Expert & advisor network

A PhD holder in Forest Resource Management who began his career as a field conservationist with the Center for Natural Resources and Environmental Studies and BirdLife International, Dr. Hà Văn Nghĩa now serves as Deputy Executive Director of Ha Gia Thanh Co., Ltd. He brings a rare dual foundation: deep expertise in natural science — reptile and amphibian taxonomy — combined with strong business management and digital-technology skills in forestry, bridging scientific research with the practical demands of sustainable forest management.

• ✓Advanced technology for forest monitoring: Specializes in spatial analysis and multi-temporal satellite image interpretation (Sentinel, Landsat) and forestry database management using QGIS/MapInfo; skilled in drone-based forest-cover mapping, inventory, and carbon-emission mapping.
• ✓Reptile & Amphibian Taxonomy: Member of the Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles (SSAR, USA); author and co-author of 4 species new to science within the genera Hemiphyllodactylus, Achalinus, and Lycodon, along with numerous new distribution records published in Zootaxa, ZooKeys, and Herpetological Review.
• ✓Executive management & international project coordination: Currently Deputy Executive Director of Ha Gia Thanh Co., Ltd.; has coordinated over 100 projects and programs funded by GIZ, WWF, IUCN, BirdLife International, World Land Trust, KfW, and government agencies in biodiversity conservation and sustainable forestry development.
• ✓Forest certification governance & policy: Well-versed in FSC and VFCS/PEFC standards; contributed to the development of national forest resource management policies, as well as technical-economic norms for biodiversity survey, inventory, and monitoring.
• ✓Scholarships & academic recognition: Two consecutive years (2022–2024) as a recipient of the Vingroup Innovation Foundation (VINIF) PhD scholarship; recipient of the Conservation Leadership Programme scholarship co-funded by BirdLife International, Conservation International, Fauna & Flora International, and the Wildlife Conservation Society (2012–2013), along with numerous other international scholarships and grants.

Holding a PhD in Biological Anthropology and Wildlife Conservation from the Australian National University, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Đồng Thanh Hải is one of Vietnam's most experienced primatologists, having taught and conducted research at Vietnam National University of Forestry since 1997. His doctoral research on the ecology, behavior, and conservation of the Tonkin snub-nosed monkey (Rhinopithecus avunculus) established him as a trusted expert among international conservation organizations.

• ✓Endangered Primate Conservation: Long-term research on the Tonkin snub-nosed monkey (Rhinopithecus avunculus) at Khau Ca, Ha Giang — a species endemic to Vietnam once listed among the "World's 25 Most Endangered Primates"; co-author of the IUCN Red List assessment (2008) for this species, alongside extensive research on the Cat Ba langur, eastern black crested gibbon, and yellow-cheeked gibbon.
• ✓Co-author of "Mammals of Vietnam": Co-author of the monograph "Mammals of Vietnam" (Volume 1, 2020, with C. Groves & Nguyễn Vĩnh Thanh) and "Endangered Species of Vietnam" (2016); author of numerous university textbooks on biodiversity and natural resource conservation.
• ✓Over 35 scientific publications: Author of more than 35 papers in domestic and international journals (Vietnam Journal of Agriculture and Rural Development, Journal of Forestry Science and Technology, American Journal of Primatology, Asian Primates Journal, among others) on mammal, reptile, amphibian, and bird fauna across dozens of protected areas nationwide.
• ✓Coordination of large-scale conservation projects: Led or contributed to dozens of projects funded by USAID/WWF/VFBC, the World Bank, GIZ, UNESCO/Samsung, and the Vietnam Conservation Fund (VCF), among others, at key national parks and nature reserves including Cat Ba, Ba Be, Phong Nha–Ke Bang, Vu Quang, and Khau Ca.
• ✓Training the next generation: Teaches Wildlife Management and Conservation Biology to undergraduate and graduate students in the Department of Wildlife Management at Vietnam National University of Forestry.

