A Vietnamese-born computer boffin, Nguyen Van Son, has registered more than 100 patents and has been honoured with twelve ‘IBM invention achievement’ awards since he joined the US-based electronics giant in 1981.

The 54-year-old’s most successful invention, a digital storage system, has helped the corporation to earn tens of millions USD, according to the Committee for Overseas Vietnamese.
Son left Vietnam for the US in 1974 to pursue his studies and started work at one of IBM’s research and development laboratories after he had gained a PhD in chemistry in 1981.
In addition to his research work at IBM, Son has been a visiting scholar at several universities. He has published and presented more than 80 papers in various technical journals and at a number of conferences.
Since 1982, with the help of the Vietnamese-American Scientific Cooperation Agency, a non-profit organisation established by American professors, Son has made it possible for hundreds of Vietnamese students to enroll at colleges and universities across the US .

Over the last three years, Son has been invited by several Vietnamese universities to deliver lectures in nanotechnology, and has acted as a consultant for Tra Vinh University.