asian Review Hanoi Forum, taking place in Hanoi today, aims to commemorate and recognise Vietnam and Japan’s strategic investment partnership as the former constantly enhances its global status as a leading economy in the ASEAN region.
The programmes have brought about positive changes to rural infrastructure, comprehensively improved the material and spiritual lives of farmers, and contributed to Vietnam's economic restructuring, said PM Pham Minh Chinh.
The festival highlighted the contributions and robust development of Vietnam's revolutionary press over the past century while promoting press products and showcasing the creativity of Vietnamese journalists.
The programme on sustainable poverty reduction has achieved its annual targets for reducing the poverty rate as assigned by the National Assembly and the Government. It has fulfilled five specific objectives and five five-year goals, and met nine out of 12 indicators related to addressing basic social service shortages.
UNICEF stands ready to support the Government in implementing this important law and in continuing to invest in teachers as the cornerstone of a resilient, inclusive, and high-quality education system for all children.
PM Pham Minh Chinh highlighted how Vietnam's revolutionary press has continuously evolved and strengthened over the past century, affirming its role as a sharp and vital political, cultural, and ideological weapon serving the Fatherland and the people in the glorious revolutionary cause of the Party.
Vietnamese Consul General in Fukuoka Vu Chi Mai highlighted the growing demand for Vietnamese workers in Kyushu, especially in Fukuoka, Oita, and Saga prefectures. Currently, the region employs about 35,000 Vietnamese manual workers and over 5,000 IT engineers.
In Vietnam’s case, she said, President Ho Chi Minh demonstrated his strategic vision by founding the revolutionary press a century ago. The late leader understood the press's role not only as a means to reflect the country’s realities but also as a powerful tool to strengthen national unity and inspire the resistance wars and national construction process.
In recent interviews granted to the Vietnam News Agency (VNA)'s reporters in Mexico, prominent figures reflected on the press’s legacy and its global influence.
VietnamPlus e-newspaper of the VNA clinched an A prize in the “Outstanding Press Product” category for its immersive 3D multimedia project, “Epic of Reunification,” a groundbreaking blend of storytelling and technology. The VNA won another A prize for its eye-catching exhibition booth.
Today, the press for foreign service has evolved into a distinct, irreplaceable force, bridging Vietnam with the world and portraying a nation that is stable, peace-loving, and fully integrated into the international community.
At a review conference held on June 21, Deputy Minister of Construction Nguyen Van Sinh praised the province’s scientific, coordinated, and flexible approach. He noted that the early completion reflects the strong commitment of local authorities, the business community, philanthropists, and residents in improving housing conditions for disadvantaged groups.
The VNA delegation, led by General Director Vu Viet Trang, actively participated in the event, engaging in both professional and diplomatic activities.
In the context where AI dominates and produces vast volumes of content, the only sustainable path forward for journalism is to focus on high-quality content and core values. Journalism must redefine its mission - not to report the fastest, but to provide the most profound and trustworthy value.
Granma and the VNA have great potential for cooperation, especially in sharing content regularly, so that VNA products are published on Granma platforms and vice versa, thereby helping Cuban and Vietnamese people access true information and gain a deep understanding of each other's country and people.
During his stay in China’s Guangzhou city from 1924 to 1927 to prepare for the establishment of a Communist Party to lead Vietnam’s revolution, President Ho Chi Minh founded “Thanh nien” newspaper and released its first issue on June 21, 1925.
Vietnam and Cambodia are hoped to strengthen their robust collaboration across various sectors, particularly in resolving remaining border issues to transform the border area into a zone of peace, friendship, cooperation, and development.
The strategic product, managed and operated by the Vietnam News Agency Digital Media Centre (VNA Media), is an official channel for popularising the Party and State’s information and documents as well as delivering mainstream and trustworthy news to both domestic and international audiences through various kinds of multimedia formats.
Since President Ho Chi Minh founded Thanh Nien (Young People) newspaper in 1925, the Vietnamese revolutionary press has become the voice of the people. During the resistance war against the colonialists, journalists took great personal risks to inspire patriotism and the will of rising up against foreign invaders.
The total investment exceeded 319 billion VND (12.2 million USD), including over 261 billion VND from the state budget and 57.5 billion VND mobilised from businesses, organisations, and individuals.
Doctor Nguyen Thanh Liem (Photo: vietnamfriendship.vn) 
