Deputy Prime Minister Lê Thành Long (right) on December 31 presents the Prime Minister’s decision appointing Prof. Dr. Nguyễn Thị Thanh Mai as new Chancellor of Việt Nam National University-HCM City. — VNS Photos Nguyễn Diệp

HCM City — Deputy Prime Minister Lê Thành Long on Wednesday officially presented the Prime Minister’s decision appointing Prof. Dr. Nguyễn Thị Thanh Mai as Chancellor of Việt Nam National University-HCM City (VNU-HCM), making her the first woman to lead the university since its establishment.

The appointment decision No. 2729/QĐ-TTg was signed by Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính on December 15.

Prof. Mai, 51, is from the central province of Quảng Ngãi and has spent nearly three decades to teaching, research and leadership roles at VNU-HCM.

Speaking at the ceremony, Deputy PM Long congratulated Prof. Mai on her appointment, describing it as well-deserved recognition of her long-standing dedication, professional capacity and academic prestige.

Deputy Prime Minister Lê Thành Long on December 31 delivers a speech at the ceremony announcing and presenting the Prime Minister’s decision appointing the new Chancellor of Việt Nam National University-HCM City.

He underscored the strategic role of Việt Nam National University-HCM City (VNU-HCM) as a leading centre for training, scientific research and innovation, with the largest scale of learners in the country.

The new development stage places increasingly high demands on the university, he stressed that these expectations extend beyond academic quality to governance capacity and tangible contributions to national development, he said.

He expressed his confidence that under Prof. Mai’s leadership, VNU-HCM would continue to play a core and pioneering role in higher education, science, technology and innovation.

The university currently trains more than 100,000 learners and employs over 6,500 staff members, including more than 1,600 professors, associate professors and PhDs.

It ranks 175th in Asia and 801-850 globally, and has been recognised for its proactive and effective implementation of major Party resolutions on science, technology, innovation and digital transformation.

In her inaugural speech, Prof. Mai expressed gratitude to the Party, the State and the Government for their trust, while paying tribute to previous generations of leaders and academics who have laid the foundations of VNU-HCM over the past three decades.

She identified human capital as the university’s greatest strength, with thousands of dedicated scientists and tens of thousands of high-quality learners choosing long-term commitment and service.

Nguyễn Thị Thanh Mai, new Chancellor of Việt Nam National University-HCM City, gives a speech at a ceremony on December 31.

However, she stressed that strength alone was not sufficient, underscoring the need to transform that potential into tangible value for HCM City and the country.

“VNU-HCM must continue to create new knowledge, train elite human resources and turn research outcomes into practical solutions that meet real development needs.”

Looking ahead, Prof. Mai called for more decisive action to avoid complacency, setting the goal of placing VNU-HCM among the top 100 universities in Asia by 2030, in line with HCM City’s role as the nation’s economic and innovation hub.

She outlined key priorities for the coming period, including strengthening university autonomy and transparent governance, promoting the triple-helix cooperation model linking universities, government and enterprises, and expanding international partnerships.

She also emphasised the need to modernise curricula towards interdisciplinary and international standards, integrate data science, artificial intelligence and entrepreneurship, and accelerate digital transformation to build a model digital university.

As the first woman to lead VNU-HCM, Prof. Mai said she was fully aware of both expectations and challenges, but expressed confidence in the power of collective effort.

“With a strong sense of professionalism and a commitment to the common good, VNU-HCM will not only meet its strategic targets but also set new benchmarks for national universities in the era of innovation,” she said.

The appointment is therefore seen as both a symbolic and substantive milestone, reflecting progress in gender representation in academic leadership and the Government’s high expectations for VNU-HCM in the country’s next development phase. — VNS