A Vietnamese scientist has been awarded the Legion of Honor medal by the French government for her contribution to science and education.

Professor Le Kim Ngoc received congratulatory flowers from the authorities of the south-central Vietnamese province of Binh Dinh on Monday at the International Center for Interdisciplinary Science Education.

Late last week, the French president decided to give an award to Prof. Ngoc for her major contribution to the European country’s science community.

The Vietnamese scientist founded the concept of thin cell layer (TCL) which was revolution in the field of plant biotechnology.

The innovation is widely used in breeding and genetic technology to produce new varieties.

Prof. Ngoc is also chairman of an association which supports Vietnamese children in France, and took part in the construction of the SOS Children's Villages International in Da Lat, Dong Hoi as well as the Thuy Xuan Center for Child Protection in Hue City.

Her husband, Prof. Tran Thanh Van, was also awarded the Legion of Honor medal by the French government in 1999.

Prof. Ngoc was born in Vinh Long, a province in southern Vietnam, and studied at the University of Sorbone in France in 1953.

In 1956, she received the magna cum laude award in the natural science major and worked at the National Center for Scientific Research.

Her research has been published in a number of scientific journals in France and the UK.

In 1966, along with Prof. Van, Prof. Ngoc co-founded ‘Rencontres du Vietnam’ (Meet Vietnam), a major science and education program aimed at helping Vietnamese and Asia-Pacific scientists establish contacts and exchanges with Western colleagues, including many Nobel laureates.

Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!