VinFuture Prize: sharing the same vision with Nobel

(Dan Tri Newspaper) - The fact that the two recipients of the VinFuture Award will receive the 2024 Nobel Prize in Chemistry once again demonstrates the pioneering vision of the first international science and technology award initiated by Vietnamese people.

This is significant in identifying and honoring inventions that have a profound impact on humanity. The 2024 Nobel Prize in Chemistry, awarded for work using artificial intelligence (AI) to decipher the structure of most proteins, has garnered significant attention from the research community due to its importance. Protein structure is considered a "half-century" problem for the scientific community and the world , with the biggest hurdle being predicting protein structure without experimentation. Among the three recipients of the 2024 Nobel Prize in Chemistry, two scientists, Dr. Demis Hassabis and Dr. John Jumper, were already honored with the VinFuture Special Award for scientists researching emerging fields in 2022 for their groundbreaking work.

Dr. Demis Hassabis (UK) and Dr. John Jumper (USA) - co-recipients of the VinFuture Special Prize for scientists researching new fields in 2022 - have just been awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for 2024.

From that moment, the VinFuture Award Council recognized that the pioneering work on the AlphaFold 2 protein decoding AI system by the two scientists revolutionized protein structure modeling, driving breakthrough developments in biomedical, healthcare, and agricultural fields. Highly appreciating the significance of the work, which was honored early at the VinFuture Award, the Vice President of the Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, Professor Chu Hoang Ha, stated that the VinFuture Award Council demonstrated foresight and the right direction in recognizing works with a significant impact on humanity. "These are works that not only contribute to the development of science but, more importantly, to the lives of millions of people," said Professor Chu Hoang Ha. He also recalled that the previous two recipients of the VinFuture Award, Professor Kariko and Dr. Weissman, had also won the 2023 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. He believes that VinFuture's choice of honoring Nobel Prize winners is not a coincidence. Beyond its foresight, Professor Chu Hoang Ha emphasized VinFuture's ability to anticipate trends by choosing to honor works that have a significant impact, such as artificial intelligence, green energy, food security, and public health. Sharing this view, Dr. Nghiem Vu Khai, former Deputy Minister of Science and Technology, believes that the early recognition of works like AlphaFold 2 is the result of VinFuture's correct orientation and mission, which is humane and global in nature. Although a later-established award, Dr. Nghiem Vu Khai believes that VinFuture has gathered the intellectual elite of humanity, possessing a fresh and contemporary perspective and groundbreaking approach. Combined with its foundation and inherited tradition, the award is creating a significant impact on a global scale.

The VinFuture Awards are recognized for their contribution to promoting research in the field of science and technology globally, while also enhancing Vietnam's standing in the world.

From a scientific perspective, Dr. Le Thi Hong Lan, a biotechnology expert, believes that the unique aspect of the VinFuture Award is that it focuses not only on works with clear achievements but also assesses their potential for future development. She emphasized the significance of discovering and honoring groundbreaking works through the VinFuture Award. "The accurate selection process of the VinFuture Award not only motivates the award recipients but also makes a significant contribution to promoting groundbreaking research," Dr. Lan stated. Dr. Le Thi Hong Lan believes that the VinFuture Award is increasingly asserting its position in the global scientific community, not only in recognizing scientific achievements but also as a bridge between researchers and new opportunities, thereby contributing to the sustainable development of science and technology in the future.

Dantri.vn

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/khoa-hoc-cong-nghe/giai-thuong-vinfuture-chung-tam-nhin-voi-nobel-20241010174032307.htm