Professor Tran Diep Tuan: If there is no research, who will lead the country's science and healthcare?

"As Vietnam's leading health science university, if we don't conduct research, who will? Who will lead the country's science, technology, and healthcare? Therefore, the university is compelled to improve," said Professor Tran Diep Tuan.

This information was shared by Professor Tran Diep Tuan, Secretary of the Party Committee of Ho Chi Minh City University of Medicine and Pharmacy, at the Conference summarizing scientific and technological activities and innovation in the period 2023-2025.

According to Professor Tran Diep Tuan, the university has significant potential and room for development to accomplish greater things in the coming period. From now until 2030, Ho Chi Minh City University of Medicine and Pharmacy has set a series of important goals, among which improving the quality of its teaching staff is considered a key task.

Currently, the percentage of faculty members with doctoral degrees at the university is only 37.02%, a modest figure compared to international research universities, where the percentage of faculty with doctoral degrees is usually over 50%. Although oriented towards an applied model, according to Professor Tran Diep Tuan, the university must promote research.

"As Vietnam's leading health science university, if we don't conduct research, who will? Who will lead the country's science, technology, and healthcare ? Therefore, the university is compelled to improve," Professor Tran Diep Tuan emphasized.

Professor Tran Diep Tuan - Secretary of the Party Committee of Ho Chi Minh City University of Medicine and Pharmacy.

The university's science and technology transfer activities have made noteworthy progress in recent years, but they are still not commensurate with its potential. Currently, transferred research is mainly focused on the field of Pharmacy, while the field of Medicine needs further improvement.

Furthermore, the university's facilities are not yet fully developed, and financial resources for research are limited. Competitive pressure is also increasing as the Ho Chi Minh City University of Medicine and Pharmacy aims to be among the top 100 health education institutions in Asia.

The pressure to conduct scientific research, especially to publish internationally in Q1 and Q2 journals, is also very high. The university aims to increase the number of scientific publications by 15% each year, with each year's figure exceeding the previous year's, and even increasing at a faster rate to maintain its leading position among health science training institutions in Vietnam.

Professor Tran Diep Tuan stated that the university is developing a plan to provide tuition support and scholarships sufficient to ensure a comfortable life for full-time doctoral students. The university will take the lead in this effort to promote doctoral training. According to him, now is the opportune time for the university to make a breakthrough, especially in the context of implementing Resolutions 57/2024 and 71/2025 of the Politburo .

The school needs to strongly leverage the development of global science and technology, while simultaneously fostering the aspiration to elevate Vietnamese science, especially in the field of health.

"Looking at the reality, most current medical achievements are still focused on application. Fundamental contributions to human knowledge and scientific products bearing Vietnam's mark are still limited. We need to aspire to improve this. The university currently has great potential and a very talented faculty; the challenge is how to awaken the desire for research in each individual," said Professor Tran Diep Tuan.

According to Professor Tran Diep Tuan, the Ho Chi Minh City University of Medicine and Pharmacy has identified eight strategic priorities for the coming period. In the context of healthcare shifting from "treatment" to "holistic healthcare," encompassing prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation, the university will adjust its training and research orientation accordingly.

In terms of technology, the university aims to create substantive breakthroughs, focusing investment on areas such as artificial intelligence (AI), precision medicine, the Internet of Things in healthcare (IoMT), and 3D printing technology. The university's research is oriented towards creating simple yet effective "made in Vietnam" products to directly serve the Vietnamese people.

In scientific research, the university will promote multidisciplinary integration and interdisciplinary research, while focusing resources on addressing key national health issues.

The most important pillar is to elevate the level of elite research and academic achievement. Accordingly, the Ho Chi Minh City University of Medicine and Pharmacy will build 5 strong research groups, establish 2 centers of excellence in medicine and pharmacy; and invest in 2 GLP-certified laboratories. By 2030, the percentage of lecturers with a doctoral degree or higher will reach 60%.

For international publications, the university aims to publish approximately 850 ISI/Scopus articles annually, with 50% of them published in Q1 or top 25% prestigious journals worldwide.

According to Vietnamnet Newspaper

Source: https://mst.gov.vn/giao-su-tran-diep-tuan-neu-khong-nghien-cuu-ai-dan-dat-khoa-hoc-va-y-te-nuoc-nha-197260112094357605.htm