History
College of Science
On July 26, 1941, the College of Science, under the University of Indochina, was established in Hanoi. From 1942, the College began organizing entrance examinations for the General Mathematics (M.G); Mathematics, Physics, and Chemistry (M.P.C); and Physics, Chemistry, and Natural History (S.P.C.N) certificates in Hanoi, Hue, and Saigon.
In 1947, a second center was established in Saigon, initially located on the land of the Policlinique Dejean de la Bañtie Hospital (now Saigon General Hospital – Le Loi Street), later relocating to land on Nancy Avenue (later renamed Cong Hoa Avenue, now 227 Nguyen Van Cu Street). In 1947-1948, the School offered numerous certificate programs such as General Mathematics, Differential and Integral Mathematics, General Botany, Zoology, General Physiology, Physics, and Chemistry.
On November 23, 1947, the Radio Engineering Department was established under the Physics Laboratory, training radio engineering personnel.
University Science Department – Saigon University of Science
On December 30, 1949, according to the agreement signed in the Franco-Vietnamese Cultural Treaty, the University Indochina was transformed into a Franco-Vietnamese joint university, named the University of Hanoi, comprising two centers: one in Hanoi and one in Saigon. The university began operating in January 1951 under the direction of a French president and assisted by a Vietnamese vice-president.
On November 12, 1953, a document from the French and Vietnamese governments renamed the College of Science to the University of Science.
In November 1954, the Hanoi center moved south and merged with the Saigon center. Initially, it included the following schools: the Faculty of Law, the Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, the Faculty of Science, the College of Architecture, and the Preparatory School of Literature. The Franco-Vietnamese Cultural Treaty (December 30, 1949) and the subsequent supplementary agreement (January 8, 1951) decided to transfer administration from the French government to the Vietnamese government. On May 11, 1955, the handover ceremony from the French government to Vietnam took place. This date marked the founding of the Vietnam National University. The Vietnam National University was placed under the administration of a Vietnamese President. According to Decree No. 247 dated April 28, 1955, Professor Nguyen Quang Trinh, a full professor and Doctor of Science, was appointed President of the Vietnam National University. Simultaneously, Professor Nguyen Quang Trinh was appointed Acting Dean of the Faculty of Science (the University of Science).
On December 22, 1955, the opening ceremony of the universities took place after the signing of the handover documents. As of January 1, 1956, the University of Science had 743 students and 15 professors (7 of whom were French). The first final exams of the 1955-1956 academic year (now called the first exam) opened on June 11, 1956, with 96 students passing out of 326 applicants. The second exam, held on October 16, 1956, resulted in 84 students passing out of 241 applicants.
In March 1957, after the establishment of Hue University, the Vietnam National University changed its name to Saigon University; from then on, the Faculty of Science was named Saigon University of Science.
On Tuesday, October 13, 1964, at 9:00 AM, the groundbreaking ceremony for the Saigon University of Science building took place in the Thu Duc University area (the current Linh Trung campus), under the New Zealand Cultural Aid program for the Vietnamese Government.
The Saigon University of Science was considered the strongest basic science university at the time and a cradle of basic science research. The university offered undergraduate and postgraduate programs, organized the first national doctoral dissertation defense in Chemistry in 1965, and subsequently offered national doctoral and tertiary doctoral degrees in various scientific fields.
The successive Deans of the Faculty were: Prof. Dr. Le Van Thoi (1958-1964); Prof. Dr. Le Van Thoi (1958-1964); Prof. Dr. Duong Thi Mai (Mai Tran Ngoc Tieng) (1964-1965); Prof. Dr. Nguyen Chung Tu (1966-1973); Prof. Dr. Phung Trung Ngan (1973-1975)
In April 1975, with the complete liberation of South Vietnam, the Faculty of Science at the University of Hanoi was renamed the University of Science, and was run by a “Management Board” headed by Professor Dr. Nguyen Huu Chi until 1977.
Ho Chi Minh City University of General Studies
In 1977, Ho Chi Minh City University of General Studies was established through the merger of the University of Science and the University of Literature. Associate Professor Dr. Ly Hoa was appointed President by the Prime Minister (1977-1990). In 1990, Professor Dr. Nguyen Ngoc Giao was appointed President by the Ministry of Education and Training (term 1990-1994) and continued in that position until 1996.
The university comprises 16 faculties: Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Geography, Geology, Literature, History, Philosophy, Economics, Library Science, English, French, Russian, Law, and Oriental Studies. In addition, there are 7 research, service, and production centers.
On January 27, 1995, the Vietnam National University Ho Chi Minh City (VNU-HCM) was established, with the University of Ho Chi Minh City as a member of VNU-HCM.
The University plays a major role in training thousands of young scientists in the fields of natural sciences and social sciences. It has relationships with dozens of universities, institutes, and educational organizations worldwide. It has organized numerous scientific conferences and sent staff for training and professional exchange.
University of Natural Sciences, VNU-HCM
The University of Natural Sciences was established on March 30, 1996, based on a separation from the University of Ho Chi Minh City and is a member of VNU-HCM. Professor Dr. Nguyen Van Den was appointed President of the University (term 1996-2000). From 2001-2010, Associate Professor Dr. Duong Ai Phuong held the position of President. Subsequently, Professor Dr. Tran Linh Thuoc served as the President of the school from 2011 to 2020.
Since 2021, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Tran Le Quan has held the position of President.