Học Mãi Banquet

Học Mãi, the Australia Vietnam Medical Foundation, is holding a fundraising banquet on the 19th of February that promises to scintillate both intellect and appetite.

The Học Mãi Banquet, which will be held in The University of Sydney’s Great Hall, will feature courses of Vietnamese food interspersed with a series of mini lectures. Lecturers include: Jackie Menzies, the Head Curator of Asian art at the University of New South Wales; business legend Roger Corbett; former President of the New South Wales Legislative Council the Hon Dr Meredith Burgmann; world expert on Angkor Wat Professor Roland Fletcher; and Sir Nicholas Shehadie, former Lord Mayor of Sydney and Captain of the Wallabies.

In addition, the Học Mãi Banquet will be hosted by The Chaser’s Julian Morrow and will be held in the presence of the foundation’s patron The Hon. Marie Bashir, Governor of New South Wales.

Học Mãi, which is Vietnamese for ‘forever learning’, was established in 1998 to improve medical education in Vietnam. Based at The University of Sydney, it provides practical and educational assistance to foster medical education and improve health care for the 85 million people living in Vietnam.

Professor Bruce Robinson, Dean of the Faculty of Medicine and Chairperson of Học Mãi, underscores the important role the foundation plays in both Australia and Vietnam. Học Mãi provides training for Vietnamese medical professionals in Australia, as well as opening the door for Australian professionals to study and teach in Vietnam.

“It’s very much a two-way exchange,” Professor Robinson says, “I think that’s what’s contributed to it being so successful.”

The foundation, according to Professor Robinson, is “broadening the horizons of both groups of people and enabling them to learn from one another”. Along with the tremendous effect of Học Mãi's work in Vietnam, the foundation also provides invaluable education for Australian doctors, nurses and physiotherapists.

Học Mãi is “helping to improve the breadth of knowledge of Australian health care workers, they see practising health care in a very different way,” says Professor Robinson. “It keeps your eyes open to what you can do with very few resources.”

For tickets or further information, please contact Rhondda Glasson at or see the event listing.