Professor Ngo Bao Chau: Vietnamese mathematics should aim for the Fields Medal

Vietnam's mathematics community should strive for major international awards like the Fields Medal and expand cooperation with leading countries in the field, according to Professor Ngo Bao Chau.

Professor Chau expressed this view at the Conference on the National Key Program for Mathematics Development, period 2021-2030, organized by the Ministry of Education and Training on 17/7.

The government approved this program in late 2020 with several goals: having 5 Vietnamese universities in the global top 500 for mathematics; doubling the number of publications in prestigious international journals and the number of foreign scientists working in Vietnam compared to the 2010-2020 period; training about 400 doctoral students in mathematics; and providing professional development for about 80% of key mathematics teachers at the high school and university levels.

According to Professor Ngo Bao Chau, training high-quality doctoral students who can compete internationally is a key evaluation criterion to achieve these goals and, more broadly, to develop Vietnamese mathematics.

"Vietnam needs to aim for major awards like the Fields Medal, expand cooperation with leading mathematics communities, and increase female participation in research," he said.

He said that the program comparing Vietnamese and international mathematics frameworks is nearing completion. This will be an important foundation for deeper integration of Vietnamese mathematics internationally.

Professor Chau also proposed that by 2030, Vietnam should establish at least 5 specialized laboratories in cryptography, biomathematics, and climate change, while also developing a high-quality digital learning repository to serve students nationwide. He also recommended increased state investment and expansion of the Vietnam Institute for Advanced Study in Mathematics (VIASM), promoting socialization and supporting Vietnamese experts abroad. Professor Chau is currently the scientific director there.

Professor Ngo Bao Chau speaking at the conference on 17/7. Photo: MOET

Professor Ngo Bao Chau speaking at the conference on 17/7. Photo: MOET

Dr. Le Minh Ha, Deputy Head of the National Key Program's Steering Committee and Director of VIASM, said one of the Institute's priorities for 2026 is to facilitate leading international professors and experts to teach in Vietnam, to improve the quality of mathematics education and expand exchange and learning opportunities.

Along with this, the Institute organizes specialized conferences and seminars with leading Vietnamese and regional mathematicians, and trains domestic talent. Recently, the Institute has co-organized many activities, such as the Open Mathematics Day with 5,000 attendees, and supported 35 research projects by young mathematicians.

Deputy Minister of Education and Training Nguyen Van Phuc highly appreciated the contributions of experts and scientists in improving the quality of mathematics education from the high school level to advanced research.

Mr. Phuc said the Ministry aims to bring Vietnamese mathematics into the leading group globally. The necessary solutions should focus on attracting overseas Vietnamese talent; clearly defining targets for doctoral training and developing a high-quality research team; improving the quality of mathematics education at the high school level; promoting international publications; and strengthening research and application of artificial intelligence in mathematics.

"The Ministry is committed to supporting these efforts, especially through amendments to the Higher Education Law, to promote flexible training mechanisms suitable for the requirements of advanced mathematics development at VIASM," Mr. Phuc said.

Currently, according to the QS 2025 rankings, Hanoi National University is the only Vietnamese representative in the top 500 for mathematics, ranked 301-350. Another large-scale ranking, THE, does not categorize by field, but Vietnam has Ton Duc Thang University ranked 401-500 in the Computer Science group.