Thai Nguyen University Signs Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Kawasaki City Health and Welfare Bureau, Japan

On the morning of January 23, Thai Nguyen University (TNU) held a working session with a delegation from the Kawasaki City Health and Welfare Bureau, Japan.

Photo: Overview of the working session.

The delegation was led by Mr. Shimoura Takeshi, Director of the Kawasaki City Health and Welfare Bureau, and included Mr. Kikukawa Takashi, Head of the Elderly Project Promotion Division, Mr. Takeda Yusuke, Deputy Head of the Elderly Project Promotion Division, Kawasaki City Health and Welfare Bureau, together with Ms. Megumi Matsuoka, Head of the Education Department, Sigma Staff Joint Stock Company, and Ms. Luong Thu Huong, Director, WSY Vietnam Limited Company. Representatives of the leadership of the Thai Nguyen Provincial Department of Health also attended the meeting.

Welcoming and working with the delegation on behalf of Thai Nguyen University were Assoc. Prof. Nguyen Thanh Ha, Chairman of the TNU Trade Union, along with representatives of the leadership of the Department of Science, Technology, and International Affairs, the Department of Academic and Student Affairs, the Institute of Excellence in Education and Research; the Center for Training and International Development, and the University of Medicine and Pharmacy.

Photo: Assoc. Prof. Nguyen Thanh Ha delivering remarks at the meeting.

In his opening remarks, Assoc. Prof. Nguyen Thanh Ha expressed his sincere appreciation to the delegation for visiting and working with Thai Nguyen University. He provided an overview of TNU as a regional university operating under a two-tier, multi-disciplinary and multi-sectoral model, serving as a major center for education, scientific research, and technology transfer in the Northern Midlands and Mountainous Region of Viet Nam. Currently, Thai Nguyen University comprises seven universities, one college, the School of Foreign Languages, the International School, and three campuses located in Lao Cai, Ha Giang (Tuyen Quang), and Dien Bien provinces. In 2025, the University’s total enrollment exceeded 115,000 learners, supported by nearly 4,000 staff members and lecturers, including 206 professors and associate professors and more than 1,000 PhD holders.

In the field of healthcare, Thai Nguyen University has a long-standing tradition of education and training through its University of Medicine and Pharmacy, while actively expanding academic programs related to biotechnology, medicine, pharmacy, healthcare, and nursing. The University places particular emphasis on public healthcare and elderly care, and has been designated by the Prime Minister of Viet Nam as a national focal institution for agricultural biotechnology. Through the working session, Thai Nguyen University expressed its desire to further expand cooperation with Japanese partners, thereby contributing to the enhancement of training quality and practical capacity in the field of public healthcare.

Photo: Mr. Shimoura Takeshi, Director of the Kawasaki City Health and Welfare Bureau, delivering remarks at the meeting.

Photo: Representative of the Kawasaki City Health and Welfare Bureau presenting internship programs for students.

Representatives of the Kawasaki City Health and Welfare Bureau expressed their appreciation for the warm and respectful reception by Thai Nguyen University. They introduced Kawasaki City as a highly developed industrial city with strong advantages in healthcare and elderly care. The city currently has a population of over 1.5 million, with elderly people accounting for approximately 20%, a figure projected to increase to 30% by 2040. In the context of rapid population aging and low birth rates, Japan is facing a shortage of young human resources, particularly in the fields of elderly care and disability support. The delegation expressed its interest in receiving students from Thai Nguyen University for internships in Japan to gain hands-on experience in healthcare techniques and care procedures, while also promoting mutual exchange and the sharing of experience to gradually enhance the effectiveness of social welfare services on both sides.

Photo: Thai Nguyen University and the Kawasaki City Health and Welfare Bureau, Japan, signing the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).

Photo: Assoc. Prof. Nguyen Thanh Ha, Chairman of the TNU Trade Union, presenting commemorative gifts to the delegation.

Photo: Representatives of Thai Nguyen University and the Kawasaki City Health and Welfare Bureau, Japan.

At the meeting, Thai Nguyen University and the Kawasaki City Health and Welfare Bureau, Japan, formally signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), aiming to strengthen international cooperation in education and training and to expand opportunities for study, research, and internships for students. The two sides agreed to jointly implement a graduation internship program in Japan for students of Thai Nguyen University in the coming period.