The Central Highlands boy's curiosity about soap bubbles leads to the journey to become a Doctor

TPO - Young PhD Tran Tuan Sang - researcher at the Queensland Quantum and Advanced Technology Research Institute (QUATRI), Griffith University, is the only Vietnamese (in Australia) to receive full funding from the Australian Academy of Science (AAS) to attend the Lindau Nobel Laureates Conference 2025 (in Germany), considered a prestigious festival of global intelligence.

Recently, Dr. Sang became the only Vietnamese person in Australia to receive a full grant from the Australian Academy of Science (AAS) to attend the Lindau Nobel Prize winners conference in 2025.

A childhood of hardship and adversity.

Born in EaTôh commune, Krông Năng district, Đắk Lắk province – a place dusty red in the dry season and muddy in the rainy season – Sang did not have a childhood filled with toys or brand-new books like his city friends. Instead, every time the rainy season came, he and his friends in the neighborhood had to wear boots to school.

“I was used to scarcity – lack of electricity, lack of books, lack of learning conditions. But it was precisely those deprivations that taught me perseverance, self-learning, and not to give up easily. That childhood, a bit rough around the edges, taught me to strive and never stop dreaming, something I have carried with me throughout my scientific journey,” Sang shared.

His interest in Chemistry stemmed from an innate curiosity. From a young age, he was fascinated by simple experiments in children's science books, such as making batteries from potatoes or blowing soap bubbles. As he grew older, he became even more curious about how everything around him worked, from laundry detergent to batteries and accumulators.

Then, he suddenly realized there was a whole world of chemistry within those soap bubbles. Gradually, that very curiosity led him to chemistry, where he sought answers to many seemingly ordinary phenomena in life.

Upon entering university, he had the opportunity to be exposed to the fields of chemical engineering and materials science and was particularly impressed by the potential of new materials in solving major problems such as energy, the environment, and health. From then on, he decided to pursue this path long-term.

Dr. Tran Tuan Sang was born in EaToh commune, Krong Nang district, Dak Lak province.

After graduating from Ho Chi Minh City University of Industry, Sang received a postgraduate research scholarship.   He graduated from ME Gachon University, South Korea, and later pursued a PhD at RMIT University, Australia. After a long academic journey, the mindset of a PhD holder, forged in the sun-drenched and windswept Central Highlands, truly reflects the spirit and resilience inherent in the people of this region.

“Whenever I encounter difficulties in my research, failed experiments, rejected papers, or work pressure, I remember my childhood. Therefore, later on, when faced with greater challenges, I don't feel afraid. Difficulties are no longer obstacles, but become a ‘weight’ to strengthen my willpower,” Sang shared.

The "germination" journey

Throughout his cross-country learning and research journey (from Vietnam to South Korea and then to Australia), Sang realized that the moment he truly became a researcher was when he began his graduate program in South Korea. Before that, although he loved science, he still viewed research as an advanced course of study, learning to understand and apply.

“This was my first time working with modern equipment, designing experiments from scratch, and learning how to formulate my own research questions. The moment I stopped waiting for assignments and started actively seeking out interesting scientific problems, I truly entered the world of a real researcher,” Sang said.

Graphene is renowned as a "miracle material" that could revolutionize the future of electric vehicles and high-tech electronics, but it remains difficult to access due to its complex and expensive manufacturing process. The research team has found a more cost-effective and easier-to-implement approach while maintaining material quality.

Among his recent works, Sang is most proud of his research on the industrial-scale production of powdered graphene. This is a project for which he and his research team have filed a patent in the United States. The research utilizes surface tension in the turbulent flow of liquids, similar to blending a smoothie, to produce graphene – a simple, efficient, and highly practical method.

Dr. Sang in the laboratory.

According to Sang, the more difficult aspect of research is not technical failures, because technical errors can be fixed by redoing the work, trying different approaches, and learning from mistakes. Research is sometimes quite a lonely job.

“There were times when I wondered if I was on the right track, if anyone truly understood what I was pursuing. But then I thought, ' The streets have a hundred paths/Life's path is no different/Wherever you fall, get up there/If you fall in life, you can't just give up and go home... ' ” Sang said.

In particular, while researching nanomaterials for renewable energy, the young PhD realized that knowing only chemistry wouldn't get him far. He had to learn more about electronics, mechanics, and even programming—things he had previously found daunting, things that made him feel dizzy just looking at them.

Sang jokingly said that it took him some time to learn the quality of "not being shy," not being good at many things, but being open-minded to learn and work together.

According to Sang, doing science is like planting a tree; every sprout of knowledge that emerges makes him feel that life is more worthwhile.

"Perhaps the happiest moment for me is when I understand something after days of being stuck. It feels like finally catching a strong Wi-Fi signal after days of being offline. Sometimes it's just a successful experiment, a reaction happening exactly as predicted, and that's all it takes to make me so happy I can't sleep. Doing science is like planting a tree; every sprout of knowledge that emerges makes me feel more alive," - Dr. Tran Tuan Sang.

Recently, Dr. Tran Tuan Sang became the only Vietnamese person (in Australia) to be awarded a scholarship by the Australian Academy of Science (AAS) to attend the 2025 Lindau Nobel Prize winners' conference in Germany.

The 74th Nobel Prize-winning conference in Lindau, dedicated to the field of Chemistry, is expected to bring together more than 30 Nobel laureates and 630 young scientists from 84 countries.

Accordingly, young scientists who receive funding to attend the event and participate in the research innovation tour will be introduced to some of Germany's best research and development facilities related to Chemistry.

Currently, Dr. Sang has over 20 scientific publications focusing on researching and designing interactions between nanomaterials to enable applications in flexible sensors, high-performance electronics, and renewable energy.

Source: https://tienphong.vn/chang-trai-tay-nguyen-to-mo-voi-bong-bong-xa-phong-den-hanh-trinh-thanh-tien-si-post1735637.tpo