University of Liverpool and Ho Chi Minh City Medical University Launch Long-Term Partnership in AI and Data Science for Healthcare Innovation

University of Liverpool and Ho Chi Minh City Medical University Launch Long-Term Partnership in AI and Data Science for Healthcare Innovation

(IN BRIEF) The University of Liverpool and the University of Medicine and Pharmacy at Ho Chi Minh City have signed a Memorandum of Understanding establishing a long-term partnership focused on data science and artificial intelligence innovation for healthcare. Signed during the UK–Vietnam Digital Health Transformation Conference, the agreement creates a framework for joint research, academic exchange, and shared innovation activities across public health, digital health, and biomedical informatics. Building on the strengths of Liverpool’s Civic Health Innovation Labs and UMP HCMC’s leading role in medical education and digitally enabled healthcare, the collaboration aims to address shared global health challenges, support health system resilience, and deepen academic and innovation ties between the UK and Vietnam.

(PRESS RELEASE) LIVERPOOL, 30-Jan-2026 — /EuropaWire/ — University of Liverpool has entered into a long-term strategic collaboration with the University of Medicine and Pharmacy at Ho Chi Minh City following the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding focused on joint research and innovation in data science and artificial intelligence for healthcare. The agreement formalises a shared commitment to advancing digital health, public health research, and biomedical informatics through sustained academic and institutional cooperation.

The MoU was signed by Professor Iain Buchan, Associate Pro Vice-Chancellor for Innovation and Director of the Civic Health Innovation Labs, and Associate Professor Ngo Quoc Dat, President of UMP HCMC. The signing took place during the UK–Vietnam Digital Health Transformation Conference, attended by more than 200 policymakers, senior health experts, and industry leaders from both countries, underscoring the strategic importance of the partnership.

The ceremony formed part of the UK Health Innovation Mission to Ho Chi Minh City, a key phase of the multi-year HCMC Health Innovation Development Project jointly organised by the British Embassy in Hanoi and the British Consulate-General in Ho Chi Minh City. The initiative aims to strengthen international collaboration in health innovation while supporting the development of resilient, data-driven healthcare systems.

Under the MoU, the two universities have established a comprehensive framework for cooperation spanning the exchange of scientific and technical knowledge, joint research in public health, digital health and biomedical informatics, faculty and administrative staff exchanges, graduate-level student mobility, opportunities for visiting fee-paying students, and wider innovation activities of mutual interest. The agreement also provides for shared publication of research outputs, intellectual property arrangements, and annual joint reviews to monitor progress and impact.

The collaboration will draw on the University of Liverpool’s expertise in applied health data science and artificial intelligence, particularly through the work of the Civic Health Innovation Labs in areas such as infection resilience, mental health, medicines optimisation, and health systems performance. These capabilities will be combined with UMP HCMC’s strengths as a nationally leading medical education institution and digitally advanced hospital partner, enabling the development of training resources and joint innovation projects tailored to the needs of Ho Chi Minh City.

Beyond the formal signing, the visit included meetings between University of Liverpool representatives, companies, and government stakeholders to explore wider opportunities for cooperation between the Liverpool City Region and Ho Chi Minh City. These discussions are intended to support the development of a practical, long-term collaboration plan encompassing research, education, and knowledge exchange.

Founded in 1947, UMP HCMC is a leading centre for medical education, research, and clinical practice in Vietnam and Southeast Asia. Its affiliated University Medical Center is recognised for pioneering the country’s first hospital–university model and for its clinical and technological innovation. Through this partnership, both institutions aim to address shared global health challenges by leveraging data and technology to improve prevention, optimise healthcare resources, and support vulnerable populations in increasingly complex health systems.

Media contacts:

Joanne Carr
Deputy Director of Communications and Public Affairs
T: +44 (0)7825 434900
E: jocarr@liverpool.ac.uk

SOURCE: University of Liverpool