Leaders from Duke Global Health Institute, Duke Kunshan University’s Global Health Programme, and Duke-NUS Medical School convened to advance joint initiatives in education, research, and partnership.
Hanoi, Vietnam – Building on the success of their first retreat at Duke Kunshan University in October 2023, leaders from Duke’s tripartite global health institutes recently gathered in Hanoi for their second collaborative retreat.
The meeting coincided with SingHealth Duke-NUS Global Health Institute’s Regional Collaborating Centre launched a joint scientific symposium with Hanoi Medical University (HMU), further deepening regional engagement. 10 faculty members and senior staff formed the Duke Kunshan University delegation.
The retreat provided a vital opportunity to align on strategic priorities, including global health education, climate and health, mental health, non-communicable diseases, health systems, and infectious diseases—key areas of shared focus. Participants emphasized that, despite the uncertainty of global health cooperation due to geopolitical tension at the global level, the regional collaborative prospect was optimistic. The tripartite would focus on high-impact and sustainable cooperation in the future. Discussions emphasized education as a foundational pillar across the three institutions, with plans to develop joint programs and initiatives.
This retreat has steered progress on joint workplans for strategic focus areas and education programs, explored joint fundraising and administrative mechanisms to sustain cross-institutional collaboration, and made further commitment to sustaining momentum, including forming a Steering Workgroup to drive ongoing engagement.
The DKU delegation also took the opportunity to visit research partners in Vietnam to advance ongoing projects and explore new opportunities for future collaboration.
Looking ahead, the three institutions will co-create a joint Duke agenda for the next 18 months, focusing on high-impact, sustainable initiatives.
By Zhangyang Pan & Wuyue Qian
