Journey of Khmer female doctor honoring Vietnam's glory

Among the 6 outstanding individuals nationwide honored at the Vietnam Glory Program 2025, the story of Dr. Ngo So Phe, the first female Khmer Principal of the Southern Khmer Language - Culture - Arts and Humanities School ( Tra Vinh University) is deeply moving and inspiring.

Dr. Ngo So Phe (third person on the right) is one of 19 groups and individuals honored at the Vietnam Glory 2025 Program. Photo: Tran Quy (TT).

With extraordinary determination and burning desire, she not only overcame her fate and conquered the pinnacle of knowledge, but also devoted herself to serving, contributing to preserving cultural identity and raising the status of her ethnic compatriots. Her journey is a living testament to the power ofeducation and the will to constantly strive forward.

From father's advice to the journey of overcoming difficulties

Dr. Ngo So Phe was born in 1981 in Kim Son commune, Tra Cu district, one of the particularly difficult rural areas of Tra Vinh province, where more than 90% of the population is Khmer. Born into a family with a rich revolutionary tradition, patriotism and national pride were nurtured in her early through the teachings of her father, former Chairman of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee of Tra Cu district.

Dr. Ngo So Phe on the day of his doctoral thesis defense, marking him as the first Khmer doctor in Tra Vinh province. Photo: TVU.

Ever since she was in school, her father encouraged her to study hard and instilled in her the idea of the value of knowledge. His advice has become a priceless asset, a guiding principle for all four siblings in the family: “I have nothing to leave you except for education. Because this is the greatest asset in life, you must strive to study hard and become successful.”

That advice was deeply engraved in her mind, becoming the motivation for her sisters to diligently pursue their studies. Despite their poor family circumstances, the four siblings all tried to overcome all barriers, persistently pursuing their studies to become intellectual citizens, contributing to building their homeland. The childhood of student Ngo So Phe was associated with the image of an old bicycle and the distance of more than 8km to school every day, regardless of the scorching sun or pouring rain.

After graduating from high school, facing the economic burden of the family, she and her brother decided to choose to study at a secondary school so that they could start working early and help their parents. In 2001, after graduating, she was recruited to work at Tra Vinh Community College, the predecessor of Tra Vinh University today. This was an important turning point, opening up an educational career and giving wings to the great aspirations of knowledge of the poor Khmer girl.

From the position of a civil servant with a secondary school degree, she began a journey of continuous learning, persistently and tenaciously conquering the ladder of knowledge step by step: from university, to graduate school and finally successfully defending her doctoral thesis. She became the first Khmer woman in Tra Vinh province to receive a doctoral degree from the state budget, an honor, but also a great responsibility.

With a deep awareness of her role, Dr. Ngo So Phe has chosen a path of scientific research closely linked to the practice and development needs of the community. Her doctoral thesis focuses on an urgent topic: improving the quality of human resources for Khmer women.

She realized that Khmer women are a disadvantaged and vulnerable group, being both women and ethnic minorities, suffering many disadvantages due to backward social prejudices. Therefore, her research has received deep attention from the community and leaders at all levels, and is considered an important foundation to contribute to promoting gender equality and enhancing the status of Khmer women in Tra Vinh in particular and the South in general.

The "fire-lighter" for Khmer education and culture

As Principal of the Southern Khmer Language - Culture - Arts and Humanities School, Dr. Ngo So Phe and the school have successfully carried out the national key task of training high-quality human resources in Khmer language, culture and arts.

Dr. Ngo So Phe, Principal of the Southern Khmer Language - Culture - Arts and Humanities School. Photo: Provided by the character

She has led and effectively implemented the national mission of training human resources in the field of Southern Khmer language, culture and art. The school's outstanding results contribute to preserving Khmer cultural identity in the digital age, promoting innovation and sustainable development of the region.

Currently, the school is training more than 2,500 students from college to doctoral level. Not only stopping at formal training, the school also expands Khmer language training classes for cadres, civil servants, public employees and armed forces in localities with large Khmer populations across the country.

These courses not only help improve communication skills and cultural understanding to better perform public duties, but also contribute to strengthening solidarity and effectively propagating the policies of the Party and State.

The efforts of Dr. Ngo So Phe and the school have turned this place into a bright spot in education, closely linking cultural preservation with tourism development, creating sustainable livelihoods and promoting socio-economic development for the entire ethnic minority region in the South.

Mr. Thach Mu Ni, Deputy Director of the Department of Ethnic Minorities and Religions of Tra Vinh province, highly appreciated her contributions, not only contributing to training high-quality human resources for the country but also being a typical example of linking knowledge with identity, developing culture with economy - a sustainable direction in building and protecting the Fatherland.

The story of Dr. Ngo So Phe has strongly inspired the younger generation, especially Khmer youth. The journey from a high school graduate, overcoming many barriers of circumstances and geography to becoming a doctor, an excellent education manager has proven a simple truth: Anyone, no matter where they start, can go far if they have aspiration and perseverance.

With his tireless contributions, Dr. Ngo So Phe was honored to receive the Third Class Labor Medal from the State and many other noble emulation titles.

Being one of the 6 outstanding individuals honored in the Vietnam Glory Program in 2025 is a worthy recognition for an example of overcoming difficulties and making great contributions of Dr. Ngo So Phe. Her achievements lie not only in her academic titles and degrees but also in her spreading spiritual values, becoming the pride of the Khmer community, lighting the fire of knowledge aspiration for the younger generation, so that they can continue to contribute to their homeland, country and people of Vietnam.

Source: https://khoahocdoisong.vn/hanh-trinh-nu-ts-khmer-vinh-danh-vinh-quang-viet-nam-post1550105.html