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Professor Furuta Motoo donates VND 1 billion to student scholarships. Photo: VJU

Professor Furuta Motoo, Rector of the Vietnam-Japan University (under Vietnam National University, Hanoi), has generously contributed VND 1 billion (approximately USD 39,000) from a recent award he received to the university’s student scholarship fund and to support educational organizations.

Recently, Professor Furuta was named one of four recipients of the 2024 Bao Son Prize for his socially impactful and humanistic research. He was honored in the field of Social Sciences and Humanities for his study titled “The history of ethnic policies of Vietnamese communists.”

He is the first foreign scholar to be awarded the Bao Son Prize. With over 50 years devoted to studying Vietnam’s history, ethnic policies, and revolutionary development, his work holds both academic value and significant cultural influence. His contributions have fostered deeper mutual understanding and enhanced diplomatic ties between Vietnam and Japan, earning admiration in Japanese scientific and political circles.

The Bao Son Prize awarded him USD 120,000 (approximately VND 3.1 billion), of which he donated VND 1 billion to the scholarship fund.

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Professor Furuta with students at Vietnam-Japan University. Photo: VJU

In 2020, Professor Furuta also donated 2 million yen (around USD 13,000) from the prestigious Daido Seimei Award, issued by the Japanese government, to support the university’s first cohort of Japanese Studies students.

“Vietnam is my first love, and my lifelong, loyal love for over half a century. I often say I’m a ‘Made in Vietnam’ foreign scholar,” Professor Furuta shared.

Throughout his tenure as rector of the Vietnam-Japan University, Professor Furuta has consistently donated the majority of his prize money and royalties to student scholarships, totaling nearly VND 700 million (about USD 27,000). He has also connected and mobilized support from Japanese intellectuals and businesspeople, such as the Azabu Fund (1.3 million yen and VND 155 million), to aid students.

At the university, the “Thay Furuta” scholarship is a prestigious award granted to outstanding students and those facing difficult circumstances. Each year, the scholarship bearing his name is a profound and practical source of encouragement for students striving for academic excellence.

Professor Furuta Motoo currently serves as President of the Japan-Vietnam Friendship Association and the Japan Association for Vietnamese Studies. He is also the author of “Ho Chi Minh – National Liberation and Renovation” (1996), a book highly regarded among Japanese scholars.

Thanh Hung