Fulbright Newsletter
Volume V, No. 1, October-November 2003
Dear Friends,
I would like to say "Hello again!" now that our Fulbright Newsletter is back to present you with an interesting forum for the Fulbright Community in Vietnam. Along with the development of the Program in Vietnam, the work at the Fulbright Office seems to multiple each day, especially in spring and summer, when Vietnamese Fulbright scholars and students are preparing to depart for the U.S.
In the past few months, we have had new faces to introduce to you. Mary Wong has replaced Ben Weber, who has gone back to the U.S., as the program officer of the Vietnamese Student Program. We also welcomed Do Thu Huong, the new program assistant.
With these two new faces, the Fulbright activities in recent months are well under way. The beautiful fall of Hanoi also sets a nice welcome to 8 newly arrived U.S. grantees with an orientation held in September. Six Vietnamese scholars have arrived and settled down to begin their tenures in the U.S. In the meantime, the recruitment process for next year's Vietnamese Scholars Program has begun with 22 applicants joining the competition. Selection of Vietnamese Fulbright Students is also entering its final round.
The month of November will see two important events at the Program: the 10th Anniversary of the Fulbright Student Program in Vietnam and a Conference on American Studies. We are now busy planning for the two events and we hope to see all of you at the gathering moments of the Anniversary.
We are also happy to announce that with the new staff ready, we are able to again publish the newsletter monthly to get you informed in the Fulbright community in Vietnam. Please remember to check your mailbox each month for a Fulbright Newsletter.
Best wishes,
Tran Xuan Thao, Ph.D.
Director
Fulbright 10th Anniversary of the Fulbright Student Program in Vietnam
Along with the preparation for the return of our Newsletter, the Fulbright office is busy planning for the celebration of the 10th Anniversary of the Fulbright Student Program in Vietnam to be held on Friday, November 14, 2003.
The Anniversary will be an important event marking a decade of existence and growth of the Fulbright Student Program and the development of the Fulbright program in Vietnam. The event, thus, will be a great opportunity for us to take a look back at the profile of the Program and its ability to reach the qualified applicants thoughout Vietnam. The event will also highlight the Fulbright Program's contribution, via the values of educational exchanges, to Vietnam's human resource and economic development as well as to Vietnam-U.S. relations and mutual understandings. We also expect this to be a good chance for all past and current Fulbrighters, and us, to recall the beautiful memories with the Fulbright Program in Vietnam.
All Fulbrighters in Vietnam are invited to the ceremony and should have received a formal invitation by now. We believe that all of you are longing for the event and we look forward to seing you all there. If any of you haven't received the invitation, please contact Thu Huong at (04) 831-4580, Ext. 225 or at doht@pd.state.gov .
The Anniversary will be held at:
Hanoi Daewoo Hotel
Grand Ballroom
360 Kim Ma St., Hanoi
Tel: (04) 8315 000
American Study Conference To Be Held in Hanoi
Following the exciting event of the 10th Anniversary of the Vietnamese Student Program, Fulbright's schedule will be continued with a one-day American Studies conference to be held on November 25, 2003 at Hanoi College of Social Sciences and Humanities (HCSSH - VNU).
American studies, with a special emphasis on literature and culture, has been known in Vietnam since before 1975, but has not yet developed to a full-fledged program. Along with the extension of Vietnam's international relations and Vietnam-U.S. bilateral relations in recent years, American studies in Vietnam has slowly been put into shape, especially with the formation of the American Studies Division in the Faculty of International Studies, HCSSH.
To further develop the existing American Studies program and to establish a center for American Studies at the HUSSH, the conference is of great significance. Participants in the Conference will be Vietnamese researchers and lecturers of American Studies from Hanoi, Hue, Danang, Thainguyen, Hochiminh City and experts in American Studies from the U.S. and other South East Asian countries. They are expected to share experiences. This would help to upgrade the American Studies program of the Faculty of International Studies, thus promoting better understanding and cooperation between American and Vietnamese scholars in particular, and between Vietnam and the United States at large.
For more information, please contact Do Thu Huong at (04) 8314580 Ext. 225 or at doht@pd.state.gov.
Prof. Jerry B. Williams, one of the U.S. scholars AY 03-04, is now working with HN University of Technology. He has been in Hanoi since Sept. 2003 and below is his impression on the first days in Vietnam. His email add are: jbw@mail.hut.edu.vn; jbw@seattleu.edu
First, let me say that appointment to the first Fulbright Scholar Lecturer position at the Hanoi University of Technology has been a pleasure this past 2 months, and I would like to thank the Fulbright Program and the many university folks for this opportunity.
The people of Hanoi are very friendly and helpful. I find that they smile a lot more than we Americans smile. They are a very gentle people. I was surprised in view of several recent travels to China to find how different the Vietnamese have developed from the Chinese since the ages ago when many Vietnamese inhabited what is now southern China. The Hanoians on the street love to shout to passing Americans, "Hello! Where are you from?" The young folks especially delight in talking to Americans. The adults all love and care very much for their small children, and I see every evening the fathers as well as the mothers walking and carrying their young ones.
