Because of his inability to speak English well, Hieu's statements were met with disapproval by his classmates when he first arrived in the United States. As a result, he has always pushed himself to outperform the locals
Because of his inability to speak English well, Hieu's statements were met with disapproval by his classmates when he first arrived in the United States. As a result, he has always pushed himself to outperform the locals
Dr. Nguyen Trong Hieu graduated from Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology - Electronics Engineering program in 1988. Australian National University (ANU) now employs him as a senior lecturer and researcher specializing in solar energy (ANU).
The Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) awarded his research team a grant of AUD 1 million (more than VND 17 billion) in early 2021 for a new generation solar battery development project.
To date, in his capacity as project leader or co-leader, he has won research grants totaling around AUD 6.8 million (almost VND 115 billion).
The Golden Globe Science and Technology Award was recently given to Dr. Hieu in the field of New Materials Technology.
Outshining the locals
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| Dr. Nguyen Trong Hieu. |
Trong Hieu, a native of An Giang, said that even though he only attended district schools, he had always harbored the hope since high school to study in an internationally prominent institution.
“During those days, my family was in a financial bind. To allow youngsters to attend university in Vietnam was already a major issue.”
Because of this, Hieu always worked hard to earn the school's scholarship of encouragement. After earning the Third National Prize in Mathematics in grade 12, he was accepted into Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology's Talented Electrical and Electronics Engineers class with a score of 29.5/30.
“At this point in my life, I was still pursuing my dream of earning a scholarship to study overseas.”
Hieu would arrive home late every day. Or, instead of unwinding on weekends, he frequently worked in the lab by himself.
He was in the top three of his faculty's finest students at the conclusion of his sophomore year and received a full scholarship to attend Portland State University, Oregon (USA), for the next two years.
Thanks to his good foundation of knowledge during the first two years at Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology, Hieu was able to complete his post-secondary studies in the United States with little difficulty.
“It's true that the foreign environment has had a significant impact on our lives. The instructors were on hand to help, but if students don't understand what they're learning, they can schedule sessions with the teaching assistants to get their questions answered directly. The equipment and instruments here were also fairly complete, so I made use of them for my research and studies as well.”
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| Dr. Nguyen Trong Hieu is currently a researcher and senior lecturer in the field of Solar Power at the Australian National University. |
The 8X engineers, of course, have also come upon certain disadvantages. Hieu’s contributions to a discussion group were once ignored because of his shaky command of the English language.
“It's the driving force behind my dedication to my job. If an overseas student can perform the same things as the locals, I believe they will be given priority…
In order to stand out, I constantly tried to do everything I can. For the most part, I spent my nights and weekends working in the lab. It wasn't long before my grades began to noticeably improve after a few semesters.”
Trong Hieu earned a 3.97/4.0 GPA and the school's highest accolade (Summa Cum Laude) as a result of his efforts until the second half of 2011.
Australian National University awarded him another full PhD fellowship in 2012, this time to study semiconductor materials for solar cells. As a doctoral student, he was the primary author on 10 publications published in foreign journals, which was a record for the department.
“I chose to pursue this line of study since it was an urgent need 10 years ago to develop new energy sources to replace old fuel sources.” He believes that semiconductor technology will have a positive impact on the world in the future.
Developing solar cells
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| Dr. Hieu Nguyen and his colleague. |
In contrast to the majority of studies, Mr. Hieu is focused on enhancing the battery's thin top surface in order to boost efficiency. In addition, his team's work focuses on battery fault detection systems from the very beginning.
A number of institutions and research organizations throughout the world, including the University of New South Wales, the University of Sydney, and the U.S. National Renewable Energy Laboratory, currently employ the group's method of measuring energy.
Scientists at the Australian National University, led by Dr. Nguyen Trong Hieu and his team, have just discovered a way to boost light-to-electricity conversion efficiency in batteries by enhancing the quality of the material components. As a result of their closeness, they are exposed to more sunlight.
His team has also received a grant of up to AUD 1 million from the Australian Renewable Energy Authority (AUD) to conduct research on new generation solar cells' measurement devices.
Hieu has published 72 articles in international journals since 2014. At Australian National University, he established and oversees two optical laboratories.
Hieu's first and second articles were both rejected twice. In contrast, Mr. Hieu said that obstacles are just at the beginning of the process. “With more expertise, I would be less likely to make the same errors.”
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"Of course, there are sometimes moments of stalemate when conducting study. When I finished my PhD in 2016, I was at a crossroads and didn't know what to do next. I didn't see anything around me during my three years of PhD study since I was so concentrated on my topic. So, by the time I finished high school, I felt like I'd been in a coma.
“My time at the company was sparse, and everyone performed whatever they were told. However, despite the difficulties, I was lucky enough to get a great deal of information from that one year, which allowed me to form my own study group.”
Hieu further stated that hard effort and diligence alone are not enough to succeed in life. Choosing and pursuing one's own path is the most significant aspect of one's life.
“It is my belief that many potential business partners will approach me after I have established a footing in a certain industry.”
Hieu plans on continuing his study in the subject of photovoltaics as he continues to explore its potential as a clean, economical, and sustainable source of energy in the future.
(Source: VNN)
