Founded in 1810, the institute trains about 7,000 students and over 2,000 doctoral candidates annually across its two campuses. Renowned for selecting Nobel laureates in physiology or medicine - two of its own scientists have received the prestigious award, the institute has long been a beacon of biomedical innovation, with faculty and alumni shaping modern medical science.
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PM Pham Minh Chinh (second from right) visits the Karolinska Institutet. |
In Vietnam, the KI has carried out cooperative activities with the Hanoi Medical University (HMU), the National Children’s Hospital (NCH), and the Vietnam–Sweden Uong Bi Hospital. Collaborative projects with these units and others, including the Ho Chi Minh City University of Medicine and Pharmacy, have bolstered Vietnam’s research capacity, doctoral training, health policy development, and adoption of advanced medical technologies.
The institute's leaders expressed enthusiasm for expanding partnerships with Vietnam, particularly in tackling pressing healthcare challenges such as neonatal mortality and care for premature infants, and combining cutting-edge clinical research with private sector involvement. They noted that Vietnamese students joining these programs would also be eligible for doctoral degrees.
PM Pham Minh Chinh praised the KI's global academic stature and its contribution to Vietnam’s healthcare system, which date back over 55 years to the nation’s wartime struggles.
He expressed gratitude to the Swedish Government and people for their enduring support, including the establishment of key establishments like the NCH and the Vietnam-Sweden Uong Bi Hospital, which remain vital pillars of Vietnam’s healthcare infrastructure.
The PM further underscored Sweden’s role in building a sustainable healthcare system in Vietnam through effective medical training, expertise sharing, and academic exchanges, with the KI's programs playing a prominent and impactful role.
Vietnam plans to create breakthroughs in science and technology, innovation, and digital transformation, particularly in healthcare, PM Pham Minh Chinh said, noting that the country is also accelerating the development of smart hospitals and digitizing patient records as part of this effort.
Vietnam is transitioning its healthcare strategy from treatment-centered services to a more holistic model that emphasizes disease prevention and health promotion, while also shifting from population control to fostering population development, he stated.
The government leader revealed that during his trip, Vietnam and Sweden established a sectoral strategic partnership in science, technology, innovation, and digital transformation.
Against this backdrop and based on shared values and mutual understanding, PM Pham Minh Chinh suggested the KI continue to partner with Vietnam in the area of healthcare, thus producing concrete outcomes.
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PM Pham Minh Chinh observes a neonatal emergency care simulation conducted using the technologies developed by the Karolinska Institutet. |
The PM called for closer, broader, and more effective cooperation with Vietnamese partners, guided by the principles of mutual benefit, joint efforts, shared outcomes, and common development, including promoting stronger public-private partnerships and collaboration with businesses.
He highlighted key areas that should be focused, including training high-quality human resources through both long-term and short-term programs; organizing internships, student and expert exchanges, and joint academic forums; promoting medical research cooperation; transferring new technologies in biomedical science and pharmaceutical and vaccine production; and expanding partnership between Karolinska Institute and big hospitals in Vietnam in clinical treatment and research, and healthcare system development.
The Vietnamese Government is committed to creating the most best possible conditions to expand cooperation programs with the KI within both bilateral and multilateral frameworks, he added.
Source: VNA