On June 13, 2018, in Tokyo (Japan), Nikkei News Agency awarded the Nikkei Asia Prize to Prof. Dr. Nguyen Thanh Liem - Director of Vinmec Stem Cell and Gene Technology Research Institute. Prof. Nguyen Thanh Liem is one of three outstanding Asian scientists to be awarded the Nikkei Prize in 2018 and is the first Vietnamese professor and doctor to be honored in science and technology.
The Nikkei Asia Prize was founded by the prestigious Japanese media group Nikkei Inc. in 1996 and is held annually. This distinguished award recognizes individuals and organizations that have made significant achievements and demonstrated devotion to enhancing the lives of Asians in three areas: regional economy and business innovation, science and technology, and culture. In the 22-year history of this award, Prof. Nguyen Thanh Liem is the first Vietnamese scientist to be honored in the field of Science and Technology. In 1997, Professor Nguyen Thanh Liem became known to the international medical community when he became the first surgeon in Vietnam to perform laparoscopic surgery to treat congenital megacolon, making Vietnam the first country in Southeast Asia to perform laparoscopic surgery on children. Following that, the successful thoracic laparoscopic surgery to treat diaphragmatic hernia in a newborn in February 2002 made him the first person in the world to perform this extremely difficult technique. To date, Professor Liem has had many pediatric research works published in prestigious international journals and has been invited to lecture and discuss in many countries and conferences, contributing to the widespread application of these techniques in many countries. Professor Liem is regarded by the international pediatric surgical community as a pioneer and world authority in laparoscopic surgery for choledochal cysts and diaphragmatic hernias. In particular, Professor Liem's endoscopic technique for choledochal cysts has also been included in the world's pediatric surgery textbook. Currently, Professor Liem's surgical techniques are widely applied in hospitals in the country and the US, Italy, the Netherlands, Thailand, Indonesia, the Philippines, Taiwan, etc.
After the field of pediatric surgery, Professor Liem is also a pioneer in in-depth research and development on stem cells. Since 2014, stem cell transplant research projects to treat many incurable diseases such as cerebral palsy, autism, congenital biliary atresia, paralysis due to spinal cord injury by Professor Liem and his colleagues at Vinmec Healthcare System have continued to resonate in the medical community by bringing life-changing changes to many patients. “Stem cell transplant therapy is being performed at Vinmec International General Hospital according to strict procedures, meeting international standards to bring the highest efficiency. In the future, this method can be expanded to treat many other diseases such as stroke, myocardial infarction, diabetes, Parkinson's...”, Professor Nguyen Thanh Liem shared.
Before the Nikkei Asia Prize 2018 Ceremony, Professor Nguyen Thanh Liem attended the 24th International Conference on "The Future of Asia" held on June 11 at the invitation of the Organizing Committee. This conference was attended by Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and was a special forum bringing together leaders and directors of Asia/Pacific businesses to exchange the latest ideas to create positive and lasting changes in the region.
In the announcement letter sent to Professor Nguyen Thanh Liem about being awarded the 2018 Nikkei Asia Prize, the Organizing Committee said that this prize was given to Professor Nguyen Thanh Liem “for his great contributions to popularizing endoscopic techniques in Asia”; “contributing to the development and stability of the lives of Asian people”.
Speaking at the award ceremony on June 13 in Tokyo (Japan) - Prof. Hiroshi Matsumoto - Chairman of the Nikkei Prize 2018 Selection Committee in the field of science and technology emphasized: "Professor Nguyen Thanh Liem is one of the pediatric surgeons and the first person to perform pediatric endoscopic surgery in Vietnam. Prof. Liem is also the initiator of robotic surgery and other advanced techniques, bringing changes to the lives of children in Vietnam. Currently, many surgeons in the world call some surgical techniques "Liem'tech" (Professor Liem's techniques). Prof. Liem is also on the path of researching stem cells - a new field in Vietnam that has not been implemented in many places and has achieved remarkable success. The award organizing committee is very grateful for Prof. Liem's contributions". It is known that from 1996 to the present, Vietnam has had 5 individuals awarded the Nikkei Prize in the following fields: Economics: Professor Vo Tong Xuan (2002), Mr. Truong Gia Binh (2013), Ms. Mai Kieu Lien (2015); in the field of Culture: People's Artist Dang Nhat Minh (1999) and writer Bao Ninh (2011). Professor Nguyen Thanh Liem is the first Vietnamese person to receive the Nikkei Prize in the field of science and technology.
