Young female lecturer with Luong Dinh Cua award

(Baonghean) -Born in 1985, Nguyen Thi Thuy - a young lecturer of the Faculty of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, Vinh University, has won 3 World Bank Vietnam Innovation Day awards and this October, she is also one of 9 young farmers of Nghe An honored to receive the 6th Luong Dinh Cua award in 2011 presented by the Central Committee of the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union...

Born and raised in a large farming family in Chau Quang commune, Quy Hop, Nguyen Thi Thuy was familiar with farming and gardening. After graduating from high school, the girl with a small appearance but full of determination became a student of the Faculty of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries of Vinh University. Throughout her studies, she was always an excellent student of the faculty and the school. Entering the third year, the curriculum leaned towards practice, Thuy was given the opportunity by the faculty leaders to guide her to get acquainted with scientific research work and she was especially passionate about this work that required perseverance, persistence and took a lot of time.

In 2008, graduating from university with a good degree plus a certificate of merit from the principal of Vinh University for students with high achievements in scientific research and especially the project "Building safe vegetable growing areas with people by using self-made biological products from local plants" that Thuy participated in since she was a 4th year student with teachers in the faculty won the World Bank's Vietnam Innovation Day Award, Thuy was retained by the school as a lecturer in the Faculty of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries. This was a big turning point, fueling Thuy's passion for researching products for agricultural production.

With funding (about 3 million dollars) for the sub-project (QIG-C) "Improving the quality of training engineers in the fields of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries of Vinh University", the Faculty of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries has been invested in a system of equipment, laboratories, and modern, synchronous experimental farms, including 01 experimental analysis center, 05 specialized laboratories, 15 practice laboratories and 3 agricultural and aquatic experimental farms serving scientific research. The Faculty Board always creates the most favorable conditions for teaching and learning activities, promoting scientific research to solve problems from local practices.

The research topics are all close to the production life of farmers, helping them to quickly approach and apply them in the fields. After the success of creating herbal products from flowers such as chrysanthemum, ginger, garlic, lemongrass, chili, etc. to replace pesticides used in vegetable cultivation, Thuy and her colleagues successfully tested them on an area of ​​about 10 hectares of vegetable land in Nghi Kim commune (Vinh city). The most difficult thing is still how to make people believe in the quality of the product, change the habit of using biological pesticides with herbs to contribute to environmental protection and ensure food safety for consumers. Therefore, teacher Thuy, her colleagues and students in the department have been rolling around in the fields "holding hands and showing people how to do things" like real farmers. That is also the premise for the project to develop safe vegetables in Nghi Kim commune with an area of ​​about 35 hectares of 180 households, achieving an output of 180 tons/crop, ensuring the quality of safe vegetables and regularly supplying 4,000 people in Vinh city and surrounding areas. From the success of the program, the Faculty of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries also opened kiosks and agents to introduce and promote products to consumers. Thanks to that, up to now, Nghi Kim's Safe Vegetable brand has not only appeared in markets but also in supermarkets in the area.

The second project that Thuy participated in researching after direct surveys with students in both plain and mountainous districts such as Hung Nguyen, Nam Dan, Quynh Luu, Tuong Duong, Quy Chau, Que Phong, called "People's satisfaction with public services in agricultural production" was also awarded the Vietnam Innovation Day award by the World Bank in 2009. In 2011, joy came again when the project "building a herbal preparation production facility to grow safe vegetables in Vinh city" which she was the project leader continued to win the World Bank's Vietnam Innovation Day award. From this topic, the Faculty of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (Vinh University) in collaboration with Ly My Hung Company Limited located in Hung Loc commune is preparing to build a small-scale herbal medicine processing facility, with the first year capacity of about 1500 - 2000 kg of products (ginger and chrysanthemum powder) / vegetable crop, with 10 - 15 workers to create commercial herbal pesticides to provide people with pest control in safe vegetable production in Vinh City and surrounding areas. The project is built on the basis of a model of connection between 4 houses: farmers - businesses - scientists - managers.

Not only passionate about scientific research, Ms. Thuy also actively guides and creates conditions for students to practice research. And she herself has also received a Certificate of Merit from the Ministry of Education and Training for guiding students in scientific research to win the VIFOTEC award in 2009. Sharing her successful experience, Thuy said: “You must always have the will to strive to overcome difficulties and a passion for scientific research, always worry about agriculture and farmers; be proactive and creative in grasping and solving problems from practice…”

The efforts of young lecturer Nguyen Thi Thuy were recognized when she became one of nine representatives of Nghe An province to receive the Luong Dinh Cua award for 100 outstanding young farmers in the Central region in 2011, presented by the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union Central Committee.

Khanh Ly