Latest news with #Sinh
The Star
23-05-2025
- Science
- The Star
Defying war to complete her thesis
How it came to be: Sinh talking about her thesis, shown in the hard-cover printed version she is holding, in Hanoi. — AFP As American bombers flew overhead, pioneering professor Hoang Xuan Sinh completed her thesis by the light of a kerosene lamp in the Vietnamese jungle, with letters from French maths genius Alexandre Grothendieck as her only guidance. Vietnam's first female mathematics professor, Sinh, now 91, recalled trying to write in December 1972, as the B-52s of the US Air Force unleashed a deluge of bombs on Hanoi and surrounding provinces. They patrolled 'all night', Sinh said, her voice trembling as she remembered the so-called Christmas bombings of the Vietnam War that saw 20,000 tonnes of explosives dropped over 12 days that month. 'We narrowly escaped death.' Sinh was born in Hanoi during the French colonial period and her life offers a snapshot of modern Vietnamese history. Part of the country's final generation of intellectuals born under French rule, she lived through decades of conflict – including wars with France, the United States and China – before helping lay the foundations for its ongoing economic miracle. Ahead of French President Emmanuel Macron's visit tomorrow, she spoke in fluent French of the meeting with revolutionary mathematician Grothendieck that changed her life and the private university she founded in 1988 – the country's first. Sinh met Grothendieck, one of the most important figures of 20th-century mathematics, in 1967 when he was teaching algebra to students and teachers in northern Vietnam. Despite the bombs, Grothendieck – considered to have revolutionised maths in the way Albert Einstein did physics – spent a month in the country, driven by a sense of duty to fellow academics working in impossible circumstances. 'He was a very good teacher. He knew how to make difficult things easy,' recalled Sinh. At the time, the University of Hanoi was scattered across several villages in the countryside to escape bombings targeting the capital. Grothendieck, Sinh and the other students lived with farmers, without electricity or running water. 'Their houses were small (but) they kept a corner for us, just enough to put a work table,' she said. Despite the hardship and destruction, Grothendieck – who in 1966 won the Fields Medal, regarded as the Nobel Prize for mathematics – wrote in a travel report that his hosts maintained 'a quiet confidence in the future'. Sinh proposed a thesis topic to Grothendieck, who immediately accepted, and so began a struggle to complete it that would last nearly eight years, without a library or typewriter. Sinh devoted herself to her work at night after the classes she taught. Although she completed her work in late 1972 under the thunder of the B-52s, her thesis defence had to wait until May 1975, a few days after the fall of Saigon, which marked the end of the war. On the jury at Paris Diderot University were Grothendieck and Laurent Schwartz, a fellow Fields Medal laureate who was also sympathetic to the Vietnamese cause. Thanks to Grothendieck's intervention, the university accepted her handwritten thesis – likely the first they had ever received, Sinh said with a smile, remembering that even finding paper during the war was a luxury. Portraits of Grothendieck and Schwartz now hang in the entrance to lecture halls at Hanoi's Thang Long University, which she founded. Students tapping on their phones in front of the paintings confessed they hadn't heard of the two men. Today, Sinh visits the institution once a week, where she likes to feed the pigeons. The students are 'happy', she reflects. 'When you tell them things that happened, how life was, they can't believe it. They are lucky,' she said. — AFP
France 24
23-05-2025
- Science
- France 24
The pioneering Vietnamese professor taught by French maths genius
Vietnam's first female mathematics professor, Sinh, now 91, recalled trying to write in December 1972, as the B-52s of the US Air Force unleashed a deluge of bombs on Hanoi and surrounding provinces. They patrolled "all night", Sinh told AFP, her voice trembling as she remembered the so-called Christmas bombings of the Vietnam War that saw 20,000 tons of explosives dropped over 12 days that month. "We narrowly escaped death." Sinh was born in Hanoi during the French colonial period and her life offers a snapshot of modern Vietnamese history. Part of the country's final generation of intellectuals born under French rule, she lived through decades of conflict -- including wars with France, the United States and China -- before helping lay the foundations for its ongoing economic miracle. Ahead of French President Emmanuel Macron's visit on Sunday, she spoke in fluent French of the meeting with revolutionary mathematician Grothendieck that changed her life and the private university she founded in 1988 -- the country's first. Farmers' huts Sinh met Grothendieck, one of the most important figures of 20th-century mathematics, in 1967 when he was teaching algebra to students and teachers in northern Vietnam. Despite the bombs, Grothendieck -- considered to have revolutionised maths in the way Albert Einstein did physics -- spent a month in the country, driven by a sense of duty to fellow academics working in impossible circumstances. "He was a very good teacher. He knew how to make difficult things easy," recalled Sinh. At the time, the University of Hanoi was scattered across several villages in the countryside to escape bombings targeting the capital. Grothendieck, Sinh and the other students lived with farmers, without electricity or running water. "Their houses were small (but) they kept a corner for us, just enough to put a work table," she said. Despite the hardship and destruction, Grothendieck -- who in 1966 won the Fields Medal, regarded as the Nobel Prize for mathematics -- wrote in a travel report that his hosts maintained "a quiet confidence in the future". Sinh proposed a thesis topic to Grothendieck, who immediately accepted, and so began a struggle to complete it that would last nearly eight years, without a library or typewriter. She received two letters from her mentor, who by that time had left Vietnam, but they were "very brief" to avoid censorship, she explained. Paper was a luxury Sinh devoted herself to her work at night after the classes she taught. But at sunset, "I was eaten by mosquitoes", she said, recalling her dreams of a battery-powered light to replace her kerosene lamp -- a fire hazard -- so that she could shelter under a mosquito net. Although she completed her work in late 1972 under the thunder of the B-52s, her thesis defence had to wait until May 1975, a few days after the fall of Saigon, which marked the end of the war. On the jury at Paris Diderot University were Grothendieck and Laurent Schwartz, a fellow Fields Medal laureate who was also sympathetic to the Vietnamese cause. Students and teachers were surprised to see two laureates on the panel, she recalled, still visibly moved by the memory. Thanks to Grothendieck's intervention, the university accepted her handwritten thesis -- likely the first they had ever received, Sinh said with a smile, remembering that even finding paper during the war was a luxury. Portraits of Grothendieck and Schwartz now hang in the entrance to lecture halls at Hanoi's Thang Long University, which she founded. Students tapping on their phones in front of the paintings confessed to AFP they hadn't heard of the two men. Today, Sinh visits the institution once a week, where she likes to feed the pigeons. The students are "happy", she reflects.
