Having spent 40 years on marine science research and set foot in 65 countries, Associate Prof Dr Nguyen Chu Hoi is the only Vietnamese among 70 scientists honoured at the 2012 Global Ocean Forum for contributions to sustainable development of the world's oceans.
 |
| Prof Dr Nguyen Chu Hoi |
Having spent 40 years on marine science research and set foot in 65 countries, Associate Prof Dr Nguyen Chu Hoi is the only Vietnamese among 70 scientists honoured at the 2012 Global Ocean Forum for contributions to sustainable development of the world's oceans.
A devoted scientist
At the age of 70, Hoi is still leading a busy life. He was a speaker representing ASEAN at the ASEAN-China seminar on the East Sea environment protection held in Thailand, and the ASEAN-India Dialogue on connecting oceans through economic activities and ensuring the safety of people’s lives in the two regions, held in New Dehli.
Recalling the difficult days in early 1980s, Hoi said scientists had to work in very poor conditions. In order to establish the first marine environmental monitoring system, they had to take measurements at many stations.
To obtain reliable figures, they had to apply a special measurement method, i.e measuring for 36 consecutive hours at the same point. It was very difficult to do this at estuaries, which bear land, wind and sea breezes, while the conditions of the estuaries’ bottom changed daily.
Hoi believes that marine scientists need to ‘have liberal view’ and ‘have macro approach so as to find background and natural relations’. A leader of a marine research institute needs to have a long-term vision to improve scientists’ capability.
In the 1980s, while serving as Director of the Marine Research Center in Hai Phong City, he vowed to standardize the staff. At first, only 10 percent of workers had post-university education levels, but with his efforts, the figure rose to 50-60 percent just three years later. Hoi encouraged his officers to study overseas.
A pioneer in new research about the sea
Hoi’s greatest contribution to marine study, a young research field in Vietnam, according to Pham Hoang Hai, Director of the State Program on marine science and technology, is that he took full advantage of his international relations to bring experience and new research trends to Vietnam.
Tran Dinh Lan, Director of the Institute of Marine Resources and Environment, said Hoi is the founder of research on marine resources and environment in the Institute and probably in Vietnam.
"New global research directions such as integrated management of sea and coastal area; marine management approach based on ecological approaches and environment and marine resources conservation were set by Hoi for us to implement,” he said.
Most recently, Hoi proposed to add issues on ‘Marine Space Planning’ to the Law on Planning ratified by the National Assembly in 2017 at the national level.
(Source: VNN)
