Symbolized from `Hestia' holding fire in monoline-style. Hestina's name means "hearth, fireplace, altar", the goddess of the hearth, the right ordering of domesticity, the family, the home, and the state
Overview of the Institute
Health and Agricultural Policy Research Institute (HARPRI) is the first health and agricultural economics research institute ever established in Vietnam. It is governed by the University of Economics Ho Chi Minh City (UEH), hereafter the University, the largest and prestige economic research school in the country’s south.
The institute aims to improve health and agricultural policies in a rapidly changing environment through rigorous, collaborative, data-driven research, innovative educational programs, innovative technology, and high-quality research design consultation services. Facilitates cross-institutional research and educational collaborations with many domestic and international institutions, along with establishing relationships with industry leaders, especially in the South-East Asia region.
The need for HAPRI’s establishment
The relationship between the economy, health, and healthcare are getting more and more crucial due to the rapid growth of human population in recent years as this raises many questions that need to be answered, for example:
Should health care coverage be universal, private, or a hybrid system between the two?
What are the roles of the elderly in the economy?
Should the government increase the retirement age, and if it is the case, increase by how many years is appropriate?
Does granting financial autonomy to public hospitals guarantee an improvement in healthcare services?
Does facilitating commercial activities negatively affect nutrition level and thus increase the decease burden?
Does the effectiveness of a newly introduced drug can justify its higher price?
To answer these questions, economic analysis in medicine is required, which leads to the need to establish health economic research in economic schools.
At the same time, agriculture is also an inseparable part of the world due to the direct linkage between this sector with daily food consumption, the welfare of the rural population, the export of agricultural products, and climate change. In recent years, research on agriculture has only not focused on improving the efficiency of crops, livestock, and poultry but also on other aspects of regarding the economic effect of agriculture on family’s welfare and health such as:
What is the role of women in the family when agricultural exports opportunity increases significantly?
Why organic products are good for consumers but are facing difficulties in exploiting the market?
Should investment for agriculture sector be a primary priority due to current advantages or shift to industrial and service industries with concerns over inequality and pollution?
These prove that researches on agriculture and rural development are necessary and on-demand as it is attracting the interest of many large research grants over the world.
Our vision
By 2025, HAPRI will become one of the most influential research institutions of Vietnam in the field of health economics and agricultural policy, recognized by international research institutions and universities around the world.
Legal basis
HAPRI was founded according to Decision No. 3037/QĐ-ĐHKT-NS of the University’s Dean on November 13th, 2019. HAPRI is a not-for-profit administrative unit operate with defined functions and missions under the University. HAPRI has its own legal status, seal, and bank account with Doctor Võ Tất Thắng is the head and founder of the Institute granted by Decision No. 3245/QĐ-ĐHKT-NS.
Function
Advise and organize implementations of academic research projects.
Cooperate in research and training with domestic and foreign partners.
Provide policy advice in health and agriculture.
Organize short-term training courses and grant certificates.
Tasks
Conduct research projects assigned by UEH;
Seek for domestic and foreign partners to conduct research and training projects;
Provide consultancy, technology transfer and training support based on local and international demands;
Implement international cooperation activities to promote research and training exchanges, attract scholars and promote the Institute and University's reputation;
Build and operate networks in health and agriculture economic research;
Publish research articles, reports, and books in relevant fields.
Training and research focus
Training
Develop and implement postgraduate international joint training programs on health economics and agricultural economics;
Organize courses on methods and experiences in economic research for lecturers, graduate students, and students of the University, as well as researchers and industrial managers;
Organize courses on methods of formulating and executing socio-economic projects, especially health and healthcare evaluation;
Organize short courses, both domestically and internationally, to provide to update knowledge on economics, research methods, and implementation projects for lecturers, researchers, and managers of the University.
Research
Organize seminars on health and agricultural economics;
Organize workshops on research methods training;
Advise lecturers, graduate students, and students in economic research and publishing activities
Strengthen the research capability of UEH, ensure that UEH is an outstanding institute in health and agricultural economics;
Organize research activities, consultancy and scientific services for agencies and economic sectors;
Functional authority
Cooperate in scientific research, organize training with professors, managers both within the University, domestically and internationally in related fields and industries.
Cooperate with the central government’s ministries, entities, organizations, local governments, and enterprises from all socio-economic backgrounds in Vietnam to perform the institute's functions and tasks.
Cooperate with foreign organizations and individuals in performing the Institute's functions, especially in the Southeast Asia region
Collect fees, issue certificates, paying related charges for training courses organized by the Institute according to the needs of the society, based on compliance with regulations of the law and the University.
Recruit and invite visiting lecturers, scholars, and research fellows to participate in training, researching, and consultancy activities.
Sign labor contracts with employees when having human resources needs.
The experts
Our team consists of researchers in many disciplinaries, including economics, development, ecology, and natural resources, with more than 100 years of combined research experience. We always join forces to conduct research projects and training programs to create an interdisciplinary academic and educational environment.
Mr. Thắng Võ - Director PhD. in Economics, Australian National University - Australia
Mr. Giáp Nguyễn - Vice Director of Training and Development PhD. in Applied Economics, Auburn University - USA
Mr. Dũng Nguyễn - Vice Director of Academic Research Programs PhD. in Development Studies, Erasmus University Rotterdam – Netherlands
Mr. Huy Nguyễn - Senior Research Associate PhD. in Economics, Australian Nation University – Australia
Mr. Thông Trần - Senior Research Associate PhD. in Human Ecology, Australian National University – Australia
Mr. Dũng Trần - Senior Research Associate Ph.D. in Hydrology and Water Resources, Wageningen University - Netherlands
