Vietnamese Master opens new direction to find life outside Earth

Master Nguyen Quoc Trung, 27 years old, PhD student at Umeå University (Sweden), won the LPI Career Development 2025 international award with his work on finding traces of water on Mars . (Photo: VietnamEducation )

He originally planned to major in architecture but switched to chemistry and gradually became interested in planetary science after an internship and study abroad opportunity. (Photo: Vietnam Education)

Trung will begin research on the water retention capacity of clay and salt under simulated Mars conditions from 2023, using modern techniques such as vibrational spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction. (Photo: Vietnam Education)

He discovered that some minerals can create “transient brines” or thin films of water in cold, dry environments, suggesting the possibility of life on Mars . (Photo: Physics Department)

His research contributes data to compare with satellites and robotic explorers like Perseverance, helping to verify the hypothesis of extraterrestrial water. (Photo: Vietnam Education)

Trung passed a rigorous selection process to win the award, with a portfolio that included a conference paper, essay, and letter of recommendation, and is the only Vietnamese among the nine individuals honored this year. (Photo: Vietnam Education)

He also received research grants from prestigious organizations such as the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences and actively built international cultural exchange activities. (Photo: Vietnam Education)