On the afternoon of 3 November 2026, at Duc Giang General Hospital, the University of Science and Technology of Hanoi (USTH) and Duc Giang General Hospital signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on cooperation in education and training, scientific research, and the transfer and application of scientific and technical advances. The MoU continues the University’s series of partnerships with reputable healthcare institutions, aimed at linking medical and pharmaceutical education with clinical practice.
Representing the Hospital were Assoc. Prof. Do Dinh Tung, Director; Dr. Do Minh Tri, Deputy Director; and the heads of the Hospital’s clinical and functional departments. Representing USTH were Prof. Dinh Thi Mai Thanh, Rector; Assoc. Prof. Pham The Hai, in charge of the Department of Medicine and Pharmacy; and representatives of the Department and relevant administrative units.
Speaking at the ceremony, Assoc. Prof. Do Dinh Tung expressed the wish to cooperate with USTH across multiple fields and affirmed the Hospital’s readiness to support the University’s proposals. According to the Director, the two institutions can work together in implementing Resolution No. 57-NQ/TW on breakthroughs in science, technology, innovation and national digital transformation, and Resolution No. 72-NQ/TW on breakthrough solutions to strengthen the protection, care and improvement of people’s health.
Prof. Dinh Thi Mai Thanh noted that medicine and pharmacy is a field to which the University attaches particular importance. As a university under the Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, operating under an excellence-oriented model with all 17 of its degree programmes in science and technology, USTH aims to educate global citizens. According to the Rector, Resolution No. 57-NQ/TW presents a significant advantage for the University, while Resolution No. 72-NQ/TW provides the basis for USTH to step up investment in Pharmacy.
In education and training, under the MoU, the Hospital will host USTH undergraduate students, master’s students and doctoral candidates for internships or work placements. The two Parties will also coordinate in hosting visiting and co-affiliated lecturers and jointly develop training programmes.
Founded in 1963, Duc Giang General Hospital is today a Class I hospital of Hanoi, with 950 beds, 46 departments, 7 specialised units and nearly 470,000 outpatient visits each year. With its multi-specialty scale and long-standing experience, the Hospital has become a reputable clinical training facility for many medical and pharmaceutical schools.
For students, the partnership will therefore provide exposure to a wide range of clinical cases and opportunities to develop interdisciplinary collaboration skills, while opening up clearer career prospects after graduation.
For the teaching staff, the University places particular expectations on the participation of the Hospital’s physicians. Decree No. 159/2026/ND-CP of the Government on co-affiliated lecturers at public vocational education institutions and higher education institutions has established a mechanism for physicians at public hospitals to serve as co-affiliated lecturers. According to Prof. Dinh Thi Mai Thanh, although physicians have limited time for teaching given the demands of their work, their professional expertise and clinical experience will bring practical knowledge into the curriculum and help students better understand the requirements of their future profession.
In research, the two Parties will conduct joint research in disease diagnosis and treatment, biomedical sciences, clinical trials and bioequivalence. With numerous advanced techniques such as kidney transplantation, corneal transplantation and interventional vascular procedures, together with four laboratory departments accredited to the international standard ISO 15189:2022, the Hospital is a highly promising partner for clinical research. The focus on clinical trials and bioequivalence is also directly aligned with USTH’s strengths in master’s-level training in biomedical sciences and drug development, as well as with the two tracks of its Pharmacy programme: Pharmacology – Clinical Pharmacy, and Pharmaceutical Manufacturing and Formulation.
In the transfer and application of scientific and technical knowledge, the two Parties will exchange experts, share professional methods and collaborate in applying scientific and technical advances, while jointly organising conferences, seminars and communication activities.
Innovation is a key point of convergence between the two institutions. Duc Giang General Hospital is a pioneer of digital transformation in Hanoi’s healthcare sector, with electronic medical records and a data-sharing system connecting more than 14 commune health stations. It is also the first institution in Vietnam licensed to pilot the use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to transport clinical specimens, medicines and medical supplies, and is progressively applying artificial intelligence in diagnostic imaging. These are all areas in which USTH has recognised strengths.
At the close of the ceremony, the Hospital’s leadership expressed full agreement with the orientations proposed by the University and confidence that many concrete avenues for cooperation will emerge in the time ahead. The MoU adds another important link to the education – research – practice ecosystem of the Department of Medicine and Pharmacy, along the path the University has steadfastly pursued: turning knowledge into value that serves human health.
