A number of professors and PhDs have joined Vietnam National University Ho Chi Minh City (VNU-HCM) to teach and conduct research, including Dr. Pham Hy Hieu, a technical member of xAI (USA). Others come from prestigious institutions such as Harvard University (USA) and the University of Toronto (Canada).

VNU-HCM recently approved a list of 16 international professors and experts who will teach and conduct research under its visiting professor program. Among them are scholars from leading global institutions including Harvard Medical School (USA), University of Toronto (Canada), Technical University of Munich (Germany), Georgetown University (USA), and the Institute of Advanced Science and Technology (Japan). Notably, Dr. Pham Hy Hieu, currently working at xAI, has returned to Vietnam to participate in teaching and research.

From gifted high school to world-class AI research

Dr. Pham Hy Hieu, an alumnus of the High School for the Gifted (VNU-HCM), is currently a technical member at xAI (USA) and one of the first 16 scientists approved by the advisory council for VNU-HCM's visiting professor program.

He earned his Bachelor’s degree with honors in Computer Science from Stanford University (2011–2015) and received the Ben Wegbreit Award for best honors thesis.

Since August 2024, he has worked at xAI, optimizing attention mechanisms for the Grok-3 model. Prior to that, he was a research scientist at Augment Computing (March 2023–July 2024), playing a key role in helping the startup achieve a $1 billion valuation. He also held research roles at Google Brain (April 2020–March 2023) and served as an Adjunct Associate Professor in the Department of Electrical Engineering at the National University of Singapore (April 2021–March 2023).

Dr. Hieu shared that even 15 years after graduating, he regularly reconnects with former teachers and friends. These lasting bonds often made him wonder how he could give back to the school that once nurtured his youthful dreams. Yet, he struggled to find a truly meaningful way.

That changed during a visit to Ho Chi Minh City in December 2024, when he was invited by Dr. Tran Nam Dung, Vice Principal of the High School for the Gifted, to meet Assoc. Prof. Vu Hai Quan, President of VNU-HCM. Over a warm dinner, Dr. Quan introduced the visiting professor program. Inspired by the initiative, Dr. Hieu saw it as a perfect opportunity to contribute.

According to Dr. Hieu, the visiting professor model is attractive in academia because it allows experts to contribute without being tied down by traditional obligations such as securing research grants or full-time teaching responsibilities.

The program also allows scholars to collaborate while continuing to live and work abroad, creating flexibility that could draw more overseas Vietnamese scientists into Vietnam’s academic ecosystem.

Dr. Hieu hopes to share his research and work experience with students and faculty, while also learning about the practical challenges facing Vietnam’s AI research landscape.

His goals include exposing students to cutting-edge, practical AI research, and understanding the core barriers hindering local AI progress - whether it’s lack of funding, limited research output, unclear directions, or a combination of these factors. Through this understanding and his own expertise, he aims to help strengthen AI research at VNU-HCM.

Dr. Pham Hy Hieu will teach and conduct research at both the University of Science and the University of Information Technology, under VNU-HCM.

Harvard professor joins VNU-HCM to advance medical education

Among the 16 approved candidates is Dr. Barbara Rose Gottlieb, currently Associate Professor at Harvard Medical School and the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

She has been collaborating with colleagues through the Health Advancement in Vietnam (HAIVN) project since 2017, initially helping develop clinical experience modules for medical students modeled after Harvard’s Practice of Medicine course. Over time, her role expanded into leadership within HAIVN, contributing to medical education reform, faculty training, and strategic planning.

In 2022, Dr. Barbara became co-director of a regional learning collaborative focused on medical education reform across three universities along the Mekong River: Can Tho University of Medicine and Pharmacy (Vietnam), University of Puthisastra (Phnom Penh, Cambodia), and University of Health Sciences (Vientiane, Laos).

“I’m ready to host monthly remote training sessions on topics such as curriculum design, faculty development, assessment methods, communication skills, and care for vulnerable patient groups,” she said. “I’m also open to organizing in-person workshops and one-on-one coaching in Vietnam.”

Dr. Barbara will teach and conduct research at the University of Health Sciences (VNU-HCM). She is particularly interested in projects related to student wellness, professional development, communication skills, and care for vulnerable patient populations.

Le Huyen