Exploring policy engagement in global health
At OUCRU, I worked on an internal review, interviewing researchers to evaluate how the organization engages with policy stakeholders. The objective was to better understand the current efforts, identify key challenges and facilitators, and propose relevant recommendations to strengthen policy engagement in Vietnam and beyond.
Using NVIVO to analyze these interviews, the findings will help guide the team’s future direction and enhance OUCRU’s policy engagement strategies across the programme.
Through this study, I gained valuable insight into the policy-making process in Vietnam and broadened my knowledge of the infectious diseases that OUCRU addresses. I also learned about Vietnam’s policy environment and the importance of strategic communication in advancing the right to health.
Why OUCRU?
My academic background doesn’t lie in medicine or science, but rather in policy and human rights. Still, I’ve always believed that the right to health is one of the most fundamental human rights. That belief led me to OUCRU, a place where I could see how health research and policy intersect in real time.
OUCRU Vietnam was the ideal internship host. With strong institutional ties to government and public health agencies, OUCRU has many major impacts on public health policy in Vietnam.
Additionally, at such a high-caliber clinical research unit, I was able to learn daily from leading researchers conducting impactful studies to combat infectious diseases in Southeast Asia.
Living and learning in Vietnam
Outside of my professional experience, I have also experienced immense personal growth during my time in Vietnam. During my stay, I immersed myself in Saigonese culture and explored southern and central Vietnam on weekends.
One of the biggest surprises for me was the exceptional hospitality of the people. My coworkers were always eager to give me a local recommendation, have lunch with me, and even ask about my most recent trips. I encountered this welcoming environment during all my weekend explorations throughout the country as well. Every place I traveled to was full of kind locals who greeted me with a smile, offered me a place to sit to avoid the intense rain or heat, and even let me sample some of their food before I bought it.
During my time here, OUCRU provided invaluable experiences—both through formal interviews and informal cross-cultural conversations in the coffee room. My time here has also impacted my professional trajectory and confirmed my desire to enter into an international human right focused career.
Acknowledgments
I am thankful to the Policy Engagement Team – Katrina Lawson, Ngô Phan Bảo Trân, and Nguyễn Thị Hồng for supervising my project and supporting me the whole way through. I also want to say thank you to the Grants and Communications Team for being my home base here at OUCRU and constantly providing support for various personal and professional matters during my internship. Finally, I would like to thank everyone whom I interviewed for the internal survey, as they made the project come to fruition.
Alayshja Bable is currently pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in Public Policy and International Affairs, as well as a minor in Values and Public Life at Princeton University, United States. She joined OUCRU as a Policy Engagement Intern in 2025 through the Internship in Global Health, sponsored by Princeton’s Center for Health and Wellbeing.
OUCRU provides Vietnamese and international students with the opportunity to experience our unique research environment first-hand, through Clinical and Research internships. Learn more.
