Scientific research - a driving force for socio-economic development.

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

Passion and commitment

Overcoming difficulties and driven by a love for science, many individuals and groups in the province have dedicated themselves to research and development, resulting in projects with high practical effectiveness.

Researcher Sam Van Binh, a son of the Thai ethnic group in Quy Hop district, is one of them. The Thai people are a minority ethnic group with an early spoken and written language, dating back to the 11th century. Their script is the Lai Tay Thai script, also known as the Quy Chau Thai script. The treasure trove of documents written in the Thai script contains many valuable cultural and historical artifacts. However, for hundreds of years, due to infrequent use, the Lai Tay Thai script is in danger of being lost, becoming a "dead language."

Researcher Sam Van Binh (second from the left) - author of the work on preserving the Lai Tay Thai script - discusses with a colleague. Photo courtesy of the author.

Deeply concerned about his people's language, he spent many years diligently conducting fieldwork among the people to meet those who still knew and remembered the Thai script, in order to collect the Lai Tay Thai script. After months of hardship and arduous work piecing together the collected data, Mr. Sam Van Binh compiled and completed a set of teaching materials for the Lai Tay Thai script, including five types of materials: Textbook; Vocabulary book; Reference book; Exercise book; and Grammar book.

The meticulously compiled and scientifically sound materials were evaluated by the provincial scientific council for their scientific and pedagogical value, and then officially published by Vinh University Publishing House. This man, passionate about Thai ethnic culture, also independently designed a Thai font and input method to bring the Lai Tay Thai script into use on computers.

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

From 2011 to the present, through this project, many people in the districts of Quy Hop, Anh Son, Con Cuong, Quy Chau, and Tan Ky have learned to write the Lai Tay Thai script proficiently. Thanks to these "ambassadors," many Thai people have been able to read and write their own language.

In his presentation on the topic, Mr. Sam Van Binh shared: “This project makes a significant contribution to restoring, preserving, and promoting a unique value of the Thai ethnic culture in Nghe An; transforming the Lai Tay Thai script from a potentially ‘dead language’ into a living language. In particular, the research and application results above provide a crucial basis for preparing a scientific dossier to propose the recognition of the Lai Tay Thai script as a national intangible cultural heritage, in accordance with the policy of the Nghe An Provincial People's Committee.”

Driven by a passion for scientific research and a commitment to the community, Associate Professor, Doctor of Medicine Cao Truong Sinh and his colleagues at Vinh Medical University have undertaken the project: Research, proposal, and implementation of solutions for the prevention and treatment of autism in children under 6 years old in Nghe An.

Associate Professor Cao Truong Sinh shared: "Currently, autism in children is on the rise, which is a concern for parents and the community. Driven by compassion and empathy for the children and their parents, I want to do something to alleviate the burden on families and society through research on autism treatment."

With that dedication, Associate Professor Dr. Cao Truong Sinh and his colleagues conducted this research project. Through surveys and screenings of 14,000 children under 6 years old in 7 districts, cities, and towns in the province, the research team determined the prevalence of autism and risk factors; thereby proposing solutions for the detection, prevention, and treatment of autism in children under 6 years old.

The research team has developed a treatment model for autistic children, specifically identifying several risk factors for autism, including obstetric factors, parental playtime with the child, and television viewing time. The project has also trained over 400 preschool teachers from 7 localities, 150 students from the Early Childhood Education Department of Vinh University, 185 general medical students, and 70 healthcare workers from 19 districts, cities, and towns; thereby creating a network for detecting and treating autism.

In particular, the research team developed a model for treating autism using behavioral education combined with therapeutic games at Nghe An Obstetrics and Pediatrics Hospital and successfully treated many children with severe and mild autism, bringing their scores back to normal so they could attend 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 attracted the attention and participation of scientists, researchers, intellectuals, and all sectors of the workforce in Nghe An province.

This year, for the first time, the Nghe An Science and Technology Innovation Award was considered for three years (2015-2017), with a total of 109 projects submitted to the organizing committee. The research projects showed greater uniformity and diversity across various fields, including: Healthcare, Industry, Agriculture, Information Technology, Handicrafts, Social Sciences and Humanities, and Natural Sciences.

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

In the field of Agriculture, there is the project: Selection, breeding and propagation of PQ1 by author Vo Thi Tuyet and colleagues at the Phu Quy Fruit and Agricultural Crop Research Center. In the field of Industry, there is the project: Research and development of an automatic non-fired brick production line by author Ho Xuan Vinh, Ho Hoan Cau Co., Ltd.

In particular, in the field of healthcare, many projects submitted for the award have demonstrated significant effectiveness in diagnosis and treatment, such as: Treatment of esophageal cancer using endoscopic esophagectomy with gastric tube reconstruction at Nghe An Friendship General Hospital; Application of robotic technology in lung tumor biopsy at Nghe An Oncology Hospital; or the project: Research proposing and implementing solutions for the prevention and treatment of autism in children under 6 years old in Nghe An... These projects were awarded first prize.

According to Tran Quoc Thanh, Director of the Department of Science and Technology: "This year, the number of high-ranking award winners is higher than in previous years. In particular, the number of young researchers participating is increasing. This is an encouraging sign in the research and application of science and technology in the province. The projects submitted for the award must meet the condition of being applied in practice for at least one year and demonstrating effectiveness. Considering the unique nature of the provincial-level award and the specific situation in Nghe An, the judging panel highly values ​​the criteria in the following order: practical application, effectiveness, and scientific merit."

Nghe An possesses diverse and abundant resources, but its greatest and most valuable resource is its people. The Science and Technology Innovation Award is one of the important solutions to harness and promote the intelligence and creativity of the people of Nghe An; thereby promoting the development of science and technology activities, contributing even more to the socio-economic development of the province.

Following a recommendation from the Provincial Award Council, the Provincial People's Committee awarded Certificates of Merit and Lotus Cups for Scientific and Technological Innovation, along with cash prizes, to the authors of 43 projects that won the Nghe An Provincial Scientific and Technological Innovation Award in 2017, including: 1 Special Prize, 9 First Prizes, 6 Second Prizes, 13 Third Prizes, and 14 Consolation Prizes.

Nhat Le