On September 22, the country’s largest foreign investor, Samsung Vietnam, has granted access to its $250,000 Smart School Programme to Thai Nguyen University of Medicine and Pharmacy, as part of its corporate social responsibility efforts in the field of education.
Earlier, on September 9, equal funds were provided to Ho Chi Minh City University of Medicine and Pharmacy. The program is expected to popularise new, more inclusive and interactive teaching and learning methods at universities.
“Education and healthcare are the key sectors of our corporate social responsibility (CSR) programmes, through which we invest for the development of Vietnam and display our gratitude for the local society’s kind support,” expressed Hyun Woo Bang, Samsung Vietnam’s senior vice president and chief relations officer.
The Smart School initiative closely follows the Ministry of Education and Training’s directive on educational innovation programmes.
Samsung Smart School was developed and implemented through the consultations with high-profile experts from the educational organisation HAIVN (Health Advancement in Vietnam), which includes alumni from Beth Israel Medical Center Deaconess and Harvard Medical School.
Grants provided to universities within the Smart School Programme include “hardware”—kitting out interactive classrooms with modern equipment, such as Interactive White Board (IWB), Galaxy Tab A 9.7, as well as Internet system connected to a server, and extremely convenient and advanced accessories.
The second component of the grant is lesson content creation using specialised software and training tools for teachers and students that familiarize them with the new teaching and learning model.
Interactive lessons can now be presented with various illustrations, such as images, sounds, video clips, and movies. Besides, complex 3D images for medical students, such as histology and musculature models in the human body that are free to handle through 'strip,' 'separate,' and 'rotate' features, will allow students to visually observe.
“It is so much closer to reality compared to the previous theoretical lectures. No wonder we find it inspiring and easy to grasp this knowledge,” said Nguyen Huong Lan, a second-year student joining the trial Smart School class at Thai Nguyen University of Medicine and Pharmacy.
In addition to entertaining and convenient technology, the Smart School system utilises the ‘Team-based Learning’ method developed by Dr. Larry K. Michaelsen, Professor Emeritus of Management at the University of Oklahoma in the US.
“Advanced technological equipment and teaching methods together will set the first steps to innovate education in Vietnam. We, therefore, truly appreciate Samsung’s great contribution to this promising development,” said Associate Prof. Nguyen Van Son, principal of Thai Nguyen University of Medicine and Pharmacy.
By Thanh Xuan / vir
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