VinUniversity and HealthBridge Foundation of Canada sign strategic partnership to advance public health education and research

On January 7, 2026, VinUniversity and the HealthBridge Foundation of Canada in Vietnam officially signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), establishing a strategic partnership in the field of public health. The signing marks an important milestone in strengthening collaboration in education, research, and knowledge exchange, with the shared goal of developing high-quality human resources and enhancing the capacity of the public health system in Vietnam.

Under the agreement, the two parties will jointly implement key collaborative activities to advance education and research in priority areas, including: livable cities; nutrition and food security; gender equality, reproductive health, maternal and child health; and tobacco control and the prevention of non-communicable diseases. The main areas of cooperation include:

• Teaching and training: Promoting academic and professional exchange between the two institutions; jointly developing in-depth public health knowledge and training content aligned with each organization’s functions and strengths.
• Scientific research: Collaborating on the design and implementation of joint research projects in public health, integrating academic foundations with community-based practice.
• Other academic activities: Co-organizing or participating in national and international scientific conferences and workshops; jointly developing and publishing research outputs in peer-reviewed journals and professional publications in Vietnam and internationally.

Commenting on the partnership, Professor Michelle Hermiston, Dean of the College of Health Sciences at VinUniversity, expressed her expectation that the collaboration will generate strong synergies in public health education and research. She emphasized that the partnership represents a valuable opportunity to enhance the capacity of both institutions’ professional teams, while contributing meaningfully to the development and implementation of evidence-based health solutions in support of the sustainable advancement of public health care in Vietnam.

From HealthBridge Foundation of Canada, Dr. Behnoush Ahranjani, Nutrition Advisor and Evaluation Specialist, noted that the partnership creates opportunities for both sides to leverage their complementary strengths. HealthBridge brings extensive practical experience from community-based program implementation and policy engagement, while VinUniversity contributes a strong academic foundation, robust research capacity, and a long-term commitment to training public health professionals. Through this collaboration, both parties aim to translate research findings and real-world evidence into high-quality academic outputs, contributing insights from Vietnam and the region to the global public health knowledge base, and supporting policy development and knowledge sharing beyond the scope of individual projects or countries.

The signing ceremony between VinUniversity and the HealthBridge Foundation of Canada in Vietnam marks the establishment of a strategic partnership and reflects the long-term vision and commitment to social responsibility of both organizations in the health sector. Through this collaboration, VinUniversity continues to affirm its active role in linking education and research with community practice, contributing to the development of high-quality human resources and the promotion of sustainable health care outcomes for the people of Vietnam.