Astrophysicist and astronomy professor at the University of Virginia Trinh Xuan Thuan in Paris last August

A world-renowned Vietnamese-American astrophysicist says traditional Vietnamese values were never separated from his scientific work.

Thuan, 61, also never neglects to visit his hometown on the outskirts of Hanoi to pay tribute to his ancestors. Though he left Vietnam over four decades ago, he still speaks in a thick, clear Hanoi accent.

An internationally-published astrophysicist and a professor at the US University of Virginia since 1976, Thuan left Vietnam in 1966 to study in Switzerland and then moved to the US.

He obtained his Bachelor of Sciences in Physics at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) in 1970 and his Ph.D in Astrophysics at Princeton University in four years later.

Thuan is the author of more than 230 articles on the formation and evolution of galaxies, in particular of dwarf galaxies, and on the synthesis of light elements in the Big-bang. His articles are widely cited in academia.

He has also written many books for the general public, all of which were originally in French and have since been translated into at least 20 languages, including English. His books, all best-sellers in France, discuss the profound changes in worldviews brought about by modern scientific discoveries.

For his efforts to popularize science, Thuan was awarded the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Kalinga Prize last month.

Catalyst

Thuan says his roots have played a crucial role in shaping his ideas and philosophy.

“Although I have lived more years abroad than in Vietnam, I am still profoundly marked by Vietnamese culture and the spiritual views that I acquired in Vietnam through Buddhism, Taoism and Confucianism. All my writings bear the imprint of Vietnamese culture,” Thuan told Thanh Nien Weekly.

“That is why when UNESCO gave me the Kalinga Prize, it also gave in it some sense to Vietnam.”

Thuan said he thought the prestige would influence the way foreigners see Vietnam.

“It demonstrates that a Vietnamese person can also perform work that attracts international attention and that his scientific work and scientific writings can equal that of the very best in the world.”

But it would be more of significant if the prize could act as a catalyst for young Vietnamese to engage themselves further in natural science, Thuan said.

“I hope that the prize will also affect young people in Vietnam, and inspire them to pursue science and technology at the highest level in order to compete successfully with other countries.”

Compassion

The Kalinga Prize 2009, which Thuan shared with India Professor Yash Pal, recognized Thuan’s efforts to make astronomy more interesting to non-scientific readers.

In addition to his research, Thuan teaches a course at the University of Virginia which is known as “Astronomy for Poets”. Students with a non-scientific background take this course to discover the wonders of the universe related in non-technical language.

He has published many books for non-scientific readers. Among them is the book, “The Quantum and the Lotus” (Crown), co-authored with French Buddhist monk Matthieu Ricard. The book, a best-seller in France, explores the many connections between the ancient teachings of Buddhism and the findings of modern science.

As a follower of Buddhism, Thuan said he has been pondering the world through the prism of Buddhist philosophy but also under the lens of a scientist.

For a renowned writer like Thuan, happiness “would mean an ability to change people’s vision of the world through my books, and consequently to change their behavior towards others: to show them that we are all interdependent and that our happiness depends on the happiness of others.”

“In other words, to develop in them the feeling of compassion so they can help others.”

Risk of loss

Thuan said he could not stop worrying about the risk that Vietnam might lose its traditional social values in modern times.

“I understand that people run after material values after over 30 years of war, suffering and privation. But one should understand that material values do not necessarily bring happiness.”

Thuan cited examples of some people in Western countries who have everything but still unhappy and depressed. He blames such situations on a void in family and spiritual values.

“In the end what brings happiness is not so much the amount of money one has in one’s bank account, but the sense of purpose in life and the feeling of contributing to make a better world.”

Given this, the preservation of traditional values will be a crucial task in which young people should be at the helm, Thuan said.

“I hope very much that the values promoted by Buddhism such as compassion and the sense of duty as promoted by Confucianism will continue to inspire young people in Vietnam.”

Reported by An Dien