Holding an MSc in Natural Resource and Environmental Management and a BEng in Forest Resource and Environmental Management from Vietnam National University of Forestry, he currently serves as a Forestry and GIS Expert at Dong Xanh Consulting and Technology Co., Ltd. (GFD). With over 14 years of experience, he is among the most trusted remote sensing, GIS, and drone technology experts within Vietnam's forest ranger network and international forestry projects. He is currently a PhD candidate researching "the scientific basis for using unmanned aerial imagery to estimate mangrove forest carbon stocks in Ca Mau province."

• ✓Remote sensing & spatial analysis: Proficient in QGIS, ArcGIS, MapInfo, FRMS, FME, Google Earth Engine, and eCognition; lead author of "Automated Deforestation Detection Using Machine Learning Algorithms and Sentinel-2 Imagery" in Ca Mau (2025) and multiple publications applying Google Earth Engine to forest-change monitoring.
• ✓Drone/UAV technology: Skilled operator of DJI aircraft systems (Pilot, Pilot 2, Fly, Mavic 3T, Air 3), Autel, and Anafi platforms, along with photogrammetry software including Agisoft, Pix4D, and DJI Terra; has directly instructed dozens of training courses on drone flight operations and image processing for forest monitoring.
• ✓Nationwide training for forest rangers & technical staff: Lead instructor for dozens of GIS/FRMS/drone training courses for Forest Protection Departments and special-use/protection forest management boards across more than 15 provinces (Lao Cai, Quang Tri, Quang Binh, Thua Thien Hue, Dak Lak, Lam Dong, Binh Dinh, Tra Vinh, Ninh Binh, Ba Ria–Vung Tau, and others), funded by GIZ, USAID/WWF, FAO, and JICA.
• ✓Current forestry technology projects: GIS expert for the MEPA project (GIZ), mapping forest degradation risk across 3 special-use forests (2025–2026); GIS expert for a biodiversity assessment at the Dat Mui–Kien Vang Protection Forest, Ca Mau, aimed at strengthening ecosystem connectivity for climate change response (WWF Vietnam, 2025).
• ✓Research & scientific publications: Author and co-author of multiple papers in the Journal of Forestry Science and Technology and at scientific conferences, applying Sentinel-2/Landsat satellite imagery to deforestation detection and land-cover change monitoring.

Holding an MSc in Biology from the Institute of Ecology and Biological Resources, he is currently a PhD candidate in Botany at the Graduate University of Science and Technology, while also serving as a Researcher at the Vietnam National Museum of Nature under the Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology. Since 2012, he has taken part in dozens of plant survey and taxonomy projects across Vietnam, contributing numerous discoveries new to science and to the national flora.

• ✓In-depth plant taxonomy: Co-author describing numerous species and records new to Vietnam's flora (orchid genera Bulbophyllum, Begonia, Aspidistra, Eumachia, among others); contributed to phylogenetic research on the fern genera Arachnioides and Polystichum, the family Gesneriaceae, and the genus Aristolochia.
• ✓Natural product chemistry & essential oils: Co-author of multiple studies on the chemical composition and antibacterial activity of plant essential oils (Journal of Essential Oil Bearing Plants, Chemistry of Natural Compounds, among others), including an essential oil active against Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) from the Xuan Thuy mangrove forest.
• ✓Endangered species conservation surveys: Team leader for distribution and conservation-status surveys of Dalbergia cochinchinensis (Siamese rosewood) at Kon Ka Kinh National Park (2024–2025); conservation surveys of Cinnamomum balansae and related species at Xuan Lien Nature Reserve, Thanh Hoa; plant expert for the Hoa Binh Provincial Forest Protection Department (2024–2025).
• ✓Large-scale biodiversity surveys: Team leader for wetland biodiversity surveys across 9 provinces and cities in Vietnam's Mekong Delta and southern region (Bac Lieu, Soc Trang, Can Tho, Tra Vinh, Vinh Long, Ben Tre, Tien Giang, Long An, Ho Chi Minh City) for the Vietnam Nature Conservation and Biodiversity Department (2022–2023); research on indigenous plant-use knowledge of the Co Tu ethnic community in Quang Nam–Hue, funded by the Vingroup Innovation Foundation (VINIF).
• ✓Strong academic foundation: BEng in Forest Resource Protection and Environmental Management (Vietnam National University of Forestry), MSc in Biology (Institute of Ecology and Biological Resources), currently a PhD candidate in Botany; a two-time recipient of Vingroup Innovation Foundation (VINIF) research funding.

