VinFuture: Seeking Tangible Innovations for Mankind
- Written by: Telegraph Magazine
Richard Friend, Professor of Physics at the University of Cambridge (UK), Chair of the VinFuture Prize Council, expressed his enthusiasm for this year's groundbreaking awards. He noted that the annual VinFuture Prize continues to surprise with its innovative selections. 
This year, he was particularly impressed by the Main Prize, which recognized a "power trio" in the field of Artificial Intelligence: Yoshua Bengio, Geoffrey Hinton, and Yann LeCun for their foundational mathematical and algorithmic work; Fei-Fei Li for her pioneering dataset; and Jensen Huang for his hardware breakthroughs. "All of those three components brought together have made possible this astonishing AI revolution," he said.
On December 6, 2024, the VinFuture Foundation recognized four groundbreaking scientific achievements. The US$3 million Grand Prize was awarded for transformative contributions to deep learning. Additionally, three Special Prizes honored innovations in oral cholera vaccination, polymeric biomaterials, and CAR T-cell therapy.
Selected from nearly 1,500 nominations across 80+ countries, the four winning works represent the pinnacle of scientific innovation. These breakthroughs exemplify the "resilient rebound" spirit, demonstrating the potential to revolutionize various fields and shape a brighter future.
VinFuture: Celebrating Diversity and Innovation
Prof. Friend was deeply inspired by the groundbreaking achievements recognized by the Special Prizes. The revolutionary CAR-T therapy offers a beacon of hope for countless cancer patients. Dr. Firdausi Qadri's lifesaving cholera vaccine for Rohingya refugees exemplifies the power of science to address real-world challenges. And Prof. Kristi Anseth's pioneering research in biomaterials bridges the gap between laboratory innovation and clinical application.
Prof. Friend highlighted that these remarkable works share a common purpose: enhancing the human condition. This aligns perfectly with VinFuture's mission to recognize and reward scientific breakthroughs that benefit humanity.
Mr. Friend also highlighted the importance of diverse perspectives in scientific research. He noted that the unique experiences and approaches of scientists have led to remarkable breakthroughs. VinFuture's commitment to recognizing diverse talent reflects its belief in the power of different viewpoints to drive innovation.
"They have seen something that others have not, or they have had the perseverance to know that it is worth sticking with the journey. It is the collection of stories that is what we should celebrate. I believe it is the diversity in approaches and thinking among scientists that has led to the extraordinary breakthroughs we are witnessing," he shared.
This year's VinFuture Prize celebrates a diverse range of innovators, from academic researchers to industry leaders like the CEO of NVIDIA. This recognition underscores the interconnectedness of fundamental research and technological application. The AI revolution, a testament to this synergy, has been propelled by advancements in mathematics, algorithms, datasets, and hardware. VinFuture's mission is to honor the full spectrum of contributions that drive scientific and technological progress.
When academic research and industrial development converge, the potential for groundbreaking innovation is limitless. As Prof. Friend observed, " Only when scientists and businesses collaborate can we create truly meaningful breakthroughs for humanity."
Honoring Science That Solves Real-World Problems
This year's honored research is making significant strides in addressing humanity's most pressing challenges. In the healthcare sector, a paradigm shift is underway, moving from treatment to prevention. Preventive interventions offer a cost-effective and sustainable approach to improving public health. Prof. Friend emphasized the transformative potential of CAR-T cell therapy, a groundbreaking treatment that has revolutionized cancer care.
"In cancer treatment, we're seeing a historic turning point. Despite decades of understanding cancer, we haven't found truly effective treatments until now. CAR-T cell therapy has changed that, ushering in a new era of cancer treatment with promising results," said Prof. Friend.
According to Prof. Friend, after decades of promise, AI has finally made significant breakthroughs. Discussions at the scientific conference revealed that while the achievements are impressive, they are only the beginning. Pioneering scientists in this field modestly acknowledge that there is much more to explore and develop.
"This year, I'm particularly proud to share that the VinFuture Prize has once again demonstrated its ability to recognize groundbreaking research with global impact. Before the Nobel Prizes were announced, we honored Professor Geoffrey Hinton, who subsequently won the Nobel Prize in Physics for his contributions to AI," said Professor Friend.
In fact, VinFuture has a proven track record of identifying future Nobel Prize winners. Two years ago, VinFuture honored Demis Hassabis and John Jumper from Google DeepMind for their revolutionary work in protein structure modeling. Their recent Nobel Prize in Chemistry validates its commitment to recognizing groundbreaking research.
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