Vo Tong Xuan

Dr. Võ Tòng Xuân is the rector of Tan Tao University (TTU). He is the former rector of An Giang University (AGU) and the former vice rector of Can Tho University. He is also a member of the Board of Trustees of the Rockefeller Foundation.^[1]

He is known throughout southern Vietnam as Dr. Rice because of a popular television show that he ran that taught farmers different tactics for growing and cultivating rice. This was one of the reasons that Vietnam went from a net importer of rice to one of the world's largest rice exporters.

He was also instrumental in the eradication of the brown planthopper bug which, throughout the 1970s was destroying rice crops.^[2] Part of the problem in eradicating the bug infestation was the type of collectivization imposes on the farmers of southern Vietnam. He helped to bring about reforms in the early 1980s that can be seen as catalysts to the Doi moi reforms of 1986.

Notable Positions within International Organizations

• Member, Board of Trustees of the Rockefeller Foundation (2002 to date)

• Member, Board of Governors, Asian Institute of Management in Manila (1997 to date)^[3]

• Member, Board of Trustees of the International Potato Center at Lima, Peru (1996–99).

• Research fellow and trustee of the International Rice Research Institute.^[4]

Notable International Awards

• Recipient of the Ramon Magsaysay Award for International Understanding in 1993.^[5]

• Canada’s Certificate of recognition for his "Dedication and contribution to the world of sciences"

• France’s "Chevalier de l'Ordre du Merite Agricole Medal"

• Japan’s Nikkei Asia Prize for Regional Growth^[6]

• Australia’s 2005 ASTD Derek Tribe Award. Currently, he is a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science and Technology.^[7]

References

1. ^ The Rockefeller Foundation - Board of Trustees
2. ^ In Person: Vo-Tong Xuan (Viet Nam)
3. ^ [1]
4. ^ IRRI
5. ^ 1993 Ramon Magsaysay Awardee for Government Service - Vo-Tong Xuan
6. ^ [2]
7. ^ [3]