The late Prof. Ennio Lucio Benedetti and his wife - Irene Dunia Benedetti yesterday were honoured with the State President's Friendship Medals, the honourable award bestowed on foreigners for their contribution to the development of Viet Nam.
Benedetti and his wife used to work at the Jacques Monod Institute, the Paris University 6 and 7, France. They visited Viet Nam in 1976, and the late professor helped the health sector to establish and develop electron-microscopic studies for biomedical research in Viet Nam. He also organised a range of scientific workshops and training courses on immunisation, biochemistry, to cellular work and pathology.
Benedetti and his wife also collaborated with Vietnamese scientists in conducting scientific research on diseases and epidemics such as leprosy, SARS, avian influenza H5N1 and encephalitis in the 1990s. — VNS