Prof. Phan Thanh Nam. Photo courtesy of the European Mathematical Society.
 

Phan Thanh Nam has become the first Vietnamese professor to win the European Mathematical Society (EMS) prize. 

Nam, 35, is a former student of the National University of HCMC. He is currently a math professor at the Ludwig Maximillian University in Munich, Germany.

Nam's research interests include mathematical physics analysis, especially multi-particle quantum mechanics, spectral theory, variational calculation, derivative equations and calculus.

Before becoming a professor in Germany, Nam was an assistant professor in Masaryk, Czech Republic and a member of Austria’s Science and Technology Society. He has been invited twice to address the International Convention of Mathematical Physics.

In 2018, he was awarded a prize by the International Union of Pure and Applied Physics (IUPAP) for his work in mathematical physics research.

The EMS prizes are considered the second most prestigious mathematics award after the Field Medal of the International Mathematical Union (IMU).

Since established in 1992, the EMS prizes are awarded every four years at the European Congress of Mathematics (ECM). At each ECM up to ten EMS prizes are awarded to young researchers not older than 35 years, who are European citizens or working in Europe, in recognition of excellent contributions in mathematics.

This year, the prize-giving ceremony will not be held as usual at the European Congress of Mathematics (ECM) because of the Covid-19 pandemic. It has been postponed until June 2021.