Quan Dinh Nguyen
Associate Professor, Faculty of Chemical Engineering
Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology, Vietnam National University Ho Chi Minh City
The Hitachi Global Foundation Asia Innovation Award Encouragement Award Winner for 2024
I am a lecturer and researcher at Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology. My current research interests are biomass processing and applications, and coffee processing methods. Besides that, I am the vice director of our university’s Office for International Study Programs. Finally, I am also an entrepreneur. I have two startups. One is based on my invention of the coffee hydro-roasting method. The other focuses on a novel blockchain-based algorithm to convert any blockchain into an immutable authentication database.
I have not received a scholarship from the Hitachi Global Foundation, but I received an award in 2024. The award not only encouraged me to be more confident in my career, but also gave me a reputation that helps build trust among people around me.
People have come to know me better, and I have had opportunities to share my inventions with them. Currently, I have secured some seed investors for my project, 1224-Hydro-roast Coffee, which aims to unlock the flavor potential and value of Vietnamese Robusta coffee.
I will continue researching and inventing new things. In my view, research is meaningful only when it targets real products that can be commercialized.
My idea of converting industrial paper waste sludge into bacterial cellulose gave me opportunities to receive international awards, even before I received the Hitachi Global Foundation Asia Innovation Award in 2024. Before that, during the COVID-19 pandemic, I joined several pitching contests and won top prizes, such as Tech Planter Vietnam 2021, Tech Planter Asia Final Round – First Award (Leave a Nest), Asian Entrepreneurship Award 2022, VNExpress – First Award 2024, etc.
I grew up with beautiful melodies of songs that I thought were Vietnamese. Later, I found that they were Vietnamese-language versions of Japanese songs from the 1990s. The melodies are very touching and sentimental.
Especially Kokoro no Tomo (心の友), a classic ballad that became popular not only in Japan but also through Vietnamese adaptations such as “Khi Cô Đơn Em Gọi Tên Anh” It is often remembered for its emotional melody and lyrics about love and separation.
In 2018, my nephew passed away in a traffic accident when he was still young and was about to get married. He had a strong entrepreneurial spirit like mine and also studied at the same university (HCMUT). This song reflects my feelings toward his girlfriend, who still keeps him in her heart.
I am seeking an opportunity to introduce Vietnamese Robusta coffee to Japan, processed using a hydro-roasting method that I have developed with my colleagues. In addition, I would like to present DeepSignature, a novel blockchain-based algorithm developed by Dr. Sun Jiong (former senior engineer at Cisco in Silicon Valley), myself, and our team. This technology is designed for large-scale applications such as anti-counterfeiting, product traceability, and immutable certification systems.
As a university lecturer in engineering and a researcher driven by the pursuit of innovation—reflecting the spirit of the award that I was honored to receive from the Hitachi Global Foundation—I have always been committed to and inspired by the goal of creating products that are not only scientifically innovative but also economically valuable, delivering tangible benefits to society.
As the vice director of the Office for International Study Programs (OISP) at Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology (HCMUT), I have had many opportunities to interact, learn, and engage in cultural exchanges with Japanese universities, students, and faculty members. In this photo, I am participating in an ikebana (Japanese flower arrangement) and calligraphy class, where OISP invited a Japanese master artist to share and teach these traditional arts to students enrolled in our Japan-Oriented Program.
This English newsletter, published several times a year, shares updates from The Hitachi Global Foundation, including recent activities and news from our Scholars. If you're interested, we warmly invite you to subscribe!
The Hitachi Global Foundation
Office of The Hitachi Global Foundation Asia Innovation Award
