– As a member of the VinFuture Prize’s pre-screening committee for the two previous seasons, how do you feel? What were the factors that inspired you to take on this role?

– Professor Schutte: I am very excited and proud to be part of this excellent initiative, which is the VinFuture Prize. Initially, it was a very new development, and I was not sure if this investment of my time would be fruitful. But how wonderful was the surprise and how inspiring to be working with such a breadth of scientific excellence – not only as part of the Pre-Screening Committee and Prize Council but also to acknowledge the fantastic achievements of the awardees of the prizes.

Truly inspiring, particularly the major impacts that the VinFuture Prize Laureates have made on my life, for instance, as a recipient of the COVID-19 Pfizer vaccine and being dependent on the world wide web every day of my life (each innovation being awarded the VinFuture Prize in previous years).

– In your opinion, what is the role of prizes like the VinFuture Prize in promoting innovation and scientific progress, and how can they be leveraged to inspire more young people to pursue careers in science and technology?

– Professor Schutte: These prizes not only highlight the key importance of scientific advancements in improving the quality of life of all people, but they also inspire and encourage everyone to be the change they want to see in the world. With science, so much is possible, and the VinFuture Prize has created fantastic opportunities for scientists to engage with upcoming researchers from all around the world. These initiatives are truly exciting as often a single seed needs to be sown, and a single engagement could be that seed to change lives forever.

– As a member of the VinFuture Pre-Screening Committee, how do you see the importance of collaboration and interdisciplinary research in driving innovation and progress toward solving some of the world’s most pressing challenges?

– Professor Schutte: Synergistic research across multiple and diverse disciplines has proven to be highly effective in finding novel solutions to old (or new!) problems. Collaboration enables researchers and experts from different fields to work together towards a common goal, leveraging their unique skills, knowledge, and resources. This can lead to the development of more comprehensive and effective solutions, as well as new and innovative approaches that would not have been possible within a single discipline.

For example, for the treatment of coronary artery disease, interdisciplinary research was conducted to develop drug-eluting stents, which are small, mesh-like tubes that are inserted into the narrowed artery to prop it open and release medication to prevent restenosis. This research involved collaboration between experts in materials science, pharmacology, cardiology, and engineering and has transformed how heart disease is managed.

– As the call for nominations period will come to an end in mid-May, what are your messages to the prospective nominating partners? Do you personally expect anything about the new season? Would you like to make some predictions of the fields that could be made up of the most nominations?

– Professor Schutte: I am in such an exciting position as a member of the Pre-Screening Committee – being the first to help review many of the excellent nominations in utmost detail. It is basically impossible to predict any specific field or research group to be in the running. What makes the VinFuture Prize unique and interesting is that the Grand Prize could be from any field – whether it be medicine, engineering, or computer

science. But what I appreciate most about the Prize Winner(s), is that the innovation should have already made an impact affecting and improving the lives of billions of people. This is truly exciting and inspiring.

The VinFuture Prize 2023, with its vision and goal “Science for Humanity,” aspires to recognize scientific research and technological innovation breakthroughs that help address urgent global issues and advance sustainable development in human existence. As the portal for submitting nominations will be active from 14:00 on January 9 to 14:00 on May 15, 2023 (Hanoi time, GMT+7), the VinFuture Foundation is pleased to extend an invitation to you to take part in the second and final “Call for Nominations” webinar for the 2023 season.

The following are the specifics of the next webinar:

• Time: April 18, 2023, 3:00 PM – 4:00 PM (Vietnam time)
• Chairman: Professor – Sir Richard Henry Friend, Chairman of the VinFuture Prize Council
• Co-chair: Professor Alta Schutte, Member of the VinFuture Prize Pre-screening Committee
• Special Guest: Dr. Emmanuel Desurvire, Laureate of the 2022 VinFuture Grand Prize 2022
• Format: Online via Zoom (participation link will be provided after you complete your registration at the link below)
• Registration: Click here to register.