Provost’s Welcome Speech at VinUni Open Day 2023

“From a broader perspective, our students are very rich. They are rich with curiosity, rich with ambition; and rich with talent. Once you enter VinUni, we are committed to make you even richer. Richer in opportunity. Richer in experience, Richer in friendship. We will help you attain this riches by studying abroad, conducting research, starting businesses, and making lifelong friends with other students and professors. We hope that you will join us to share in this richness.” – Professor David Bangsberg, VinUni Provost, shared in his welcome speech.

At VinUni Open Day 2023, Prof. David Bangsberg – Dean of the College of Health & Sciences, VinUni Provost, delivered an inspirational speech to welcome parents, students, and attendees. Let’s review the entire speech where he talks about why he came to VinUni and his impressions of the students and faculty here!

“I am David Bangsberg, Dean of the College of Health Sciences and Interim Provost for Vin University.

On behalf of VinUniversity, I would like to extend a warm welcome to all of you here today for our Open Day. We are delighted to have you join us as we showcase the incredible opportunities that await prospective students and their parents at VinUniversty. I would like to express my gratitude to each and every one of you for taking the time out of your busy schedules to be here. We understand that choosing a university is a significant decision, and we are honored that you have selected VinUniversity as one of your potential choices.

I am new to VinUniversity. I have been interim Provost for 3 months.

Before VinUniversity, I trained as a medical doctor at Johns Hopkins Medical School, Columbia University and University of California San Francisco. I then taught doctors and scientists as a Professor at Harvard School of Medicine and Harvard T.H Chan School of Public Health.

Why I did I come to VinUniversity? I came here for some of the same reasons our students are here.

I came to VinUni because we have one of the best facilities I’ve seen. The library, the simulation lab, the Smarthealth Center, the athletic facilities, the Entrepreneurship lab are all state of the art facilities. You will see these first hand on your tour today.

These facilities provide our students with a nurturing environment to explore their interests and passions outside the classroom.

I also came to VinUni because we have some of the world’s best faculty from over 20 countries.

I came here because we attract students from across Vietnam and all over Asia-Pacific Region, North America, Europe and Africa.

I came here because we offer a global perspective to take on global challenges. We do this in partnership with some of the world’s best universities, including Cornell, Penn, UCSD, University of Queensland, and University Technology Sydney.

However, I found the most compelling reason to come to VinUni after I arrived – it is the intellectual passion and curiosity of the students – each and every one of them.

I start most days here at VinUniversity having coffee with a student. I do this because I get my fuel for the day by hearing our students’ many and varied ambitions, nudging their ambitions a little higher, strategizing how to turn their ambitions into reality.

In the first month of student coffees, I have met students with breathtaking ideas and ambitions. Our students have a palpable excitement for learning, creating and shaping ideas.

Our students inspire me each and every day!

The other reason I start my days talking to students over coffee is because we need our future leaders and change makers, now more than ever.

We need our students to discover new technologies that slow or better yet halt climate change. We need our students to start new businesses to create opportunities to grow our global economy. We need our students to find new approaches to resolving and ending conflict. We need our students to heal those who are suffering and to cure disease.

I believe our future is brighter because of our students’ commitment to change and their belief that we have the power to conquer new horizons to shape a better world.

That journey begins here at VinUni. It begins in the classroom, in the library, in the laboratory, the college clubs, and in the dorms. It is a journey with our faculty, our staff, our international experts that visit VinUni and with your internships abroad.

You journey might even begin over coffee with me.

No matter where your journey takes you. Whether your journey is to become a doctor or nurse, a researcher, a computer scientist or engineer, an educator, a policy advocate, or a business leader – we will help you become ready to take on new ideas and new skills to equip you to make a better world. We will help you become a change-maker and to conquer new horizons.

The other reason I am at VinUni is that I am not alone in being dedicated to our students’ success. Every one of our faculty is fanning the spark in our students’ imagination. The faculty and the staff are helping our students acquire knowledge and build skills to make a real and positive difference in the world.

At VinUniversity, we believe in a holistic approach to education. We understand that academic excellence is crucial, but we also recognize the importance of personal growth and development. Our comprehensive curriculum is designed to nurture well-rounded individuals who are not only academically strong but also possess the essential life skills needed to thrive in their chosen fields.

I hope you will begin your journey with us at VinUni – We will help you become a changemaker. We will help you challenge yourself, challenge our faculty, challenge me – challenge us all with new ideas – make us rethink what is possible.

Today, we hope to give you a feel for what it likes to be a VinUni student. Take a college class from one of our professors to see what it is like to be a VinUni student. Explore our campus, meet our faculty, and interact with our students. I encourage you to ask questions, seek answers, and imagine the endless possibilities that await you at VinUniversity.

Some say that VinUni is only for rich kids. With respect to money, that is not true. Every day, I have coffee with the students from families with a wide range of financial backgrounds – some wealthy – but many more from very modest and poor backgrounds. This is possible because of our very generous scholarship program.

From a broader perspective, our students are very rich. They are rich with curiosity, rich with ambition; and rich with talent. Once you enter VinUni, we are committed to make you even richer. Richer in opportunity. Richer in experience, Richer in friendship. We will help you attain this riches by studying abroad, conducting research, starting businesses, and making lifelong friends with other students and professors. We hope that you will join us to share in this richness.

Once again, I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude for being a part of this Open House event. We hope that your time here will give you a glimpse into the incredible opportunities that VinUniversity offers. We are confident that by choosing VinUniversity, you will build your treasure chest of skills, ambitions and opportunity to begin your life long journey as a change maker.

Thank you, and welcome to VinUniversity!”