University News Last updated 15 April 2014
A professor from Birmingham City University has been honoured with a prestigious award from the Vietnamese Ministry of Health for her contribution to the health of the people of Vietnam.
Joy Notter, Professor of Community Health at the University's Faculty of Health, was awarded the 'Campaign Medal for Services to Health' which is the highest honour that can be bestowed on a non-Vietnamese citizen.
In 2005, Joy embarked on a joint project aimed at improving the quality of nurse training at college and university level in Vietnam.
Alongside colleagues from Vietnam, the Netherlands and England the four-year project aimed to create a master plan for nurse training strategy in Vietnam, highlight standards for nursing training institutions and to formalise a nurse training curriculum at college and university level.
Joy has presented at numerous conferences in Vietnam and alongside her colleagues, has been asked by the Vietnamese Ministry of Health to develop a new project to help improve the quality of primary care through the strengthening of nurse education and training.
Joy was presented with her award at a ceremony in Vietnam by the Vice Minister of Health, Director of Education and Training at the Ministry of Health, Rector and Vice Rector of Nam Dinh Nursing University, Head of Nursing at Hanoi Medical University, President of the Vietnamese Nurses Association and a representative from Birmingham City University.
In addition a second ceremony was held at the University's Faculty of Health last week which included a delegation of Chief Nurse and Departmental Head Nurses from Viet Duc University Hospital Hanoi, Head of Septic Surgery and Deputy Head of Planning at Viet Duc University Hospital and the First Secretary of Education for the Embassy of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam (UK), Nguyen Xuan Hai.
On receiving her award Joy said: "It is an honour and a privilege to receive such recognition from the Vietnamese government and people, I never dreamt that this would happen to me."