NASA Administrator – Daniel Saul Goldin: Experient all research projects in university, you can turn uncertainty to opportunity

In order to enhance professional knowledge, expand international cooperation and create opportunity for cadres and students to exchange and update the latest knowledge about the Aerospace. In 26th September 2019, at Vu Dinh Lien Grand Hall, School of Aerospace Engineering (University of Engineering and Technology, VNU) in collaboration with the Vietnam National Space Center (VNSC) organized a seminar in the presence of Mr. Daniel Saul Goldin – NASA Administrator as a speaker.

The seminar with the participation of Assoc. Prof. Dr. Truong Ninh Thuan - Vice Dean, in charge of School of Aerospace Engineering; Dr. Bui Quang Hung – Vice Dean, SAE’s lecturers and especially the participation of many SAE’s students.

NASA Administrator Daniel S. Goldin (white shirt) opening the seminar by the topic “Seeing the Angel”

The seminar was opened by Mr. Daniel S. Goldin with the theme “Seeing the Angel”, which derived from the story of Michelangelo’s David statue. He emphasized, in the creation of any great works, you must have a vision, a clear understanding of your work, then gradually take steps back to move forward your original goal. That’s how a good engineer works: see the solution first, then step by step, move back to the starting point.

With 57 years of experience working in Aerospace and being a member of NASA's Administrator from 1992-2001, Mr. Daniel S. Goldin shared about the potential and development opportunities in this field. “When life knocks you down, you could choose whether or not to get back up. You grow up by stumbling. Let’s reminisce about your toddler years, how many times you had to fall?”, he said. Once you have chosen this field, take every opportunity to test for uncertainty because in this process, you will learn and gain experience to be succeed in the future.

During the speech, Mr. Daniel S. Goldin interacted with students by giving practical problems to receive feedback from students, answering students' questions about his work at NASA and guiding some effective learning methods in this area.

 During his longest-tenured Administrator of NASA, Mr. Daniel S. Goldin expressed his satisfaction when in 10 years of working, the organization led by him completed 61 launches of spacecraft into space, bringing nearly 300 astronauts safely returns. That kind of breakthrough, that kind of "nonlinear thinking," he says, is essential to the rebirth of NASA. It is the only way to do more with less, to turn bureaucrats back into innovators, to explore new worlds in an age of fiscal belt-tightening. Right or wrong, silly or sagacious, Mr. Goldin has pounded through one change after another at NASA, championing new ways of thinking, replacing the agency's top leadership, articulating a new agenda he sums up as "smaller, cheaper, faster, better."