Formal introduction to Hanoi and Vietnam were provided by the interesting and useful orientation presentations on September 4-5 by Fulbright Director Thao, Ambassador Burghardt, Counselor Carmichael, Administrator Thu Huong, Advisors Watson, Bellard, Oswana and Amyes, and Fulbright alumni. Formal work at the Hanoi University of Technology, known here as Bach Khoa Polytechnic, began with my open presentation on September 15 on Higher Education (for Information Technology) in the United States. In attendance then were Professor Dr. Tran Quoc Thang, Rector of this university of some 35,000 students, Dr. Thao and Ms. Thu Huong of the US Embassy, several university vice-rectors, faculty deans and members, Dr. Thuy and Director Lien Hoang who were sponsors of the appointment, representatives from other universities in Hanoi, and invited students. Mr. David Adams in the US CIES IIE office also provided help in review and his comments during preparation of the presentation. Special attention was requested (by the university), and provided by me, on the development and maintenance of high quality faculty in the US. We also discussed some of the general trends for higher education in computer science, computer and software engineering in the US. Since that presentation, I am conducting other classes at Hanoi University of Technology on both Technical Communications and Software Project Management in the US.
Last October 16-17, as part of the Fulbright program, I was fortunate to be invited to participate in a Workshop for Information Technology held to celebrate the five-year anniversary of the Information Technology department at Vinh University in Vinh. Vinh is located about 150 miles south of Hanoi. The workshop hosts were the Vietnam Ministry of Science and Technology, and the IT Vice-Dean at the university. A dozen technical papers were presented, in addition to the Minister's presentation and my two presentations on the subjects of Higher Education and Software Project Management.
I found that Vinh is another fine Vietnamese city but, unlike Hanoi, Vinh has wide, open roadways, and a preponderance of newer construction. Vinh also has very friendly and helpful people. It was saddening to me to hear before my trip that the city had been largely destroyed during the war, and this is the reason that the roads would be new and wide, and that many of the buildings would be of newer construction. There never was any mention of this while I was there. Everyone was friendly and helpful to me. I was also told later that Vinh was the home of their much-revered father of modern Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh.
New Faces at Fulbright Program in Vietnam
During the interruption of the Newsletter, we at the Fulbright Program in Vietnam has said goodbye to one of our program officers, Ben Weber, and at the same time, welcomed two new faces.
Mary Wong, IIE's new VN Student Program's Officer, has arrived here to replace Ben Weber. Ms. Wong received her M.A. in International Development from the University of Kentucky's Patterson School of Diplomacy & International Commerce and her B.A. in International Relations from Drake University. She comes to us from IIE/Washington, DC where she was working on the USAID U.S.-Asia Environmental Partnership Program's Vietnam exchanges. She can be reached via email at wongm@pd.state.gov and via the telephone at extension 155.
The other new face is Do Thu Huong, who replaces Robin Sponsellor as the Program Assistant to provide support to various elements of the Fulbright Program in Vietnam. Thu Huong received her M.A. in Business Administration from the Asian Institute of Technology in Thailand and worked for the AIT-VN in Hanoi before she joined the Fulbright Program in Vietnam four months ago. Thu Huong's email address is doht@pd.state.gov and her extension number is 225.
With them on board, we are confident that we will continue the high standards we have set for the Fulbright Program in Vietnam.
Activities of the Vietnamese Scholars and Students Program
Vietnamese Fulbright Scholars Depart for U.S.
The recruitment committee of the Vietnamese Fulbright Scholars Program for the academic year 2003-2004 has chosen 6 scholars from Hanoi, Danang and Hochiminh City to do research in the U.S. They departed to the U.S in the months of August, September and October. All of them have settled down and begun their research and have sent first impressions on their time in the U.S colleges. Here is the list of the 6 Vietnamese Fulbrighters for this year:
| Vietnamese Fulbright Scholars | Specialties/Topics |
| Dr. Tran Thi Ut | Management of sustainable resources in coastal area for poverty alleviation |
| Dr. Ngo Xuan Binh | U.S. Aid after the Cold War - Features and Trends |
| Dr. Nguyen Van Dinh | Transferability of experience in investment fund development from the U.S. |
| Dr. Tran Manh Quang | Renovating the Curriculum and Applying Information Technology to improve the quality of Teaching and Learning |
| Dr. Tran Thi Xuan Huong | Active Teaching Style |
| Dr. Hoang Ngoc Giao | The Concept of State's Sovereignty in Contemporary Public International Law |
Vietnamese Fulbright Scholar Recruitment for Academic Year 2003-2004 Continued
Having said bon voyage to this year's Vietnamese Fulbright scholars to the U.S., the Fulbright Program has now started a new recruitment process for the Vietnamese scholars for the year to come. Before the deadline of October 15th, many information sessions were held in Hanoi, Hue, Danang and Hochiminh City involving more than 22 candidates from all over the country. The sessions have fully covered the fields of research granted by Fulbright for next year and provided useful information concerning the application and selection process.
