Fulbright University Vietnam

Fulbright University Vietnam (FUV) is a private nonprofit university in the Saigon Hi-Tech Park in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.^[3] It is one of Vietnam's first private, nonprofit institutions of higher education.^[4] The FUV concept emerged from discussions convened by the Vietnam Program at the Harvard Kennedy School aimed at planning the next stage in the development of the Fulbright Economics Teaching Program (FETP), a center of public policy research and teaching in Ho Chi Minh City.^[5][6] Since 2014, the university's development has been coordinated by the Trust for University Innovation in Vietnam (TUIV), a nonprofit corporation based in the Boston area. TUIV and the Harvard Vietnam Program are recipients of several grants from the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs of the United States Department of State. ^[7]

History

Although Fulbright University Vietnam is a private university, it has benefited from the support of the governments of both Vietnam and the United States.^[8][9]

In the United States, FUV, and its antecedent, the Fulbright Economics Teaching Program, has benefited from strong bilateral support in Congress. Of particular note is the role played by John Kerry. While in the Senate, Kerry and his fellow Vietnam veteran John McCain were strong supporters of education exchange with Vietnam.^[10] As Secretary of State, Kerry was an early advocate for the FUV initiative.^[11]

In 2013, FUV was cited in a joint statement by President Truong Tan Sang and President Barack Obama during President Sang's visit to the United States.^[12]

In June 2014, Prime Minister Nguyễn Tấn Dũng approved the establishment of FUV.^[13] In December 2014, the United States Congress approved $20 million to fund the development of FUV on the condition that the university be independent, not-for-profit, and on par with the quality of American universities.^[14][7]

The government of Vietnam officially licensed FUV on May 16, 2016.^[7] Later that month, the launch of Fulbright University Vietnam was officially announced in a speech by President Barack Obama in Hanoi.^[15] Two days later in Ho Chi Minh City, at a ceremony witness by Secretary of State John Kerry, Fulbright University VIetnam was awarded its establishment license.^[16]

The Bob Kerrey Controversy

In May 2016 during his visit to Vietnam, then Secretary of State John Kerry announced that the Americans had appointed Bob Kerrey to be Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Fulbright University Vietnam. This gave rise to a major controversy.^[17] In 2001 an in-depth investigation by The New York Times and CBS News^[18] had revealed that on 25 February 1969 Bob Kerrey had commanded a Navy SEALS unit that massacred 21 civilians in Thạnh Phong village.

Among the prominent Vietnamese critics of the appointment of Kerrey were Tôn Nữ Thị Ninh, a former ambassador to the European Union,^[19] and Nguyễn Thanh Việt, an award-winning Vietnamese-American writer.^[20] The most high-ranking Vietnamese official to publicly support Kerrey's appointment was Đinh La Thăng,^[21] who at the time was Communist Party Secretary of Ho Chi Minh City and a member of the Politburo, but in January 2018 was tried, convicted, and imprisoned for 13 years on corruption charges.^[22]

In May 2017, Mark Ashwill, a higher education consultant based in Vietnam who has good contacts in that country, reported that Bob Kerrey had quietly stepped down from the position of Chairman of the Board of Trustees.^[23] However, this has never been officially confirmed, and in a January 2018 interview Kerrey "said he believed he still technically held the title."^[24] Thus, Kerrey's role, if any, in the governance of the university is not known to the public. Ashwill has called for greater transparency in the governance of Fulbright University Vietnam.^[23]

Vision

Although Fulbright University Vietnam is inspired by the American liberal education tradition, it is not an attempt to recreate an American university in Vietnam.^[25] Distinguishing features of FUV's approach include, in its institutional design, a commitment to innovation, not replication.^[26] FUV is also dedicated to serving Vietnamese society. This commitment to service is reflected in its emphasis on recruiting students of diverse socioneconomic backgrounds and to providing need-based financial assistance. It is also manifested in its aspiration to help address challenges facing Vietnam and the world.^[27]

Academics

During its first five years, FUV will focus on the development of two integrated academic units, a graduate school of public policy and management and an undergraduate program in engineering and the liberal arts and sciences.^[28]

The Fulbright School of Public Policy and Management represents the continuation and expansion of the Fulbright Economics Teaching Program, the center of public policy teaching and research operated by the Harvard Kennedy School Vietnam Program from 1994 to 2016. The public policy school will offer degree and non-degree programs in public policy and related fields.

FUV's undergraduate program in engineering and the liberal arts and sciences is scheduled to admit a beta class in 2018. This program is being developed in collaboration with faculty members from the Olin College of Engineering.^[29] The undergraduate program will feature interdisciplinary courses, project-based learning, and active engagement with the community.^[30]

FUV intends to seek accreditation from a US regional accrediting body. FUV may enroll up to 2,000 students during its first five years.^[31]

Campus

FUV plans to build its main campus in the Saigon Hi-Tech Park in District 9. The government of Ho Chi Minh City has contributed 25 hectares of land in the park to FUV, where FUV will build learning and residential facilities.^[32]

References

External links

Fulbright University Vietnam