Three Women who are Leading the Transformation of Education
With new technological advancements in health care, medical education in Vietnam needs reforms to ensure that health care providers can deliver high-quality care to citizens and be active partners in addressing global health threats and pandemics. To drive the transition to a knowledge-centric economy, Vietnam also needs to invest in producing a highly-skilled workforce that can meet the technology-intensive demands of today’s global economy. USAID partners with Vietnam through Vietnamese and international universities, the public sector, and the private sector partners to educate and build a robust and STEM-savvy workforce in Vietnam, capable of responding to the needs of the 21st century. Read about these Vietnamese Women who are leading this transformation in Vietnamese higher education.
Vuong Thi Ngoc Lan is the Dean of the Faculty of Medicine and Head of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at HCM City University of Medicine and Pharmacy. She is one of Vietnam’s most prominent doctors and medical researchers for her work improving in vitro fertilization, bringing hope to thousands of infertile couples. She worked with USAID to reform the undergraduate medical education curriculum to a competency-based curriculum, a curriculum that is student centered and adaptive rather than based on what students are expected to learn. Similarly, she is leading the reform of the graduate medical education programs. She is a fearless leader and physician advocate, nurturing and inspiring the next generation of leaders.
Do Thi Lan Dai is the first woman to serve as the Chair of the Board of Trustees at Lac Hong University. Working with USAID she honed her leadership skills and now she is responsible for strategic tasks such as reviewing the university’s finances, engaging in fundraising efforts, and academic planning. “As a woman in a leadership position, I was heartened to see that USAID placed a particular emphasis on promoting women in the STEM fields,” Lan Dai says. “It will be important for the advancement of Vietnam to nurture and promote every one of its bright minds, no matter what gender.”
Van Dinh Vy Phuong is the Dean of the Faculty of Information Technology at Lac Hong University, and is the first woman at the school to lead a STEM department. She worked with USAID to improve her leadership skills. “I find the biggest challenge to overcome for women to thrive and succeed in STEM is self-confidence,” she said. “I must believe in my ability, believe in my way of doing things and be brave enough to have the necessary arguments to express my point.”