Vietnamese Fulbright Students Recruitment Process Under Way
After the deadline for all applications in May 2003, the Vietnamese students recruitment is well under way with the final steps of the selection process. From October 15 to 22, 2003, the interview sessions were held in Hanoi and Hochiminh City for 54 candidates, who are now anxiously looking forward to the competitive selection.
A Taste of Vietnam in the U.S. Fulbright Scholars & Students Orientation
The Fulbright Office has recently held an Orientation, which also served as a warm welcome to Vietnam, for the U.S. grantees who have just arrived for the Fulbright fellowships of the academic year 2003-2004 in Vietnam. Among the attendees were 8 U.S. grantees, both scholars and students, joined by officers from the U.S. Embassy in Hanoi and the Fulbright Program in Vietnam.
Following the welcoming speech by Dr. Tran Xuan Thao, Director of the Program, Mr. Tom Carmichael, Counselor for Public Affairs, gave an overview of the Fulbright Program in Vietnam and its achievement since the days of establishment. Dr. Thao then briefed the new grantees on the Vietnamese education system and provided other useful cultural information. The Orientation was honoured by the presence of His Excellency, the U.S. Ambassador to Vietnam, Mr. Raymond F. Burghart who spoke on the relations between the U.S. and Vietnam as well as the role of U.S.-Vietnam educational exchanges in Vietnam's economic development and in promoting mutual understandings between the two countries.
Helpful tips on various aspects relating to living in Vietnam were also provided by Officers of the U.S. Embassy in Hanoi. Some U.S. Fulbright scholars and students from the previous years were also present at the Orientation to share their valuable experiences and thoughts with the current grantees. They were willing to answer questions from the newcomers, which made everyone find the Orientation very interesting and mutually helpful.
The Orientation session ended with a friendly dinner. The warm atmosphere at the relaxing moments was already a welcome to the newcomers as part of the Vietnam Fulbright Community. A tour of the famous cultural and scenic sights in Hanoi, which was organized later, gave the U.S. Fulbrighters more passion to discover the real taste of Vietnam.
Nguyen thi Hong Dao was Vice-director of International Relations and Research Office, An Giang University, before she was awarded the Fulbright grant and sent to Kansas University for a pre-academic program. She is currently at Boston College doing a 2-year graduate program in higher education administration.
Dear All,
I am well settled at Kansas University in Lawrence, Kansas. I will stay here for a six-week pre-academic program. Then I will fly to Boston College for my two-year study. I'd like to share with you some of my first feelings and tell you what I have been doing over here.
I arrived in Kansas City at 7 p.m. on Sunday, June 29, 2003. After long and tiring, yet "full-fed" flights amounting to a total of 21 hours, I landed at Kansas International airport and was met by Mr. and Mrs. Tom who then took me to Naismith Residential Hall at Kansas University (K.U.). I was very surprised by the warm welcome I received from the Fulbrighters of previous years, who have been studying at K.U. They were very friendly and helpful. This made me feel at home.
The first three days at KU were really my hard time because I faced a lot of challenges: time change, food change, and many other novelties. After all this shock, I have a heavy schedule with mountains of assignments to finish. I don't even have enough time to sleep. All I have to do is learn, observe and read.
Walking is also another challenge. Every morning I have to walk uphill to my classroom, which takes me about 20 minutes. This is what I don't enjoy very much. But, gradually it does help me realize that Vietnamese are not good walkers. We rarely have this good habit. Walking every morning gives me a chance to observe my new surroundings such as the beautiful landscape, traffic movement on the campus (all vehicles are required to stop when a passer-by crosses the street), and the way students dress.
There are 30 graduate students in my class. They are all the Fulbrighters of 2003 and come from every corner of the world: Africa, Europe, Asia, and South America. It is very interesting getting to know a variety of cultures and the different ways they speak English. The six-week pre-academic program is aimed to provide us with pathways to American culture and lifestyle. Staying here, I have come to understand why the Fulbright Program allocated me to the Midwest of the U.S. : this region accommodates the mixture of American cultures from different states of the U.S.. This is obvious even in its English. I find the program very helpful. I have been given a time to adapt myself before I enter my official study at Boston College.
All of my classmates take the program seriously. We don't waste time chatting except during meals. We all want to show to the teachers that we have our own ideas and identities. The atmosphere in our class is always very active. Most of us like to take our homework along even when we are washing our clothes, having meals, going on field trips, or going to a concert. I feel quite confident because I have Ms. Lisa, faculty of Education School as my faculty mentor and Mr. Massissou, graduate student for Ph.D. in Higher Education as my peer mentor. They are willing to help me with all my questions, from academic to daily-life issues.
US-Vietnam Relations
Educational Exchange
Fulbright Program in Vietnam
H.H. Humphrey Fellowship
Study in the U.S.
Embassy Grants
Scholarship Opportunities
