Dual PhD holder leaves UK startup to drive green tech research at Hanoi university

Despite running a promising startup and qualifying for indefinite residency in the United Kingdom, a 33-year-old scholar with dual doctorates chose to return to his alma mater in Vietnam.

Nguyen Quang Minh recently joined the School of Chemical and Life Sciences at the Hanoi University of Science and Technology (HUST), adapting to his new role as a lecturer in Chemical Engineering after returning to Vietnam in February.

He is currently focused on establishing a specialized research group in plasma technology, a field he dedicated more than five years to developing in Europe.

Minh's academic credentials include two PhDs earned through a joint program between the University of Normandie in France and AGH University of Science and Technology in Poland. He subsequently conducted postdoctoral research at the U.K.'s University of Liverpool.

Faced with the opportunity to secure permanent U.K. residency and advance his European career, Minh instead opted to return to his roots in northern Vietnam.

His motivation for leaving a thriving European career was straightforward: he no longer wanted to "build a house on someone else's land."

Dr. Nguyen Quang Minh at Hanoi University of Science and Technology. Photo courtesy of Minh

Born in Phu Tho Province, which borders Hanoi, Minh went to HUST after high school.

His undergraduate years were unremarkable until his third year, when a course in Catalytic Kinetics sparked a profound shift.

"I became so passionate that I practically devored the textbook," Minh recalled.

Choosing to specialize in Organic and Petrochemical Technology, he thrived under the mentorship of Associate Professor Dao Quoc Tuy. This guidance ignited his passion for research and his ambition to teach.

Professor Tuy noted that Minh’s dedication extended beyond the petrochemical lab. He surprisingly joined a political theory research group, a rare dual commitment that impressed the faculty.

"Working in two completely different research areas is extremely demanding and requires excellent time management. Yet Minh excelled in both," Tuy said.

"He also has strong academic ability, research skills, and public speaking talent, well-suited for a teaching career."

After graduating with engineering honors and completing his master's at HUST, Minh participated in a six-month exchange program in Germany. The experience inspired him to pursue a doctorate abroad and collaborate with leading international experts.

In 2019, Associate Professor Pham Thanh Huyen introduced him to the prestigious Marie Skłodowska-Curie scholarship. Following a rigorous selection process, Minh secured funding for his dual PhD in France and Poland.

His arrival in France tested his resolve.

Landing on a rainy December day with limited language skills and a broken SIM card, Minh missed his train. Stranded with two oversized suitcases, he called his supervising professor in near tears.

"Around 8 p.m., my professor drove 80 kilometers in the rain to find me at the station and took me to an apartment he had already arranged," Minh said. "His dedication became a huge motivation for me to keep going."

Navigating two universities nearly 2,000 kilometers apart presented significant logistical hurdles. Minh commuted between France and Poland every few months. He also conducted research at France’s prestigious Sorbonne University, participated in conferences, and served as a teaching assistant.

Minh viewed the intense workload as "positive pressure," acknowledging the rare privilege of studying across multiple top-tier European institutions simultaneously. These networks eventually secured him a two-year postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Liverpool.

During his time in Europe, Minh’s research centered on applying non-thermal plasma technology to surface treatments and catalytic chemical processes. A major focus of his work involved converting industrial emissions, particularly carbon dioxide, into valuable resources like green methanol, e-fuels, and base chemicals.

This technology offers a significant advantage: it operates at low temperatures and atmospheric pressure, eliminating the need for high-temperature furnaces. This makes it a highly promising avenue for green energy solutions.

Minh’s innovations resulted in a French patent for plasma and catalysis. He also published nine papers in top-tier scientific journals, including Applied Catalysis B: Environmental and ACS Catalysis, alongside numerous presentations at international conferences.

Dr. Nguyen Quang Minh (second row, left) at an international workshop on plasma catalysis for CO2 recycling in Poland in 2022. Photo courtesy of Minh

His commercial acumen matched his academic success. Minh participated in the Innovation to Commercialization of University Research program, a U.K.-funded accelerator that helps researchers validate the market potential of their work.

Receiving mentorship and approximately £30,000 (US$40,444) in early-stage funding, Minh advanced to the program's second round. He co-founded and served as Chief Technology Officer for the startup PlasmaC2M.

However, upon learning about the HUST-Talent initiative, a 2025-2030 program designed to attract, recruit, and retain top-tier young lecturers, experts, and leading scientists, he made the decisive choice to return to Vietnam.

"My decision to return is not just personal - it's also a desire to make a small contribution to narrowing the gap between Vietnam and the world in scientific research," Minh explained.

Minh balances his teaching responsibilities with advancing his plasma applications research. He is committed to equipping his students with international research methodologies, from interpreting complex academic literature to designing rigorous experiments.

"My goal over the next five years is to build a strong research group so that when people talk about plasma research in Vietnam, they immediately think of teams at HUST," he said.