From the U Minh Ha forest to the aspiration to enhance the value of agricultural products.

TPO - Concerns about the U Minh Ha forest region motivated young PhD holder Ngo Van Tai to pursue research on the production, preservation, and value enhancement of local agricultural products. He graduated with an excellent doctoral thesis in Thailand based on his research on rice, one of the key agricultural products of the Mekong Delta.

Nurturing dreams from the rice grains of our homeland.

Coming from a farming family in the U Minh Ha forest region (Ca Mau), Dr. Ngo Van Tai (born in 1994) - a researcher at the Institute of Technology of King Mongkut Ladkrabang - grew up in difficult conditions, where the livelihoods of the people depended heavily on agriculture and natural resources. This background made him acutely aware of the limitations in the production, preservation, and enhancement of the value of local agricultural products.

The intersection of practical experience stemming from his farming family and a passion for food science motivated him to choose and dedicate himself to the field of Food Technology.

Upon graduating with distinction from the Food Technology program at Can Tho University, he was awarded a full scholarship for a PhD program for engineering students under the integrated Master's-Doctoral program (5 years) at the King Mongkut Ladkrabang Institute of Technology (KMITL), Thailand. To date, he has successfully defended his doctoral dissertation with an outstanding result.

Reportedly, his doctoral dissertation focused on rice, one of the key agricultural products of the Mekong Delta, aiming to contribute to enhancing the value and sustainability of the production-processing-consumption chain. The research demonstrated that rice – a familiar food – can be transformed into a product with a low glycemic index and high biological value, meeting modern nutritional needs.

This research also impressed with its high applicability, closely linked to the actual production conditions in Thailand and the context of the Mekong Delta, thereby contributing to increasing the value of rice and the livelihoods of farmers. From there, he determined his long-term commitment to research in the field of food technology to serve sustainable agricultural development for the region and the whole country.

Portrait of Dr. Ngo Van Tai.

Throughout his studies and postgraduate research in Thailand, he published nine scientific papers related to his topic, including six articles published in top 10% global journals in the field of Food Technology/Agriculture. In addition, he presented papers at seven international scientific conferences held in India, Laos, Japan, Thailand, Harbin and Beijing (China), and Austria. Notably, he won the Outstanding Scientific Paper Award four times, thus affirming his research capabilities and ability to integrate into the international academic environment.

A memorable experience in his research journey was attending a scientific conference and field trip to Chumpon Province (Thailand), where he was introduced for the first time to a type of rice grown in the highlands, with a light reddish-purple color. Driven by professional curiosity, he requested a sample of the rice as a "souvenir" from the conference.

"Unexpectedly, that seemingly random rice sample became the starting point, opening up many avenues of thought and gradually forming the research content that I would pursue later. This proves that science can begin with observations and then gradually become knowledge serving public health and sustainable agriculture," Dr. Tai shared.

Dr. Ngo Van Tai attended an international scientific conference in Austria.

Enhancing the nutritional value and function of food.

Currently, he focuses his research on developing healthy food products, including those with a low glycemic index and those rich in bioactive compounds from locally available agricultural products or by-products. This research aims to enhance the nutritional and functional value of food, contributing to the prevention and control of non-communicable diseases such as diabetes, obesity, and metabolic disorders.

"When doing scientific research, I clearly feel the passion and intrinsic motivation in each stage of the research process, from learning - researching - exchanging - sharing. I am particularly interested in asking scientific questions, designing experiments, and monitoring the changes in food during processing and preservation. Every result obtained, whether successful or not as expected, helps me understand the nature of the problem more deeply and motivates me to continue to delve deeper into research," Tài shared.

Dr. Ngo Van Tai poses for a photo with international students.

During his research, Tài typically divides his time between reading literature, conducting experiments, processing data, and writing papers into distinct stages. For Tài, research isn't about sitting in a lab for long periods, but rather about endurance like a marathon, focus, stamina, and clear goals.

For him, the principle of balancing life and work is very important. Traveling helps him relax his mind, reduce stress, and recharge his energy, while also allowing him to gather new ideas for his research, especially by observing the food processing and preservation techniques of the locals.

According to him, the way people process, preserve, and use food in daily life or in industrial production, especially indigenous techniques, are formed from long-standing experience. Therefore, these observations often inspire researchers with highly applicable and practical research ideas.

Even during peak periods or when the workload is heavy, he remains fully focused and strives to complete everything on time. For him, this busyness is seen as a conscious passion, with limits, so that research remains a lasting joy and motivation.

Source: https://tienphong.vn/tu-rung-u-minh-ha-den-khat-vong-nang-tam-gia-tri-nong-san-post1817895.tpo