USTH, IRD signed MoU for developing International Joint Lab DRISA

On November 3, 2018, the University of Science and Technology of Hanoi (USTH) signed the agreement with the French Institute of Research for Development (IRD) for developing the International Joint Lab on “Drug Resistance in Southeast Asia” (LMI-DRISA).

The event was a part of a serie of activities of the French Delegation, including representatives of many prestigious French educational and research institutions visiting the campus and signing the agreements which play important roles in the training and research development strategies of USTH.

The ceremony was attended by Mr. Eric Molay, Attaché of Science and University Cooperation of French Embassy in Vietnam; Mr. Jean-Paul Moatti, President and Director general of IRD; Mr. Alexis Drogoul, Representative of IRD in Vietnam; Assoc. Prof. Dinh Thi Mai Thanh, Acting Rector of USTH, Prof. Michel Lebrun, Director of Pharmacological, Medical and Agronomical Biotechnology Department and Assoc. Prof. Dong Van Quyen, Co-Director of Pharmacological, Medical and Agronomical Biotechnology Department.

USTH IRD DRISA — *The agreement signed between USTH with IRD will create favorable conditions for the development of LMI-DRISA in the upcoming time*

LMI-DRISA was set up and funded in 2016 by many research institutes from Vietnam, France, Laos, Cambodia and UK. The laboratory focuses on the mechanisms of drug resistance emergence and the transmission of drug-resistant bacteria, particularly in Southeast Asia.

Antibiotic resistance is the ability of a microbe to resist the effects of medication that once could successfully treat it. Antibiotic resistance poses real problems in human and animal health worldwide, especially in South East Asia, the epicenter of many infectious diseases and also a major source of resistant and multidrug-resistant bacteria. The knowledge of these evolutionary mechanisms is essential for the control of their emergence and transmission.

The research conducted at DRISA has contributed in the development of efficient strategies to fight and control drug resistance in Vietnam and the region. Besides, the scientists working at DRISA have also studied new technologies and diagnostic tools, as well as developed new antibacterial molecules.

Since its establishment, DRISA has received the support of several international partners such as the National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology (Hanoi), the Oxford University Clinical Research Unit (Hanoi), the Infectious Diseases Center of Laos-Christophe Mérieux (Laos), the Pasteur Institute Cambodia (Cambodia) and the Laboratory of Emerging Pathogens (France). The agreement signed between USTH with IRD will create favorable conditions for the development of LMI-DRISA in the upcoming time.

The high-level scientific research has always been one of the top goals of USTH to become an excellent research university in Vietnam. Thus, for the past 10 years, USTH has achieved remarkable achievements in research, especially becoming the leading university in Vietnam to build International Joint Laboratories, which gather outstanding scientists from universities and research organizations in Vietnam, France and other countries. The total number of international joint labs established at USTH has increased to 5 after the creation of DRISA and LOTUS.

The French Institute of Research for Development (IRD) is an international research institute dedicated to study acute human and environmental issues, particularly in developing countries. As an important partner of USTH, IRD has supported USTH in many aspects, including building international joint laboratories, facilitating internships and career opportunities for USTH students.