Ho Chi Minh City National University has its first female director.

Professor Dr. Nguyen Thi Thanh Mai has just been appointed as the director of the Vietnam National University Ho Chi Minh City. She is the first female director of this university.

Professor Dr. Nguyen Thi Thanh Mai is the first female director of the Vietnam National University Ho Chi Minh City - Photo: THIEN THONG

On December 15th, the Prime Minister signed a decision appointing Ms. Nguyen Thi Thanh Mai, Deputy Director of the Vietnam National University Ho Chi Minh City, as Director of the Vietnam National University Ho Chi Minh City.

Appointed as director after 1.5 years as deputy director of the Vietnam National University Ho Chi Minh City.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Thanh Mai was born in 1974 in Mo Duc district, Quang Ngai province. She graduated with a degree in Chemistry from the University of Ho Chi Minh City (now the University of Science - Vietnam National University Ho Chi Minh City) in 1996.

From 1998 to 2002, Ms. Mai worked as a teaching assistant in the Analytical Chemistry Department, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Science - Vietnam National University Ho Chi Minh City.

She was awarded a master's degree in chemistry, specializing in analytical chemistry, from this university in 2001.

From 2002 to 2013, Ms. Mai was a lecturer in the Chemistry Department of the University of Natural Sciences, during which she pursued postgraduate studies at Toyama Medical University, Japan, from May 2002 to September 2005.

She then earned her PhD in Pharmacy from Toyama University School of Medicine in September 2005.

From October 2007 to December 2012, Dr. Nguyen Thi Thanh Mai served as the deputy head of the Chemistry Department and subsequently from 2009 to 2013 as the head of the Analytical Chemistry Department at the Faculty of Chemistry, University of Science (Vietnam National University Ho Chi Minh City).

She was recognized as an associate professor in 2014 and subsequently as a full professor in 2020.

On June 12, 2024, Professor Dr. Nguyen Thi Thanh Mai was appointed as Vice Director of the Vietnam National University Ho Chi Minh City, in charge of areas such as international cooperation, business-local relations, and management of science and technology tasks.

The female scientist has won many prestigious awards.

Professor Dr. Nguyen Thi Thanh Mai was awarded the 2021 Kovalevskaia Prize by the Vietnam Kovalevskaia Award Committee for female scientists with outstanding achievements in scientific research and its practical application, bringing many benefits to various fields of life.

In addition to scientific research, Professor Thanh Mai also undertakes administrative work; since January 2022, the female vice-rector of the University of Natural Sciences has been appointed principal of the Gifted High School.

Currently, Ms. Mai is continuing some applied research, completing two products to support the treatment of gastrointestinal cancer and arthritis using domestically sourced medicinal herbs.

With these studies, Ms. Mai has had more than 60 articles published in international scientific journals.

With their research on products from bee species raised in Vietnam, the research team of Professor Dr. Nguyen Thi Thanh Mai won the Golden Globe Award in 2017 and the Ho Chi Minh City Innovation Award in 2019.

In October 2025, at the 17th session of the World Academy of Sciences (TWAS) in Rio de Janeiro (Brazil), she was recognized as a TWAS Fellow, becoming one of the first Vietnamese female scientists to achieve this title.

The Vietnam National University Ho Chi Minh City currently has a director, Professor Dr. Nguyen Thi Thanh Mai, and two deputy directors: Associate Professor Dr. Nguyen Minh Tam and Associate Professor Dr. Tran Cao Vinh.

TRAN HUYNH

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/dai-hoc-quoc-gia-tphcm-co-nu-giam-doc-dau-tien-20251215164101952.htm