On 14th January 2023, VIS UK & Ireland (Vietnamese Intellectual Society in the UK and Ireland) organised its Annual General Meeting (AGM) at Wadham College, University of Oxford, followed by the celebration of Lunar New Year 2023 (Tet) jointly organised by the Vietnamese Society in Oxford (VoX). Distinguished guests and participants included
- Ambassador Nguyen Hoang Long – Vietnam’s Ambassador to the UK and Ireland
- Professor Andrew Farmery – Professor of Anaesthetics at Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences at the University of Oxford
- Professor Sir Peter Horby – Director of Pandemic Sciences Institute at Nuffield Department of Medicine at the University of Oxford
- Deputy Lord Mayor Mark Lygo – Oxford City Councillor
- 100 VIS executive board committee and VIS members and their families and VOX members and their families
- Representatives of Vietnamese communities and societies in the UK including SVUK, VAUK, and VBUK.
At the AGM, VIS Chair Professor Huan Nguyen and Vice Chair Dr Que Anh Dang reviewed last year’s 10 major VIS activities, and notable achievements of VIS members and presented future plans for VIS. The key activities and goals outlined for 2023 and beyond include:
1. Promoting and supporting the VIS community:
- Creating new activities such as more links with industry, broadening membership to include experts outside academia, bi-weekly research talks
- Carrying on the Mentorship programme for junior researchers, research workshops including funding/ career/ research opportunities and experience from prominent VIS members
- Organising events to promote joint funding applications among VIS members
- Supporting Vietnamese student communities in the UK
2. Strengthening VN-UK relationships
- Create more Exchanges and Collaborations in research and teaching with universities in Vietnam
- Continue working with other societies and organisations: the Vietnamese embassy, VBUK, VAUK, VN-UK Friendship, SVUK, etc.
3. Improving existing VIS operations
- Restructuring the executive board committee to include several divisions of different expertise.
During the AGM, Professor Andrew Farmery gave a keynote speech on some of his group’s recent research achievements, including Inspiwave, a pulmonary and cardiac monitoring system and Oxvents, a minimally designed but easily scalable mechanical ventilator completed within 3 weeks during the early phase of Covid-19 pandemic. Professor Sir Peter Horby and Ambassador Nguyen Hoang Long then gave encouraging words on the importance of the VIS and the need for strengthening the VN-UK relationship through collaboration in delivering world-class education and opportunities for Vietnamese researchers and students.
The AGM concluded with a new executive board, a new 2nd Vice Chair and a new operation structure presented for 2023.
Photos: Vietnam News agency
