Prof. Dr. Dinh Thi Mai Thanh awarded the Officier rank of of the Order of Academic Palms by the French Government

11/05/2026

At a ceremony held in Hanoi on April 10, 2026, the French Embassy awarded the Order of Academic Palms to Prof. Dr. Dinh Thi Mai Thanh, Rector of the University of Science and Technology of Hanoi (USTH), in recognition of her contributions to education and scientific cooperation.

The ceremony was attended by Olivier Brochet, Ambassador of France to Vietnam, along with representatives of the French Embassy. From Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology were Prof. Dr. Chu Hoang Ha, Vice President of the academy and Chairman of the USTH University Council, together with leaders of affiliated units. Representing USTH were Prof. Dr. Jean-Marc Lavest, Principal Rector, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Tran Dinh Phong, Vice Rector, and other university officials.

The Academic Palms Order presented to Prof. Dr. Dinh Thi Mai Thanh

The Academic Palms Order is one of the oldest and most prestigious honours of the French Government, established in the early 19th century to recognise individuals with outstanding contributions to education, science, and the promotion of Francophone culture worldwide.

Speaking at the ceremony, Ambassador Olivier Brochet highly appreciated Prof. Dr. Dinh Thi Mai Thanh’s contributions to the development of USTH. The French Government decided to award her the Officier rank of the Academic Palms Order—higher than the usual level—in recognition of her significant role in advancing educational and research cooperation between Vietnam and France.

Ambassador Olivier Brochet speaks at the ceremony

Prof. Dr. Dinh Thi Mai Thanh delivers remarks at the ceremony

In her remarks, Prof. Dr. Dinh Thi Mai Thanh expressed her honour at receiving the Academic Palms Order from the French Government, noting that the award recognises not only her personal efforts but also the long-standing cooperation between Vietnam and France in education and science.

Her connection with France began in 1994 when she worked at the Institute of Materials Science under Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology. She later received a French Government scholarship to pursue her master’s and doctoral studies at Pierre and Marie Curie University. After completing her PhD in 2003 and returning to Vietnam, she continued to participate in numerous joint research projects between the two countries.

Since 2016, she has taken on leadership roles at USTH, a university built on the foundation of strategic cooperation between Vietnam and France. Over the past decade, USTH has made significant strides in training and research, expanding from six to 20 academic programmes in science and technology, including many dual-degree programmes with leading French universities.

In 2023, USTH was accredited by the High Council for Evaluation of Research and Higher Education. The university has also consistently ranked among the top 10 universities in Vietnam according to the VNUR rankings.

Concluding her remarks, Prof. Dr. Dinh Thi Mai Thanh affirmed her commitment to further strengthening cooperation with French partners to develop USTH into a leading institution in science and technology in Vietnam, with the long-term goal of entering the top 200 universities in Asia.

Some images of the ceremony