After nine years of studying and working in France, Dr. Nguyen Viet Huong (born in 1990) decided to return to Vietnam with a compelling thought: "I must have a bigger ambition, make a greater contribution to my homeland."
Dr. Nguyen Viet Huong is a pioneer in bringing the SALD (Single Layer Atom Deposition) technology, which involves the deposition of atoms at atmospheric pressure, to water. At the age of 34, Dr. Nguyen Viet Huong is the Deputy Head of the Faculty of Materials Science and Engineering at Phenikaa University. He holds one international patent and has published 39 scientific articles in international scientific journals listed in the ISI - Q1 category (the most prestigious scientific journals today), including 32 Q1 articles.
Dr. Nguyen Viet Huong (second from the left) with the team building the SALD system in Vietnam.
Study to bring glory to the Fatherland.
The first turning point in Dr. Huong's academic journey was when he, a student from a village school in Can Loc district ( Ha Tinh province), passed the entrance exam to the specialized Mathematics A1 class - Specialized High School Block, Vinh University (Nghe An).
“My motto in life is dedication. I always think that the best mark I can leave on the world is meaningful scientific work, and generations of talented students who know how to live for the community. I suddenly thought of the image of the hardest material in the world – diamond, in which each carbon atom has “freely” shared 4 of its electrons to form a strong bond with 4 surrounding carbon atoms. Perhaps the dedication, sharing, and cooperation of everyone will create a sustainable society.”
Dr. Nguyen Viet Huong, Phenikaa University
In his new learning environment, with the dedicated guidance of his teachers, he experienced a significant development in his understanding of nature. This served as a strong motivation and foundation for building his scientific and engineering knowledge later on.
At the end of his high school years, he passed the entrance exam with the highest score (29 points) for the Faculty of Engineering Physics and Nanotechnology at the University of Technology (Vietnam National University, Hanoi ). At the end of his first year of university, he received a scholarship from Project 322 – a state-funded program that sends students to study abroad. The young man from Ha Tinh began his study abroad journey at the age of 19. He chose INSA de Lyon (National Institute of Applied Sciences Lyon) – a leading engineering school in France – to continue pursuing his studies in Materials Science and Nanotechnology.
“In my first days studying abroad in France, I was shocked by the demanding general engineering curriculum. At that time, my French level was only enough to understand about 30% of what the professors taught in class. At home, I had to reread, relearn, and research extensively to understand the lessons and make a tremendous effort to learn French quickly, overcoming countless difficulties,” Huong recalled. Despite this, in his strong subjects, Math and Physics, he was consistently among the top 1-3 students in his class.
After his French gradually improved, Huong made more international friends, helping him explore different cultures, broaden his horizons, and learn more. “And most importantly, I had the opportunity to nurture my feelings and aspirations for the sacred word ‘Vietnam.’ During difficult times when I felt like giving up, I reassured myself and pulled myself together with the thought that everything I am experiencing today is thanks to a state-funded scholarship. That money comes from the taxpayers' money. Studying abroad is no longer just a personal matter; it's about striving to bring glory to Vietnam on the international stage, so that I can return later to build the country,” Huong shared.
Those thoughts provided a powerful motivation for the young man to excel and achieve an incredibly impressive academic record. He graduated as the valedictorian of the Materials Science department at INSA de Lyon. “My class had 82 students, of whom only three were Asian (myself and two from China), the rest were French and from other European and American countries. Those were challenging but glorious years in my twenties,” Huong said emotionally.
Dr. Nguyen Viet Huong, Phenikaa University, works in the SALD laboratory.
Step out of your comfort zone.
After completing his five-year engineering/master's program in France, Viet Huong decided to pursue a long-term career in scientific research. However, to succeed in this field, he needed to be proficient in English. "During my five years in France, I was taught entirely in French, and my English was very weak. Therefore, I decided to step out of my comfort zone and find a lab outside of France for research internships to improve my English," he shared.
He was introduced to IMEC in Leuven, Belgium – one of the largest nanotechnology research centers in Europe. “I regretted my time at IMEC so much that I spent every weekend in the laboratory, immersing myself in this top-tier international research environment,” Dr. Nguyen Viet Huong recounted.
After spending time in Belgium, in October 2015, he returned to France to pursue postgraduate studies at the Materials-Physics Laboratory (LMGP), part of the CNRS and the Grenoble Polytechnic University.
“In the early days of my graduate studies, I thought I would immediately start with advanced research, but that wasn't the case. I began with the smallest tasks, from soldering shielded electrical cables, writing code to control airflow and temperature, to design… Along with that, I received very strict guidance and instruction from my supervisor,” Huong recounted.
That rigorous training helped him quickly shape his research identity, pursuing and conquering some challenging ideas. This was the time that led to his successful development of the SALD system – the first atomic single-layer deposition system at atmospheric pressure in the country. As a result, his doctoral dissertation received the Outstanding Doctoral Dissertation Award from the French Chemical Society.
Return to your country to contribute.
After nine years of living, studying, and researching in France, Dr. Nguyen Viet Huong was offered long-term positions with the possibility of easy settlement and a comfortable life there by several research institutions. However, he declined these attractive offers, deciding to return to Vietnam with a compelling thought: "I must have a greater ambition, make a greater contribution to my homeland."
In 2019, he joined Phenikaa University. He also spearheaded the construction project and independently designed the SALD system – the first atomic single-layer depositional system at atmospheric pressure in the country. SALD is one of the most advanced nanotechnology fabrication technologies currently available.
After three years of tireless work, he and his colleagues launched the SALD technology laboratory in February 2022. “This is the first atomic single-layer deposition (SALD) system at atmospheric pressure in the country, marking a major breakthrough, allowing the fabrication of semiconductor metal oxide nanofilms with a level of control over thickness down to the atomic single layer. Importantly, we have mastered the technology and can fully scale it up,” Dr. Huong shared.
This system is significantly cheaper than commercially available equipment (an ALD device imported from abroad costs at least 5 billion VND in Vietnam - PV). His initial success and that of his research team are attracting attention from the scientific research community and have led to collaborations with universities in South Korea, France, the Netherlands, Taiwan, and Malaysia, opening up many opportunities for further development in the future.
“To be honest, I dedicate a lot of time and effort to my research. Since returning to Vietnam, I haven't had a proper vacation. With receiving the Golden Globe Award in 2024, I feel even more strongly my responsibility to lead research; to strive even harder to realize research projects that bring value to society,” said Dr. Huong.
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