Overseas Vietnamese in Brazil Passionate About Antarctica

Prof. Phan Van Ngan shared at the meeting of expatriates at the Homeland Spring 2022.

Professor Phan Van Ngan was born in 1936, in Hai Duong. In 1958, while studying in the first year at the National University of Ho Chi Minh City, he won a scholarship from the Japanese government and went there to study.

He obtained a PhD in Fisheries from the University of Tokyo and worked in Japan for a while. In 1974, Phan Van Ngan participated in fish research at the Marine Institute of the University of São Paulo.

In 1979, Phan Van Ngan was promoted to professor; teaching, researching, guiding graduate and doctoral students to write a thesis on the physiology of marine organisms. Since 1998, he has been the Head Professor of the department.

In 1981, the Brazilian government decided to join the group of countries studying the Antarctic continent under the Antarctic Treaty. They began research on the continent.

The Marine Institute of the University of São Paulo where Prof. Phan Van Ngan works was selected to establish the Antarctic Research Team to carry out some of the research in the program.

The team included professors and experts in physical oceanography, chemical oceanography, oceanographic biology, geology, meteorology from the University of São Paulo and other Brazilian universities. They participate in international and national research programs in the waters of the Antarctic Peninsula. Prof. Phan Van Ngan has twice held the position of head of the research team.

Professor Ngan said: “All of the team's studies were carried out at sea in the summer or autumn in the Southern Hemisphere, when the sea is free of ice and the weather is not harsh. When it is necessary to work in the winter at sea, the team uses icebreakers from other countries. I participated in most of the group's research trips and was the leader of the research team twice."

After the Antarctic research team was no longer active, Prof. Dr. Pham Van Ngan continued to research, teach and guide students to write dissertations in the Brazilian Antarctic Program. He worked at the Brazilian Antarctic Research Center on King George Island in the Antarctic Peninsula until 2016.

During this time, in addition to research, Prof. Pham Van Ngan also represented Brazil in the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources from 1989-1998.

Currently, Prof. Phan Van Ngan has retired. However, the professor still participates in seminars or lectures on scientific issues. In particular, he enjoys reading books, scientific journalism and writing books. In his free time, he also likes to cook Vietnamese food.

Prof. Phan Van Ngan is a remarkable person in the Vietnamese community in Brazil.

The Vietnamese community in Brazil has about 200 people, he said. They succeed mainly in textiles and footwear production.

In the past two years, people have faced difficulties due to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, especially Vietnamese restaurants. However, the Vietnamese community in Brazil has always united and supported each other to overcome the pandemic.

According to Prof. Phan Van Ngan, the two countries' trade relations in recent years have developed rapidly and are on a favorable path for Vietnam. However, he said it is necessary to strengthen the relationship between Vietnam and Brazil.

“Few Brazilians know about Vietnam and few Vietnamese know about Brazil. There are some Brazilians who know Vietnam through news about the war, as well as some Vietnamese who know Brazil through information about football players," he said.

For the relationship between Vietnam and Brazil to develop, according to Phan Van Ngan, it is necessary to strengthen cultural exchange activities, arts, sports and tourism. These are effective tools to enhance international friendship.

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