From connection to action: The launch of the Vietnam Global Network for Digital Materials (VGN-DM) 

Beyond the “Homecoming,” what sustains the cohesion of Vietnam’s scientific diaspora? Professor Phan Manh Huong, Director of CMIT at VinUni, has proposed a concrete answer: the Vietnam Global Network for Digital Materials (VGN-DM). Designed as an international collaborative platform, the network bridges the gap between researchers, universities, research institutes, industrial partners, and policymakers to advance the frontiers of digital materials science. 

VGN-DM functions as a long-term collaborative infrastructure, providing a forum where scientists can conduct joint research, mentor doctoral students, draft collaborative grant proposals, and assist domestic institutions in tackling complex, large-scale challenges. 

The network’s inaugural initiative has already been deployed: VGN-DM, in coordination with VinIF, launched the Scientific Talent Research Camp. This program selects final – year undergraduate students, master’s students, and young lecturers with outstanding research achievements to study and receive direct mentorship from prestigious international scientists of Vietnamese origin. This includes guidance and orientation for securing Master’s and PhD scholarships at the world’s Top 100 universities. 

The establishment of VGN-DM comes at a time when AI, big data, and computational simulation are drastically transforming the discovery of new materials. Concurrently, Vietnam’s development priorities – such as semiconductors, clean energy, energy storage, green technology, and advanced manufacturing – are all deeply dependent on materials science. 

Minister Hoang Minh Son acknowledged and highly appreciated the initiative by VinUniversity and VinIF. In the context of increasingly fierce technological competition, these efforts are expected to contribute to the formation of a global Vietnamese scientific network, laying the foundation for research, innovation, and the development of strategic technologies for the sustainable development of the country.