Scientific research - the driving force for socio-economic development

(Baonghean) - With passion and enthusiasm, researchers and workers in the province have created works that not only have scientific value but also have high practical application, bringing clear effects to the socio-economic development of the province.

Passion and commitment

Overcoming difficulties, with love for science, in the province, many individuals and groups have devoted themselves to research and development to bring about projects with high practical efficiency.

Researcher Sam Van Binh - a son of the Thai ethnic group in Quy Hop district is one of them. The Thai ethnic group is an ethnic minority with an early language and writing system, from the 11th century. The Lai Tay Thai script, also known as the Quy Chau Thai script. The treasure trove of documents written in Thai script contains many valuable historical and cultural sediments. However, for hundreds of years now, due to little use, the Lai Tay Thai script is at risk of being lost, becoming a "dead language".

Researcher Sam Van Binh (second from left) - author of the project to preserve the Lai Tay Thai script, talks with colleagues. Photo: NVCC

Passionate about the language of the nation, he spent many years doing fieldwork among the people to meet people who still knew and remembered Thai characters to collect Lai Tay Thai characters. After months of hardship and difficulty, piecing together the collected data, Mr. Sam Van Binh compiled and completed a set of teaching materials for Lai Tay Thai characters, including 5 types of documents: Textbooks; Vocabulary books; Reference books; Exercise books; Grammar books.

The document was compiled in a meticulous and scientific manner and was assessed by the Provincial Science Council for its scientific and pedagogical quality, then officially published by Vinh University Publishing House. This man, passionate about Thai ethnic culture, also researched and designed the Thai font and typing system to put Thai Lai Tay into use on computers.

The value of the scientific work "Research, collection, compilation of documents and organization of teaching of Lai Tay Thai script" by the group of authors: Sam Van Binh, Chau Quang commune, Quy Hop district and Vu Chi Cuong, Vinh University also lies in its spread in the community of Thai ethnic people.

From 2011 to now, through the project, many people in the districts of Quy Hop, Anh Son, Con Cuong, Quy Chau, Tan Ky have learned to write and speak Lai Tay Thai language fluently. From these “messengers”, many Thai people can read and write their own language.

In the presentation on the topic, Mr. Sam Van Binh shared: “The project contributes significantly to the restoration, preservation and promotion of a unique value of Thai ethnic culture in Nghe An; bringing the Thai Lai Tay script from the risk of being a “dead language” to a living language. In particular, the above research and application results are an extremely important basis for establishing a scientific dossier to propose the recognition of the Thai Lai Tay script as a national intangible cultural heritage according to the policy of the People's Committee of Nghe An province”.

With a passion for scientific research and dedication to the community, Associate Professor, Doctor of Medicine Cao Truong Sinh and his colleagues at Vinh Medical University have carried out the project: Research, propose and implement a number of solutions to prevent and treat autism in children under 6 years old in Nghe An.

Associate Professor Dr. Cao Truong Sinh shared: “Currently, autism in children is on the rise, a concern for parents and the community. Stemming from love and sharing with children and parents with autistic children, I want to do something to reduce the burden on families and society through research on autism treatment.”

With that enthusiasm, Associate Professor Dr. Cao Truong Sinh and his colleagues conducted this project. Through investigation and screening of 14,000 children under 6 years old in 7 districts, cities and towns in the province, the research team determined the rate of autism and risk factors; thereby proposing groups of solutions to detect, prevent and treat autism in children under 6 years old.

The research team has built a treatment model for autistic children, in particular, the project has identified a number of risk factors for autism including: obstetrics, time spent playing with children by parents, time spent watching TV. Through the project, more than 400 preschool teachers for 7 localities, 150 students of the Preschool Department of Vinh University, 185 general practitioner students, 70 medical staff from 19 districts, cities and towns have been trained; thereby, creating a network for detecting and treating autism.

In particular, the research team has built a model for treating autism using behavioral education methods combined with therapeutic games at Nghe An Obstetrics and Pediatrics Hospital and has treated many children with mild and severe autism to a normal score so that they can go to school.

Honoring researchers and scientists

The Nghe An Science and Technology Innovation Award is the province's largest award in this field. After many years of launching and organizing, it has increasingly received the attention and response of scientists, researchers, intellectuals, and workers in Nghe An province.

This year, for the first time, the Nghe An Science and Technology Innovation Award was considered for 3 years (2015-2017) with a total of 109 projects sent to the organizing committee. The research projects are more uniform and diverse in the fields of: Health, Industry, Agriculture, Information Technology, Small-scale Industry, Social Sciences and Humanities, Natural Sciences.

In the field of Social Sciences and Humanities, the work: Research, collection, compilation of documents and organization of teaching of Lai Tay Thai script by the group of authors Sam Van Binh (Chau Quang commune, Quy Hop) and Vu Chi Cuong (Vinh University) won a Special Prize.

In the field of Agriculture, there is the work: Selection and propagation of PQ1 variety by author Vo Thi Tuyet and colleagues at Phu Quy Fruit Tree and Agricultural Plant Research Center. In the field of industry, there is the work: Research and manufacture of automatic unburnt brick production line by author Ho Xuan Vinh, Ho Hoan Cau Company Limited.

In particular, in the medical field, many projects have been awarded that have proven to be very effective in medical examination and treatment, such as: Treatment of esophageal cancer by endoscopic esophagectomy with esophageal reconstruction using a gastric tube at Nghe An General Hospital; Application of robotic technology in lung tumor biopsy at Nghe An Oncology Hospital or the project: Research, proposal and implementation of a number of solutions to prevent and treat autism in children under 6 years old in Nghe An... These are the projects that were awarded First Prize.

Director of the Department of Science and Technology Tran Quoc Thanh said: This year, the number of high-level awards is higher than previous years. In particular, the number of researchers is younger in age and participates a lot. This is an encouraging sign in the movement of research and application of science and technology in the province. The works submitted for the award must meet the conditions of being applied in practice for at least 1 year to bring about effectiveness. Considering the specific characteristics of the provincial-level award and the specific situation in Nghe An, the Award Council attaches great importance to the criteria in order: practical application, effectiveness, and scientific nature.

Nghe An has many diverse and rich resources, but the greatest and most valuable resource is its people. The Science and Technology Innovation Award is one of the important solutions to exploit and promote the intelligence and creativity of the people of Nghe An; thereby promoting the development of science and technology activities, contributing to the development and further contribution to the socio-economic development of the province.

Through the proposal of the Provincial Award Council, the Provincial People's Committee awarded Certificates of Merit and Lotus Cups for Science and Technology Creativity, and cash bonuses to the authors of 43 works that won the 2017 Nghe An Province Science and Technology Creativity Award, including: 1 Special Prize, 9 First Prizes, 6 Second Prizes, 13 Third Prizes and 14 Encouragement Prizes.

Nhat Le