Phong Le Thang

Lê Thanh Phong holds a Master of Science degree in Crop Science and is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Genetics and Plant Breeding at Hirosaki University, Japan (2025–2027). He serves as the Vice Director of the Institute of Climate Change at An Giang University, under the Vietnam National University – Ho Chi Minh City (VNU-HCM). His primary research interests focus on the conservation, development, and utilization of local rice genetic resources, as well as smart and climate-resilient farming systems adapted to flood-prone areas in the Mekong Delta. Over the course of his career, he has worked at the Institute of Climate Change since 2022, following nearly two decades at the Center for Rural Development Research (2004–2022), and earlier as a researcher in the Genetics and Breeding Team at Can Tho University (2002–2004). He completed his studies in Agronomy and Crop Science at Can Tho University between 1997 and 2007. Currently, he is leading several key research projects, including the conservation and development of traditional seasonal rice varieties for floodplain areas (2022–2026), the establishment of a rice germplasm collection through evaluation of agronomic and quality traits (2022–2024), and yield trials of local rice varieties in the Mekong Delta (2024–2025, with an extension to 2030). He also contributes as a project member to initiatives on nature-based solutions (NbS) for food security (2024–2025) and machine learning applications in UAV-based agricultural monitoring systems (2024–2026). Previously, he has participated in and led over 45 research projects across various scales