The construction plan of the Biomedical Research Center was initiated in 2004 with a series of proposed key laboratories for basic medical departments, such as histology - embryology, biochemistry, physiology, parasitology, … etc.
After a long period of consideration of the global trends of laboratory development / design and Vietnamese regulation, together with the university’s increasing tendency and need to develop scientific research programme, in 2010, the Board of Directors of PNTU acquired permission to invest in building a center, named “Specialized Experiment and Research Center” (Image no.1).
Image no.1: “Specialized Experiment and Researching Center” construction plan (10/2010)
The construction plan for the “Specialized Experiment and Research Center” of PNTU (with 06 floors, 3.418m2 in area) was approved by Ho Chi Minh City Department of Construction in Decision no.35/QĐ-SXD-TĐDA dated 20th of August 2013 (Image no.2). The initial usage of the center was planned to perform experiments for the university’s scientific research.
Image no.2 Decision no.35/QĐ-SXD-TĐDA dated 20th of August 2013 and its corrected version (8/2013 & 8/2015)
Construction of the main building was started in May 2015 and accomplished and handed over to the university in February 2017 (Image no.3 and no.4).
Image no.3: Groundbreaking Ceremony (06/05/2015)
Image no.4: Hand-over Ceremony (06/02/2017)
After 14 years of establishing, the initial goals are no longer appropriate. In order to fully exploit the capacity of the facilities in all aspects, the center’s administrative board decided to adopt a new concept for the center by turning it into a national top-quality multidisciplinary-research center which will be comparable to other centers in the region and global. In realizing that idea, the previous department-laboratory plan were modified into specialized hi-tech labs to be available for individuals and organizations of PNTU to utilize and for collaboration with others from outside the PNTU. Depending on the research aim, research groups will be able to use equipment located in one or more of these technical labs to carry out experiments to completion of the research projects. The Board of Directors of PNTU later approved the described plan and issued the Decision no.1537/QĐ-TĐHYKPNT to establish and name the center as “Pham Ngoc Thanh University of Medicine’s Biomedical Research Center” (Image no.5).
Image no.5: Decision no.1537/QĐ-TĐHYKPNT on establishing the center (2/2018)
Alongside constructing the building, investing in facilities (especially with specialized tools and cutting -edge technologies) was also particularly critical for the center to function properly. This required a significant effort to reconsider the budgeting and procurement plan. By the end of 2019, the university finished up the legal process and signed 3 bidding contracts to supply facilities for the center:
- Contract no.06051/HĐTB-TĐHYKPNT-NTC-AĐ-2019 dated 5th of June 2019: Supply and install facilities for Immunology research and other non-specialized tools.
- Contract no.0610/HĐTB-TĐHYKPNT-NTC-YTSG-2019 dated 10th of June 2019: Supply and install facilities for Genetics and Molecular biology research
- Contract no.06/ HĐTB-TĐHYKPNT-MED-AT-2019 dated 13th of December 2019: Supply and install facilities for IVF, Microbiology and Cell and Tissues research.
By 12th of December 2019, the center received the first shipping notice (no. 1212/CV-NTC-AĐ-2019) from Construction Service 589 and Investment Company and An Dinh Engineering Service Limited Company. The process of receiving these facilities strictly followed the 7-step inspection of the university and the mentor-utilize procedure of the center to ensure that all facilities were installed correctly, legally (with sufficient proof and paperwork), and that instructions were carefully given. (Image no.6).
Image no.6: Handing over facilities (6-7/2020)
The installation process was followed by instructing and training. The center cooperated with the suppliers and the Project management Board to open training courses to ensure all relating individuals could utilize the facilities skillfully (Image no.7). The SOPs of utilization and maintenance were also issued.
Image no.7: Training courses at the center (6-7/2020)
By the 7th of May 2020, the center was allowed to take over the facilities in the three bidding contracts and put them into use (according to Decision no.2009/QĐ-T ĐHYKPNT).
To update relevant information on the center’s internal management and activities, its section on the university’s website is now being developed (Image no.8), with articles in both English and Vietnamese. Details at: https://ttncysh.pnt.edu.vn/
Image no.8: The center’s section on the university’s website
In addition, considering the operational reality, collaboration and cooperation of the Center internationally, the university decided to rename it to “Biomedical Research Center, Pham Ngoc Thach University of Medicine” (abbreviation: BRCP, according to Decision no.2404/QĐ-TĐHYKPNT dated 17th of June 2020) (Image no.9).
Image no.9: Biomedical Research Center, University of Medicine Pham Ngoc Thach (5/2021)
It tooks 16 years for the BRCP to be established as today version: The Center is designed as a Cutting- edge techonoly/ state of the-art -technology laboratory-manufactory available for users/ researchers/ scientists to carry out meaningful and impactful research projects. This is the essential fundament for the center to continue developing, in hope of “Becoming a top research center in Viet Nam and globally”./.
Assoc.Prof. Pham Dang Dieu, PhD, MD.
(as of August 2021)