VEF-sponsored HUT biomechanics course

The Vietnamese Ministry of Education and Training (MOET) is targeting over twenty Advanced programs to elevate to international standards. The U.S. government, through the Vietnam Education Foundation (VEF), also supports technology capacity building and in 2008 initiated the U.S. Faculty Scholars Program for faculty members to teach in English at Vietnamese universities. The focus of one such program is biomedical engineering (BME) at the Hanoi University of Technology. The teaching efforts were conducted during the spring 2009 semester using both onsite classroom instruction as well as interactive internet video conferencing. Because the expertise of the HUT BME faculty lies predominately in the area of biomedical instrumentation, the need for course support is in non-electronics areas, for example, engineering biomechanics. The topics of the biomechanics course were centered on the design of an orthopedic implant, including specifications, a design report, and team presentations. A customized textbook included content targeted toward the design project, student assignments, and key PowerPoint slides. The American professor and students established a strong rapport including exposure to fresh learning approaches, engineering practices, and cultural and language experiences. There was a wide variability among the assigned grades, with several being highly competitive. Student evaluations indicated the course was well received and appreciated. � Springer-Verlag 2010.