I was born in the city of Tuy-Hoa in southern Vietnam on a beautiful coast of the Pacific Ocean. After graduating high school, I studied physics at Saigon University at a time when the country was at war. I obtained a scholarship from the Japanese Government to continue my graduate study at Kobe University. The four years I spent in Japan taught me the value of hard work and shaped my professional ethics to this day; this is also where I came to embrace my passion for scientific research – and realized that the never-ending research process itself meant maybe more to me than its results. The outcome of research is always more research and this is what drives me. I left Japan for France where I was awarded my PhD (Doctorat d’Etat ès Sciences) at the University Paris 7 (currently University Denis Diderot) in 1979. As a theorist, I worked on condensed matter physics and statistical physics focusing mainly on critical phenomena and phase transitions as well as magnetism theory and transport phenomena. Early on I was interested in numerical simulations and I have developed algorithms for Monte Carlo simulations since 1982 along with analytical methods at a time when computer simulations were not commonly referred to by the scientific community. Soon enough, it turned out that computer simulations helped solve a large number of problems and still do. Teaching is another very important component of my career and something I do with devotion and enthusiasm. In my opinion, education serves both student and teacher – challenging myself to constantly find better ways to instill knowledge, to make science compelling and to bring ideas to students is an exercise that in itself is enriching and makes me a more alert and better scientist. I also take great pleasure in being connected with younger minds to discuss physics and also be able to tackle other subjects and philosophies on life. I was nominated professor at the University of Cergy-Pontoise in its first year of existence in 1991 and contributed in dreaming up and forging the site into the educational institution that it is today; it is where I go to work every day and the place still bears the traces of this fascinating period. I was in charge of many aspects of the building of a public organization and looking back on those years, I take pride in everything we achieve. It was always a team effort and I find that I prize good relationships at work above all; they are key in overcoming obstacles and fighting adversity. This time was thrilling and intense – I carried out so many things for the University while consistently producing research and getting ahead with my own activities. Beyond a man’s professional achievements is the man himself. In my eye, accomplishments in the workplace do not define a man but are merely extensions of the power of his mind and heart – a man’s nature is what gives meaning to what he does and his imprint onto the outside world. It is that meaning and a will to infuse all I do with reason and humanity that is most important to me. I do not think that a purpose justifies all means; the manner in which an objective is attained and what is found on the way to its making matters more than the objective itself. Science brings the harmony of nature and the human intellect together. In my search for the truth, I am very careful to always integrate other forms of human thinking such as art, literature, philosophy and religion into my scientific thinking process. I often find myself venturing on those fascinating grounds.

Physics