VinFuture Fund - a bridge to knowledge

Many experts believe that the VinFuture Foundation truly serves as a bridge of knowledge, blurring the boundaries between Vietnamese and global science.

While Professor Hoang Van Minh, Rector of the University of Public Health , and his colleagues were diligently searching for intervention solutions to reduce the use of new tobacco products among Vietnamese youth, the VinFuture Foundation approached them with a collaboration proposal. The "sweet fruit" of this partnership is the successful InnovaConnect workshop in September 2024, with the participation of leading experts from the region, and the project "Intervention Program on Prevention and Control of Electronic Cigarettes in Secondary Schools in Major Cities in Vietnam," which will be implemented from the beginning of 2025.

A sharing session on the harmful effects of e-cigarettes and prevention efforts in schools, organized by the University of Public Health in collaboration with the VinFuture Foundation in 2025. (Photo: VFP)

A bridge to substantive scientific collaborations.

“The VinFuture Foundation truly serves as a bridge of knowledge. Through InnovaConnect, we have invited leading global experts on e-cigarette prevention. The September 2024 workshop with experts from Australia and Thailand provided many modern perspectives and solutions, helping to strengthen the research direction and pilot project at two Hanoi junior high schools. If successful, the model will be replicated nationwide,” Professor Minh shared.

During the project implementation, the expert stated that VinFuture continues to collaborate with foreign experts it has connected with to deploy evidence-based public health solutions tailored to the Vietnamese context.

In its first year, the project implemented a comprehensive intervention model, tailored to the practical context in Vietnam, in collaboration with the REACH research group led by Professor Bonnie Halpern-Felsher (Stanford University, USA). Simultaneously, both sides organized thematic discussions at schools in Hanoi, involving healthcare professionals and reaching thousands of students to raise awareness about the harmful effects of e-cigarettes.

Following the InnovaConnect networking event in 2024, the University of Public Health and the VinFuture Foundation will launch a project to develop a program to combat e-cigarette use in schools starting in 2025. (Photo: VFP)

Meanwhile, in Da Nang, Associate Professor Dr. Nguyen Tan Hung, Director of the Institute of Advanced Science and Technology (Da Nang University), was still impressed with the VinFuture Foundation's InnovaConnect event, themed "Foundation Technologies for the Future Society - The Intersection of Electronics and Photonics," held within the framework of Da Nang Semiconductor Microchip Day 2025. This event was not only for the scientific community but also for policy-making agencies and businesses involved in microchips, electronics, photonics, and AI.

“In my opinion, the greatest achievement of the InnovaConnect series of events is helping to break down the boundaries between domestic and international science. Domestic science and technology are fundamentally lagging behind the region and the world in many aspects such as human resources, infrastructure, and supporting conditions. Therefore, this series of events has broken down a major barrier for domestic scientists and research groups, increasing their confidence in international cooperation,” Associate Professor Hung assessed.

The InnovaConnect event, held in Da Nang at the end of August 2025, attracted a large number of scientists and representatives from various departments and agencies. (Photo: VFP)

Introducing to the world a generation of confident and open-minded young Vietnamese researchers.

From Jakarta, Adya Danaditya, UNESCO's AI consultant and speaker at the InnovaTalk conference in April 2025, themed "Artificial Intelligence Without Borders: Ethics and Technology," praised VinFuture's initiatives to connect science, helping researchers in Vietnam access global AI trends and expand their collaboration within the international scientific community.

“It was wonderful to participate in the InnovaTalk discussion. I met many talented AI experts, including some from Vietnam. I'm still in touch with some of the speakers,” said Adya Danaditya.

Sharing more on this perspective, Associate Professor Hung said that through VinFuture's science networking initiatives, leading experts worldwide also have the opportunity to discover Vietnam as a dynamic, innovative country, ready for change and making positive contributions to science in general.

This is crucial in the current period, when Vietnam is implementing numerous policies aimed at promoting the development and mastery of strategic and core technologies. Therefore, there is an even greater need for a strong domestic research force that is confident and capable of collaborating with renowned scientists and research groups worldwide.

"In my opinion, these activities in Vietnam are pioneering in promoting national policies on science and technology. Connecting world-class scientific expertise with Vietnam also helps elevate Vietnamese science and inspires and motivates the community," Associate Professor Hung analyzed.

The InnovaConnect workshop, held at Can Tho University of Medicine and Pharmacy, marked the first time this scientific networking initiative was implemented in the Mekong Delta region. (Photo: VFP)

As one of the experts who participated in the InnovaConnect event series in late October 2025, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Do Thi Thao, Deputy Head of the Faculty of Dentistry, Can Tho University of Medicine and Pharmacy, highly appreciated the international scale of the program in bringing together leading speakers and scientists to Vietnam to exchange and share information on academic and scientific research-related activities.

The auditorium of Can Tho University of Medicine and Pharmacy was bustling with activity on the day of InnovaConnect, attracting more than 1,000 students, lecturers, and many scientists from the Mekong Delta region.

“The event truly inspired many students academically and in scientific research. Many students also asked numerous questions to connect with the scientists participating in the program,” Associate Professor Thao stated.

According to Associate Professor Thao, the scientists from Austria were impressed by the eagerness to learn shown by the large number of young Vietnamese students and researchers.

“InnovaConnect proves to be of great significance in introducing the knowledge and skills of Vietnamese scientists to scientists worldwide, while also helping foreign experts access the practical academic and research environment in Vietnam; thereby opening up vast opportunities for cooperation with value not only domestically but also globally,” she said.

Based on these achievements, experts also expressed hope that activities like InnovaConnect and InnovaTalk will continue to be implemented, so that the Vietnamese public can benefit from up-to-date knowledge about the latest developments in the field of technology.

Ngoc Linh

Source: https://vtcnews.vn/quy-vinfuture-cau-noi-tri-thuc-ar985838.html