On the afternoon of September 11, 2026 (local time), in Paris, France, the University of Science and Technology of Hanoi (USTH), under the Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology (VAST), and Université Paris Cité (UPC) signed a Letter of Intent on cooperation in medicine, pharmacy, and health sciences.
Representing UPC at the ceremony were Prof. Édouard Kaminski, President; Prof. Matthieu Resche-Rigon, Dean of the Faculty of Health; Prof. Valérie Serre, Vice-Dean for International Relations at the Faculty of Science; and Prof. Patrice Coll, Vice-Dean for Research at the Faculty of Science. The USTH delegation included Prof. Dinh Thi Mai Thanh, Rector, and Assoc. Prof. Nguyen Thi Van Anh, lecturer at the Department of Medicine and Pharmacy.
The event marked a new milestone in the strategic partnership between USTH and UPC, extending their cooperation into medicine, pharmacy, and health sciences on the foundation of the outstanding achievements the two institutions have made together in education and research.
Cooperation between USTH and UPC is also embedded in the broader partnership between VAST, USTH’s governing body, and UPC. On May 27, 2025, VAST and UPC signed a Memorandum of Understanding during the State visit to Vietnam by French President Emmanuel Macron. Building on this foundation, USTH and UPC have actively exchanged views, identified priority areas, and developed concrete cooperation initiatives in education and research.
Strengthening cooperation between education and research in medicine, pharmacy and health sciences
UPC is one of France’s leading universities. It holds a distinctive position in medicine, pharmacy, and health sciences, having inherited and further developed the achievements of Paris Descartes University, also known as Paris V, formerly one of France’s foremost institutions for education and research in these fields. USTH expects the partnership with UPC to provide valuable access to international expertise in university governance, curriculum development, faculty capacity building, research management, and quality assurance.
The Letter of Intent was signed shortly after USTH established its Department of Medicine and Pharmacy in June 2026. The Department plans to develop programs in Pharmaceutical Technology, Public Health, Nursing, and Nutrition while preparing the necessary conditions to launch a Medicine program.
Building on USTH’s strengths in science and technology, VAST’s research ecosystem, and the USTH Consortium—a network comprising leading French universities and research institutes—USTH intends to develop our training programs based on two philosophies. The first is to apply the latest advances in artificial intelligence, biotechnology, nuclear science and engineering, advanced materials and other scientific and technological fields to healthcare, to support more personalised approaches to health and medical care. The second is to harness Vietnam’s rich biodiversity to support healthcare solutions tailored to the needs of the Vietnamese population.
Speaking at the ceremony, Prof. Dinh Thi Mai Thanh, Rector of USTH, affirmed that the Letter of Intent opens a new direction of cooperation between USTH and UPC while continuing a partnership established during the early years of USTH. This field is particularly significant as Vietnam identifies science, technology, innovation, and digital transformation as strategic pillars of national development.
Prof. Dinh Thi Mai Thanh expressed confidence that the Letter of Intent would provide a foundation for the two institutions to co-develop academic programs, promote lecturer and student exchanges, and undertake collaborative research, thereby contributing to the advancement of medicine, pharmacy and healthcare in Vietnam. UPC is also expected to continue accompanying USTH in educating future generations of scientists and specialists in such key fields as biotechnology, materials science, space science, earth sciences and chemistry.
A strong foundation for cooperation in higher education and scientific research
Since USTH was established in 2009, UPC has been one of the founding members of the Consortium of French Universities and Research Institutes for the Development of USTH (USTH Consortium).
UPC has made important contributions to USTH’s development through five strategic pillars of cooperation: supporting lecturer training and capacity building; jointly awarding master’s degrees; sending professors to teach at USTH; receiving students at different levels for internships, academic exchanges, and co-supervised programs; and jointly undertaking research activities.
Two UPC professors currently serve as Co-Director and Deputy Director of USTH’s Department of Advanced Materials Science and Nanotechnology. Each year, approximately 20 UPC professors contribute to teaching, research, and quality assurance activities at USTH.
The two universities currently deliver double degree master’s programs in Space Science: Remote Sensing, Astrophysics and Satellite Technology and Advanced Materials Science and Nanotechnology. In 2026, USTH and UPC also signed cooperation documents on developing double degree bachelor’s programs in Chemistry and Biotechnology – Drug Discovery.
Student mobility has also been strongly promoted as a reciprocal, sustainable and mutually beneficial component of the partnership. In 2025, alongside receiving USTH students for internships, study and research in France, UPC sent 12 master’s students to USTH on academic exchange. This result provides clear evidence of the growing depth of the partnership and USTH’s increasingly prominent position within UPC’s international education and research network. Prof. Édouard Kaminski, President of UPC, affirmed that USTH is the university’s priority strategic partner in Vietnam for training and research.
In the coming period, USTH will continue to serve as a catalyst connecting UPC with research institutes under VAST to jointly develop research programs in areas where the parties possess strengths.
The Letter of Intent signed on September 11, 2026, provides a foundation for USTH and UPC to develop concrete cooperation activities, enhance the quality of training, strengthen research capacity, and create more exchange opportunities for lecturers and students. Through substantive, long-term programs, the two universities expect to strengthen ties between the two countries’ education and scientific communities, foster mutual understanding, and further deepen the friendship between Vietnam and France.
