Dr. Vinh will undertake an academic sojourn from September to November 2024 at Harvard Medical School in Boston, Massachusetts, one of the world’s leading institutions in medical research. His participation is made possible thanks to support from the Visiting Scholar Program supported by the USAID Partnership for Higher Education Reform.

Dr. Nguyen Phuoc Vinh of Vietnam National University – Ho Chi Minh (VNUHCM) seeks to advance education in the field of health sciences in Vietnam through his upcoming participation in the Visiting Scholar Program in the United States as part of the USAID Partnership for Higher Education Reform (the Project). Dr. Vinh heads the Office of Science Technology and International Relations and is also Vice Dean of the School of Pharmacy at the VNUHCM-University of Health Science (VNUHCM-UHS).

During his time at Harvard Medical School, Dr. Vinh will examine research on innovations in the delivery of health sciences education, focusing his exploration on integration of modules into pre-clinical education. Integrated modules have been implemented at the School of Medicine (now UHS) – VNUHCM since 2009, but there is still a need to ensure greater acquisition of medical knowledge during the first years of the curriculum.

Dr. Vinh will also examine Interprofessional Education (IPE), educating healthcare professionals collaboratively to ensure the highest quality of patient care. “This approach is still relatively new in Vietnam, but my goal is to develop an effective model based on direct observation and experience at Harvard,” said Dr. Vinh. Such practical insights and experiences should enable him to reform training programs for medical doctors, pharmacists, and other health professionals at VNUHCM-UHS.

Dr. Vinh plans to publish at least one manuscript in an international journal and apply the principles learned to the medical and healthcare education models at VNUHCM with groundbreaking reforms and advancements in health sciences education. “I hope that what I observe and learn while at Harvard Medical School will be effectively applied to the training of health professionals in Vietnam, especially at my home institution VNUHCM,” said Dr. Vinh.

The Visiting Scholar Program (VSP) under the USAID Partnership for Higher Education Reform project supports scholars from (1) Vietnam National University, (2) the University of Danang, and (3) Vietnam National University – Ho Chi Minh City. The goal is to improve the research and teaching capacity of scholars across Vietnam while expanding partnerships with higher education institutions in the United States. In the Summer and Fall of 2024, the VSP will send a total of 21 scholars from Vietnam’s three major public university systems to host institutions in the United States for academic research and exchange experiences.