An honourary doctorate degree from the Nagaoka University of Technology (NUT) in Japan has been awarded to the former President of the University of Da Nang (UDN) cum a lecturer of the Faculty of Transport Engineering, the University of Technology and Science, a member school of UDN, Prof. Tran Van Nam.

Prof. Tran Van Nam (left) receiving an honorary doctorate degree from the Nagaoka University of Technology (NUT)

The prestigious award was in recognition of the significant efforts made by Prof. Nam towards the progress of NUT over recent years, especially his active involvement in the ‘2.5 + 2 - Twinning Programme’ for students who are enrolled in NUT’s partner universities in Viet Nam. This programme offers outstanding Asian plus Central and Latin American students an opportunity to receive Bachelor of Engineering Degree in Japan.

The ‘2.5 + 2 - Twinning Programme’ has been implemented effectively at 3 prestigious Vietnamese universities, namely UDN, the Ha Noi University of Technology and Science, and the Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology.

Prof. Nam has also actively been involved in organising exchanges of students and lecturers between NUT and UDN, assigning UDN’s highly-qualified lectures to participate in NUT-held international conferences, and faciliating excellent lecturers to get the Japanese government-funded MEXT scholarships.

Currently, 8 UDN lecturers are attending doctorate courses at this Japanese university, under the MEXT scholarship programme.

Previously, NUT had awarded honorary doctorate to such Vietnamese scientists as former Minister of Education and Training Assoc. Prof. Nguyen Minh Hien, former Minister of Science and Technology Prof. Hoang Van Phong, former Deputy Minister of Education and Training Prof. Banh Tien Long, and former Deputy Minister of Science and Technology Assoc. Prof. Tran Quoc Thang.

Founded on 1 October 1976 in Nagaoka, Niigata Prefecture, NUT is one of Japan's leading technological universities, ranked second among technical training institutes in Japan, after the Tokyo Institute of Technology.