Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ha Dinh Duc was born on March 23, 1940 in Thanh Hoa. He was one of the first students of the Faculty of Biology, Hanoi National University (now the University of Science, Vietnam National University, Hanoi). After graduating, he was kept to teach at the faculty and associated with training and research until his retirement in 2005.
In more than 40 years of doing science, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ha Dinh Duc has participated in many research projects on wildlife with domestic and foreign experts, including topics surveying gray bulls (Bos sauveli), researching primates in Vietnam and many studies on biodiversity.
However, his name is associated with Hoan Kiem Lake turtle. In 1991, after accidentally seeing a turtle floating to the surface of Hoan Kiem Lake while passing through Hang Khay street, he began his journey to learn about this rare turtle species.
For more than three decades afterwards, he persistently observed, recorded, photographed and collected documents about the behavior, living environment as well as the history of Ho Guom turtles. He owns thousands of photos of the "old man" turtle, including many moments recorded at special times of the country.
He also conducted 6 national-level research works on Hoan Kiem Lake, published hundreds of articles related to Ho Guom turtles and was repeatedly approached by international news agencies to discuss this rare turtle species.
Not only researching, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ha Dinh Duc has also repeatedly spoken out about the threats to the Hoan Kiem Lake ecosystem such as water pollution, habitat degradation or the impact of urbanization. His contributions have contributed to supplementing important scientific data to serve the conservation of Hoan Kiem Lake turtles, while raising community awareness about preserving the ecosystem and the historical and cultural values of the lake.
Recognizing his contributions to scientific research and the conservation of Ho Guom turtles, in 2012, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ha Dinh Duc was awarded the title "Outstanding Citizen of the Capital" by Hanoi City. He was also awarded the title of Outstanding Teacher, received the Third-class Resistance Medal, Certificate of Merit from the Prime Minister, and co-author of the Ho Chi Minh Prize, along with many other awards and titles.
