Comprehensive Cooperation Agreement Signed between the Institute of Biology - Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology and Bach Mai Hospital

The ceremony was attended by Prof. Dr. Chu Hoang Ha - Vice President of Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, Director of Institute of Biology; MSc. Nguyen Thi Van Nga  Director of Institute of Scientific Data and Information; Dr. Nguyen Hoang Duong - Deputy Director of Department of International Cooperation; Deputy Directors of the Institute of Biology: Prof. Dr. Nguyen Huy Hoang, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Phi Quyet Tien, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Trung Nam, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Dong Van Quyen, Dr. Tran Duc Luong; along with scientists from VAST.

From Bach Mai Hospital, participants included Assoc. Prof. Dr. Dao Xuan Co - Secretary of the Party Committee and Director of Bach Mai Hospital; the hospital’s Deputy Directors: Assoc. Prof. Dr. Vu Van Giap, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Tuan Tung, Senior Master Vu Van Hong; as well as leaders of the hospital’s institutes, centers, departments, and offices.

Advancing medical breakthrougs from the foundation of Life Sciences 

The goal of the cooperation is to establish a sustainable foundation for implementing applied research programs, technology transfer, and product development to serve public healthcare, in line with the Resolution 57/NQ-TW dated December 22, 2024, of the Politburo.

In his opening remarks, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Dao Xuan Co noted that Bach Mai Hospital, a special-class hospital, not only has strengths in specialized treatment but is also a leading center for training, scientific research, and technical transfer in the medical sector. Bach Mai Hospital possesses a relatively complete research ecosystem: from the network of scientific secretaries in its departments and wards, to the system for providing professional guidance to lower-level hospitals, to strong multi-center research groups, and the Bach Mai Clinical Medicine Journal - a respected academic platform increasingly asserting its domestic standing.

With its large, diverse, and continuously updated clinical data repository, Bach Mai Hospital is implementing numerous research and innovation strategies, including: application of AI in diagnosis and patient management; organ transplantation and robotic surgery; stem cell technology and gene therapy; 3D printing of medical devices; and the use of biotechnology in treatment. However, to go further and achieve sustainable development, medicine must go hand-in-hand with basic science.

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Dao Xuan Co - Secretary of the Party Committee and Director of Bach Mai Hospital, delivering remarks at the ceremony

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Dao Xuan Co emphasized that, as a national-level general hospital with nearly 5,000 staff, including almost 1,000 professors, associate professors, doctors of philosophy, and medical doctors, Bach Mai Hospital not only treats the most complex cases but is also a leading center for training and research. Nonetheless, he candidly shared a strategic concern: if the hospital focuses solely on clinical trials, it risks becoming merely a “worker” for global corporations. Therefore, to advance and maintain autonomy, high-level medicine must accompany basic science. He outlined a vision to elevate Bach Mai Hospital beyond its role as a purely application-focused unit into a comprehensive research and development center - particularly as the hospital is developing a proposal to establish Bach Mai University of Medicine and Pharmacy. Collaboration with Institute of Biology is seen as a key step toward realizing that vision.

Prof. Dr. Chu Hoang Ha expressed deep admiration for the remarkable development of Bach Mai Hospital. He explained that the Institute of Biology, under Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, was established on March 15, 2025, through the merger of three leading research institutes: the Institute of Biotechnology, the Institute of Ecology and Biological Resources, and the Institute of Genome Research. The Institute’s mission is to conduct basic research, develop technology, and train high-level human resources in biology, biotechnology, and especially biomedical and pharmaceutical sciences. Currently, the Institute of Biology has nearly 400 scientists, including 8 professors, 31 associate professors, 125 doctors, and over 100 masters. Its facilities comprise 29 subordinate units with specialized laboratories, modern research centers, and national key laboratories, well-suited for interdisciplinary research and advanced training.

Prof. Dr. Chu Hoang Ha - Vice President of Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, Director of Institute of Biology, delivering remarks at the ceremony

Prof. Dr. Chu Hoang Ha stressed that there is a strong alignment between Bach Mai Hospital’s development orientation and the Institute of Biology’s capabilities—particularly in the hospital’s key research and technology development areas: genomic medicine and oncology, stem cells and regenerative medicine, microbiology and infectious diseases, medicinal materials and bioactive compounds, and training.

He expressed confidence that combining the Institute’s basic research capabilities with Bach Mai Hospital’s vast clinical data and practical needs will generate tremendous synergistic power. “This cooperation is not only consistent with the development orientation of both units but also fully aligned with the Party and State’s Resolution 57 on the development of science and technology, bringing research results into practical application as soon as possible,” Prof. Dr. Chu Hoang Ha emphasized.

Leveraging strenthens for comprehensive cooperation in the six key areas

During the ceremony, the two sides discussed their respective potentials and strengths, and outlined a comprehensive cooperation framework for the future.

The comprehensive cooperation will be based on voluntariness, equality, and consensus, aiming to maximize each party’s strengths in research, training, and the application of science and technology. The main areas of cooperation will include:

The cooperation agreement, valid for five (05) years, serves as a solid legal framework, guiding specific, in-depth, and effective collaborative activities, and opening a promising future for both institutions and for Vietnam’s medical sector as a whole.

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Dao Xuan Co affirmed: “Today’s event takes place in the context of the nation’s concerted efforts to implement the Party and Government’s resolutions on promoting science and technology. I believe we are on the right track, choosing the right path to serve the people and make practical contributions to the cause of protecting and improving the health of the Vietnamese people.”

Institute of Biology - Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology and Bach Mai Hospital sign a comprehensive cooperation agreement

Within the framework of the program, the two sides organized a tour of several specialized facilities at Bach Mai Hospital to enhance mutual understanding and lay the groundwork for broader, deeper cooperation in the future.

The signing ceremony is not only a step forward in the partnership between the two institutions, but also opens a new direction for harnessing the scientific and technological potential of Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology in the health sector, contributing to the improvement of medical service quality and the enhancement of biotechnology self-reliance in Vietnam.

Translated by Phuong Ha
Link to Vietnamese version