U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton Meets Educational Exchange Alumni to Mark 20th Anniversary of Fulbright Program in Vietnam

HANOI, July 10, 2012 – U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton today participated in an event at Hanoi’s Foreign Trade University to mark the 20th anniversary of the U.S. government’s Fulbright program in Vietnam.  Over 200 Fulbright and other U.S. program alumni as well as FTU students were in attendance. The event was moderated by Fulbright alumna and Vietnam Veterans of America Foundation Representative Ms. Thao Griffiths.

Secretary Clinton praised the Fulbright program on its 20th anniversary in Vietnam and noted the role alumni have played in growing Vietnam’s economy and contributing to the growth of our bilateral relations.

Over the last twenty years, the Fulbright Program has sent more than 1,000 Vietnamese students, teachers and scholars to the United States for advanced study and research. In its efforts to expand the program, Fulbright has reached out to institutions throughout Vietnam to make sure that participating scholars and students exhibit broad regional diversity.

Fulbright alumni such as  Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Thien Nhan and Vietnamese Ambassador to the United States Nguyen Quoc Cuong true testament to the program’s primary goal of increasing mutual understanding through educational and cultural exchange as well as Fulbright’s impact in helping to drive economic growth and development as part of our expanding bilateral ties.

For videos by Vietnamese Fulbright alumni, including Ambassador Cuong, see: www.youtube.com/achanoi

For more information about the Fulbright Program in Vietnam, see: http://vietnam.usembassy.gov/fulbright.html