Oxford deepens Vietnam partnerships in healthcare, education, aviation

On October 30, the University of Oxford announced the signing of three landmark agreements with leading Vietnamese partners, aimed at deepening collaboration in healthcare, higher education, and sustainable aviation. During the visit, Party General Secretary To Lam signed several agreements supporting academic cooperation with two Oxford research centres and formally launched a scholarship scheme for Vietnamese students.

“Oxford has a proud tradition of global partnership – of sharing knowledge across borders to advance education, discovery and public good,” said Prof. Irene Tracey, vice-chancellor of the University of Oxford. “These new agreements reflect our shared commitment to nurturing talent, supporting innovation, and addressing the challenges that face our world today. We look forward to working together in the spirit of friendship and mutual learning, strengthening the bridge between Oxford and Vietnam for years to come.”

The Tam Anh Research Institute signed an MoU with the International Health and Tropical Medicine Group from the Nuffield Department of Medicine, establishing the Tam Anh Oxford Partnership (TOP). The partnership promotes equitable collaboration through joint training, research and capacity building, with a focus on innovations in diagnostics and preventive healthcare for non-communicable diseases.

TOP redefines global health collaboration by putting local leadership and needs priorities at the heart of its design, with Oxford contributing world-class research expertise and training to inform national policies.

Prof. Proochista Araiana, programme director of International Health and Tropical Medicine, said, “This is an exciting time for such a collaboration given Vietnam’s rapid economic growth, epidemiological transition, and national prioritisation for healthcare innovations. TOP exemplifies Oxford’s agenda to extend our research excellence while cultivating strategic and equitable international partnerships to tackle global challenges.”

A further partnership between Vietjet and Oxford Net Zero, led by Prof. Myles Allen, supports the Net Zero Aviation Project – a $2.1 million research collaboration running until mid-2026.

The initiative, conducted with the International Air Travel Association (IATA), investigates geologically balanced fuels (GBFs) – a novel approach to offsetting aviation emissions by capturing and permanently storing equivalent carbon in geological formations. Emissions from aviation are projected to increase steadily in the coming years, and they are currently some of the hardest emissions to abate.

The aim of the Net Zero Aviation Project is to look at a potential new way of tackling this challenge by looking at the feasibility, public perception and impact of GBFs, alongside equity and justice implications. It ultimately aims to develop policies and reporting standards which support gradually increasing the fraction of emissions captured and stored over time through cooperation between the aviation sector and their fuel suppliers.

“The Oxford Net Zero initiative is pleased to collaborate with Vietjet and IATA on strategies to neutralise aviation’s climate impact,” said Allen. “We are exploring GBFs as an affordable, scalable complement to sustainable aviation fuel. Partnering with a Southeast Asian low-cost carrier committed to sustainability highlights the key challenges facing the global aviation sector.”

At the same time, Oxford and Vietnamese entrepreneur and philanthropist Nguyen Thi Phuong Thao launched the Pioneer Scholarship Scheme, providing fully funded postgraduate scholarships for outstanding Vietnamese students. The scheme is jointly endowed by Thao and the University, with Thao contributing $17.9 million and the University adding another $5.4 million. The scholarship has already supported 11 postgraduate and postdoctoral Vietnamese scholars working in fields ranging from education to genomic medicine.

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