"The Vietnam Institute is set to play a key role in fostering regional collaborations as a hub for knowledge exchange & partnerships"

The University of Sydney Vietnam Institute, officially launched in June 2024, aims to enhance Vietnam’s scientific capacity and contribute to the country’s economic and social development.

- Ayesha Siddiqui

The Institute will foster multidisciplinary research across fields such as health, agriculture, arts, social sciences, business, and Net Zero initiatives. Australian researchers will collaborate closely with Vietnamese counterparts on vital projects, including advancing public health efforts, combating tuberculosis, developing technologies for breast cancer diagnosis, and exploring Vietnam’s potential as a media innovation hub. In an exclusive interview, Institute Director Professor Thu-Anh Nguyen, a renowned infectious diseases and public health researcher, shares insights into how the Vietnam Institute will elevate the country’s research landscape and drive impactful collaborations. Edited excerpts:

What was the rationale behind choosing Vietnam as the location for this institute, and how does the country’s academic and research landscape complement the University of Sydney’s goals?

Vietnam was chosen as the location for the Sydney Vietnam Institute (SVI) because of the strong, long-standing relationship between the University of Sydney and Vietnam. Since the 1990s, over 240 University of Sydney academics have visited Vietnam to work on important shared issues like climate change, health, food security, agricultural technology transformation, ageing populations, urban development and regional economic growth. This history of collaboration made Vietnam an ideal place to deepen academic ties. The SVI’s multidisciplinary research focuses on improving the well-being of communities in Vietnam and beyond through multidisciplinary collaboration. By fostering partnerships between Australian and Vietnamese researchers, the Institute promotes sustainable and mutually beneficial cooperation across all levels of higher education and research engagement.