Achievements

The award for Young Researcher was initiated by the Vietnam Theoretical Physics Society, to recognize outstanding Vietnamese physicists under the age of 35.  

This year, at the 41st National Conference of Theoretical Physics, held from August 1st to 4th in Nha Trang, the award went to Dr. Tran Hoai Nam of the DTU Center for Research and Development, in recognition of his significant achievements as a young scientist. This was the second time the award had been presented to a DTU researcher. In 2014, Dr. Phan Van Nham won the prize at the 39th conference, held in Buon Ma Thuot. 

 

After graduating in Nuclear Physics from the VNU University of Science, Dr. Nam started working at the Institute of Nuclear Science and Technology, with Professor Dao Tien Kha, a leading researcher in Theoretical Nuclear Physics.

To pursue his interest in the development of nuclear energy and the potential of building a nuclear reactor in Vietnam, Dr. Nam studied for his PhD in Nuclear Reactor Physics at the Tokyo Institute of Technology. Then he was awarded a full post-doctorate scholarship from the Japanese Society for the Promotion of Science and spent two years conducting research on “Nuclear Reactor Fuel Replacement Optimization” at Nagoya University in Japan.

After completing his research there, Dr. Nam started working at the Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden.  Since his return to Vietnam, he has been working at the DTU Research and Development Center, to continue his research in Nuclear Reactor Physics and to teach at the DTU Faculty of Natural Sciences. 

 

Dr. Nam‘s current research activities are funded by the National Foundation for Science and Technology Development (NAFOSTED) and include: (1) Research into developing new fuel types for nuclear reactors, including the next generation Gen IV reactors, (2) Researching the optimization of nuclear reactor refueling, and (3) Researching improvements in the diagnosis of the safety of nuclear reactors, by means of neutron interference analysis. 

 

So far, Dr. Nam has released several international publications, including twenty in ISI-indexed journals and his work has been recognized at national and international conferences. His research into the safety of nuclear reactors consists of nine papers, which have been published in well-known journals over the past three years, Dr. Nam competed with candidates from other universities nationwide to win the award. 

 

Dr. Nam said: “I am delighted to receive the award, which recognizes my sustained efforts in research over the years and has inspired and encouraged others in the field of Nuclear Reactor Physics, which is a new major in Vietnam. It is important for young researchers returning from overseas to find a suitable working environment. Once they find secure jobs, they can focus on their research. The DTU Institute for Research and Development has attracted many young researchers from some of the world’s leading universities. My colleagues and I have received strong support from DTU, which allows us to pursue our goal of accelerating university research in Vietnam”.