Holding a PhD in Aquaculture Genetics from the University of the Sunshine Coast, Australia (2023) and having completed a postdoctoral fellowship in Marine Biology at Pukyong National University, South Korea (2025), he currently works in the Department of Conservation Zoology, Faculty of Biology, VNU University of Science, Vietnam National University, Hanoi. With 15 years of experience in aquaculture research and biotechnology, he is among the young scientists with an outstanding record of international publication in the field.

• ✓Leading international research: Currently principal investigator on 4 international projects: SNP molecular marker selection for golden pompano breeding (Nafosted Foundation, 2024–2027), fish species diversity of the Mekong and Red River systems (Canadian Biodiversity Fund), eDNA applications for freshwater fish genetics research in Vietnam (NAGAO Foundation, Japan), and G1-generation selective breeding of spotted babylon snails (Vietnam National University, Hanoi).
• ✓High-output scientific publication: 23 papers in international ISI/SCOPUS journals (Aquaculture, Frontiers in Genetics, Genes, Fish & Shellfish Immunology, among others), 34 papers in domestic specialized journals, and numerous international conference presentations — primarily on quantitative genetics and selective breeding of oysters, golden pompano, tilapia, and whiteleg shrimp.
• ✓Advanced genetic technology & breeding: Applies DArT-Seq sequencing technology, high-density linkage mapping, and genomic selection in Portuguese oyster breeding programs in Australia.
• ✓Graduate training: Currently primary supervisor for 3 graduate students (spotted babylon snail breeding, molecular markers for golden pompano, among other topics) and co-supervisor for 1 international graduate student from Laos.
• ✓International academic recognition: Full PhD scholarship from the Australian Government (2017); Korean Government Scholar Fellowship (2024); and two consecutive years as a Vingroup Innovation Foundation postdoctoral fellow (2024–2025); editorial board member of the international journal Edelweiss Applied Science and Technology (Scopus Q3).

PhD in Forestry professionally trained at the People's Republic of China, possessing a robust academic foundation and keen practical insights into technical management, silviculture, and plant biotechnology. She has over 20 years of experience in university teaching, graduate supervision, scientific research, and direct technical operations at leading forestry enterprises.

• ✓Comprehensive Silvicultural Expertise: Lecturing and research in forest taxonomy, silvicultural techniques, soil science, and forest harvesting; direct training of high-caliber forestry officers, engineers, and postgraduate students.
• ✓Biotechnology & Forest Genetics: Pioneering tissue culture applications and clonal propagation techniques, making significant contributions to the propagation of indigenous species and high-value commercial forestry crops.
• ✓Management & Enterprise Practice: Former Vice Dean and Director of the Biotechnology Center at Bac Giang Agriculture and Forestry University. Since 2017, she has served as a key technical expert at the Vietnam Forestry Corporation (Vinafor), bridging corporate production with academic research.
• ✓Academic Publications: Author of 05 SCI-indexed papers, 05 articles in Chinese core forestry journals, and various domestic scientific papers.
• ✓🏆 Distinguished Pedagogy: First Prize winner at the 2023 National Vocational Teaching Excellence Contest, demonstrating modern pedagogical skills and outstanding knowledge transfer capabilities.