Last month, a group of U.S. higher education colleagues representing some of America’s finest colleges and universities came to Vietnam to explore opportunities for cooperation, including intensive English and university pathway programs, student recruitment, custom-designed short programs, professional Master’s degree programs, certificate programs, research that cuts across institutional and national boundaries, study abroad programs for U.S. students, faculty and scholar exchange, joint and dual degree opportunities with Vietnamese institutions, and distance education programs, among others.

In addition to an informal first-day meeting with students, a country briefing, city tours and various entertainment activities, group members had a full schedule that included the following meetings and events over the course of five days:

• Ministry of Education and Training
• Vietnam National University- Hanoi
• National Economics University
• Global Associates Reception (Hanoi)
• Thai Nguyen University of Technology
• Thai Nguyen University Learning Resource Center
• Meeting with Virginia Palmer, U.S. Deputy Chief of Mission, and colleagues from Public Affairs, Foreign Commercial Service, and USAID
• Vietnam Education Foundation (VEF)
• Hanoi Medical University
• Hanoi University of Industry
• Breakfast Meeting with Mdm Ton Nh Thi Ninh, President of Tri Viet University, a private, non-profit university project
• Hoa Sen University
• Vietnam National University-HCMC International Center
• HCMC University of Agriculture and Forestry
• Global Associates Reception (HCMC)
• University of Social Sciences & Humanities
• HCMC University of Technology
• Tan Tao University (private, non-profit)

Their visit was the latest indication of just how much interest there is in U.S. higher education in Vietnam and, in some cases, Vietnam as a priority country in an institution’s internationalization strategy. Participating U.S. institutions included: 

• California State University, Long Beach (CA)
• California State University, Northridge (CA)
• Columbia University (NY)
• Kansas State University (KS)
• La Salle University (PA)
• University of Massachusetts-Boston (MA)
• San Diego State University (CA)
• Syracuse University (NY)
• University of Texas at Austin (TX)

The exploratory trip was organized for Global Associates members of the University Professional & Continuing Education Association (UPCEA) by Capstone Vietnam, a Hanoi-based human resource development company.