Epoch Times
12-05-2025
- Business
- Epoch Times
India, Australia Strengthen Critical Minerals Partnership to Tackle Global Supply Chain Risks
India and Australia are expanding their partnership in critical minerals as part of a strategic response to mounting global supply chain challenges and the shift toward clean energy. With rising geopolitical tensions and unilateral trade barriers, both countries are deepening cooperation to secure access to essential raw materials vital for the production of renewable energy technologies. 'As the world navigates an increasingly fragmented trade landscape marked by unilateral tariff impositions and shifting geopolitical alliances, the case for international cooperation has never been stronger,' said Anindita Sinh, research analyst at the Centre for Social and Economic Progress (CSEP) and lead author of the report that underpins this analysis. 'The strategic alignment between India and Australia in the critical minerals space not only addresses immediate supply chain vulnerabilities but also sets the stage for long-term economic resilience and technological innovation.' In 2023–24, India's imports from Australia included $11.02 billion (US$7.11 billion) worth of mineral fuels, oils, and related products—underscoring the central role of minerals in bilateral trade. Australia's status as a top global supplier complements India's rising demand for critical minerals to fuel its clean energy transition and industrial expansion. Related Stories 4/30/2025 5/1/2025 Geopolitical developments have made this collaboration more beneficial. The United States, for example, has imposed a 27 percent tariff on Indian exports such as smartphones and solar photovoltaic modules. However, critical minerals remain exempt, highlighting their strategic importance. India and Australia are using this momentum to bolster supply chain security and reduce dependence on dominant suppliers like China. India has rolled out key policy initiatives, including the National Critical Minerals Mission (NCMM), Production-Linked Incentive (PLI) schemes, and auctions for strategic mineral blocks. Australia, with its advanced mining infrastructure and rich reserves, is well-positioned to support India's resource needs. 'India's partnership with Australia in this sector is the most advanced and well-established,' Sinh said. 'With tangible developments such as off-take agreements from Australian lithium mines and joint research hubs like the India-Australia Critical Minerals Research Hub, the partnership is at a defining moment—poised to contribute significantly to global supply chain resilience and clean energy ambitions.' Beyond trade, the two countries are collaborating through joint research initiatives, technology transfer, and academic partnerships, such as the Titanium-Vanadium Processing Project. These ventures aim to foster innovation and ensure sustainable resource development. Key Areas to Boost Cooperation According to the CSEP report, several key areas must be prioritised to strengthen this cooperation further. First, India's NCMM should be more closely aligned with Australia's export strategy to ensure long-term supply security. This would support India's net-zero goals and industrial decarbonisation by matching its manufacturing and clean energy ambitions with Australia's abundant mineral resources. Expanding co-investment in mining and processing is also crucial. Encouraging Australian firms to partner with Indian stakeholders in mining and refining projects—particularly under India's PLI schemes and strategic mineral auctions—could mobilise both public and private investment. Australia's mature mining sector offers an advantage that can be further leveraged with appropriate incentives. Enhancing technology transfer was further identified as necessary for long-term innovation. Promoting joint development of battery-grade materials and value-added products through collaborations between research institutions and industry actors in both countries would accelerate capacity-building. The Critical Minerals Research Hub can play a central role in this, while intellectual property concerns may be addressed through mechanisms like the 2020 MoU between India and Australia. Finally, academic and industry collaboration should be deepened. Expanding research partnerships and training programs would help develop a skilled workforce in mineral processing and foster innovation in sustainable mining technologies. Universities and industry stakeholders can play a larger role by focusing research on forward-looking technologies. Structures such as the India-Australia Critical Minerals Research Partnership, which supports joint R&D projects, provide a useful model. By focusing on these strategic areas, India and Australia have the opportunity to reinforce their positions within the evolving global critical minerals supply chain—an area increasingly tied to national security and economic competitiveness.
