Short-term certificate Labor Hero, National Teacher, Professor, Dr. Vo Tong Xuan, former Vice Rector of Can Tho University (CTU), and a pioneering scientist with significant contributions to Vietnamese and global agriculture, passed away at 7:27 AM on August 19th, 2024, at the age of 84.
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Professor Vo Tong Xuan at CTU in 2021 |
Professor Vo Tong Xuan was born on September 6th, 1940, in Tri Ton District, An Giang Province. In 1966, he graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Agricultural Chemistry and was accepted as a research fellow at the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) in the Philippines.
In 1971, Professor Vo Tong Xuan returned to Vietnam, began working at CTU, and earned his Ph.D. in Japan four years later. He authored numerous research projects that significantly impacted agricultural production both in Vietnam and internationally. He is known as the “father” of several high-quality, disease-resistant, and high-yielding rice varieties in the Mekong Delta.
During the agricultural revolution, Professor Vo Tong Xuan played a vital role in promoting the IR36 brown planthopper-resistant rice variety in areas frequently affected by pests. He collaborated with farmers to apply scientific, technological, and grafting advancements, greatly helping farmers in the Mekong Delta improve productivity and ensure national food security during a time when the country faced many challenges. His achievements were quickly adopted by farmers nationwide, earning significant trust and respect for CTU.
Not only was Professor Vo Tong Xuan a renowned agricultural expert in Vietnam, but his research also brought significant benefits to farmers in impoverished countries worldwide. He supported food security by introducing Vietnamese rice varieties and sending Vietnamese scientists to assist countries such as: Sierra Leone, Liberia, Nigeria, Sudan, Mozambique, Angola, and Cameroon, etc. .
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Professor Vo Tong Xuan (wearing glasses) during a working trip to Africa (photo: Facebook) |
Throughout his career, including nearly 30 years of service at CTU, with 15 years as Vice Rector (from 1982 to 1997), Professor Vo Tong Xuan received numerous prestigious awards and honors, including the title of Labor Hero in 1985 during the period of renovation, the First-Class Labor Order in 1986, the title of National Teacher in 1999, and most recently, in 2023, he became the first Vietnamese scientist to be honored with the VinFuture Special Prize for his work on the “Invention and Dissemination of Disease-Resistant Rice Varieties.”
Professor Vo Tong Xuan dedicated nearly his entire life to education and to the people; his passing has left an immeasurable void for his family, friends, colleagues, and generations of students at CTU. In memory of Professor Vo Tong Xuan's contributions to the development of the university in particular and Vietnamese agriculture in general, his funeral will be held at the Can Tho City Funeral Hall (30A Mau Than Street, An Nghiep Ward, Ninh Kieu District, Can Tho City). The visitation will begin at 7:00 PM on August 19th, 2024, and the memorial service will be held at 7:30 AM on August 22nd, 2024.
CTU respectfully informs and sincerely offers condolences to Professor Vo Tong Xuan's family.
(Website Editorial Board)
