Professor Nguyen Dinh Duc is one of Vietnam’s leading experts in Advanced Materials and Composite Structures. Renowned not only for his world-class scientific achievements, he is also revered as a dedicated educator who has tirelessly cultivated talents for the nation. Throughout his life, he has devoted himself wholeheartedly to the advancement of science and education in Vietnam.
A Pioneer in Science
As a trailblazer in the field of advanced materials in Vietnam, Professor Duc – Dean of the Faculty of Civil and Transportation Engineering, Former chairman of the university council of UET – has consistently aligned his research with international standards. To date, he has published over 400 scientific works, including more than 220 articles in ISI-indexed international journals.
5 years, between 2020 and 2025 alone, Professor Duc has authored 86 papers in prestigious ISI journals, all of which are ranked in Q1 or Q2 tiers. Remarkably, 17 of these papers (representing 19.7% of his international publications) were featured in the world’s top 5% of ISI journals.
Professor Duc holds a patent for a three-phase composite material reinforced with fiberglass and nanoparticles, successfully applied in Vietnam. Beyond fundamental and applied research, he and his team are now pioneering the use of artificial intelligence in solving complex engineering problems. His research focuses on cutting-edge materials such as thermally ultra-durable carbon nanocomposites for defense applications; multi-phase polymer composites for shipbuilding and civilian use; and advanced materials and structures like FGM, auxetics, pentagraphene, and smart materials with tunable mechanical properties, high strength, thermal insulation, and electrical conductivity for industries ranging from energy and electronics to microchips and semiconductors.
He established the Laboratory for Advanced Materials and Structures—a hub for research and talent development – which laid the foundation for a prestigious scientific school in Vietnam. Under his leadership, this research school at Vietnam National University (VNU) has formed equitable partnerships with top global laboratories and scientists from the United States, Russia, Japan, South Korea, China, the UK, Germany, Australia, and Canada,… His research directions are clear proof of international integration and high practical value.
Professor Duc’s recognition includes invitations to serve on the editorial boards of many high-ranking international journals such as Aerospace Science and Technology (Elsevier), Journal of Mechanical Engineering Science (SAGE), ZAMM (Wiley), and Acta Mechanica (Springer). He has also delivered plenary talks at major international conferences. As the head of VNU’s strong research group in advanced materials and structures, the lab he founded has become an incubator of innovative ideas for many generations of young scientists.
A Mentor Who Shapes Generations of Global Talents
In addition to his research excellence, Professor Duc is an exemplary educator – a quiet yet powerful force behind the dreams of countless students. His lectures not only convey knowledge but also ignite a passion for discovery, a resilient spirit, and a thirst for learning. For him, teaching is not merely about imparting knowledge – it is about inspiring vision, nurturing scientific integrity, and shaping character.
Many of his students have become prominent leaders at research institutes and universities. Two of his students have received the prestigious Nguyen Van Dao Award – the highest honor in Vietnam’s mechanics community. One of his mentees was honored by Forbes Vietnam. Many of his students have won first prizes in university, national, and ministerial-level research competitions and were accepted directly into doctoral programs upon graduation. Outstanding names include Hoang Van Tung, Vu Thi Thuy Anh, Tran Quoc Quan, Pham Hong Cong, Pham Dinh Nguyen, Pham Toan Thang, Trinh Duc Truong, Vu Dinh Quang, and Nguyen Dinh Khoa,…- remarkable seeds of talent cultivated under his care.
Between 2020 and 2025, nine of his PhD students successfully defended their dissertations. Among them is Dr. Trinh Duc Truong, who rose from a humble provincial background to become a researcher at Micron, a leading U.S. semiconductor company, after earning his PhD in Japan. Vu Dinh Quang completed his PhD in Ireland, while Dr. Pham Toan Thang did so in South Korea.
Moreover, many young PhDs from various institutions – including the University of Science, VNU International School, Vietnam-Japan University, the Military Technical Academy, the University of Transport and Communications, the University of Civil Engineering, and Hanoi University of Science and Technology – have joined his research group and received his academic guidance, spreading state-of-the-art knowledge and achieving significant research outcomes.
From 2020 to 2025, Professor Duc also authored two specialized textbooks in both Vietnamese and English, contributing significantly to the theoretical foundation of advanced mechanics and material engineering in Vietnam.
A Lifetime Devoted to Knowledge and Education
Over more than four decades in scientific research and educational leadership, Professor Nguyen Dinh Duc has made lasting contributions in every role – educator, scientist, and administrator. He has served as Head of the Department of Science and Technology, Head of Academic Affairs Department, Vice Rector of the University of Engineering and Technology (UET), and Chairman of the University Council. Currently, he is Dean of the Faculty of Civil and Transportation Engineering. From 2020 – 2025, he has led 12 research projects, including two national-level projects, two fundamental research projects under the NAFOSTED Foundation, and four ministerial-level projects.
During this same period, he has been recognized for five consecutive years as an outstanding grassroots-level emulation fighter, once at the VNU level, and twice at the Ministry of Education and Training level. He has received nine Certificates of Merit from the VNU President, three from the Minister of Education and Training, one from the Vietnam Union of Science and Technology Associations, and one from the Vietnam Education Trade Union.
In 2022, he was one of only three professors from VNU honored by the Ministry of Education and Training as Outstanding Educators over 40 years (1982–2022), alongside Professor Mai Trong Nhuan – Former President of VNU Hanoi, and Professor Le Ngoc Thanh – Rector of University of Medicine and Pharmacy, VNU Hanoi. That same year, he was awarded the Second-Class Labor Medal by the President of Vietnam for his outstanding contributions to national development.
From 2019 to 2024, for six consecutive years, Professor Nguyen Dinh Duc has been named among the world’s top 10,000 most influential scientists by PLOS Biology and was ranked 74th globally in Engineering in 2024. He was also honored as an exemplary Vietnamese scientist and elected to the Central Committee member of the Vietnam Fatherland Front as one of the nation’s most distinguished intellectuals.
From the small village of Lai Xa in Hoai Duc District, Hanoi – a land known for its scholarly tradition – through the hardships of his youth in the first gifted math class in the remote northern province of Hoang Lien Son, Professor Nguyen Dinh Duc has risen to become one of Vietnam’s foremost scientists. From lecture halls to laboratories, from Vietnam to the global stage, he continues to inspire, to guide, and to contribute tirelessly to the progress of Vietnamese science and education.