PRESS RELEASE

February 23, 2009

United States Offers Scholarships for U.S. Master’s Degree Program in Economics for Women

HANOI, February 23, 2009 -- The United States Government, through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) in Vietnam today announced the 2009 Masters' Program in Economics for Women. The Program will provide three fully-funded scholarships covering tuition and fees, monthly stipend, round-trip airfare to the United States, and health insurance.

The Program is designed to help develop a new generation of female economists who, once returning to Vietnam, will be able to lead economic policy making as well as serve as role models for future generations of female economists. The Program is a competitive, merit-based scholarship program. The 2009 grantees will pursue a two-year master’s degree program in the United States that begins in the academic year 2009-2010.

Competition is open to all applicants who meet the following minimum criteria: be a female Vietnamese citizen; have an undergraduate degree in economics or a related field; have at least three years of work experience; be proficient in English; be employed, presently or previously, in the Vietnamese Government with aspiration for future government/public sector services; and have not earned a bachelor's or master's degree from a U.S. college or university within the last three years.

To participate in the competition, applicants must submit an application form (available on the US Embassy Hanoi website at http://vietnam.usembassy.gov/usaid_scholarship.html or at the USAID/Vietnam office); one essay (Personal Statement); a professional CV/resume; three letters of reference; notarized photocopies of diplomas and transcripts (including notarized English translations), TOEFL/IELTS score reports and GRE or GMAT score reports (if available).

Two information sessions will be held in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City on March 4 and March 6, 2009, respectively. 

The deadline for application submission is March 31, 2009.

Application should be sent to:
Economic Growth Office, USAID/Vietnam Mission
15th floor, Tung Shing Building, #2 Ngo Quyen Street, Hanoi, Vietnam

Tel: (84-4) 3935-1260; Fax: (84-4) 3935-1265.