Ho Chi Minh city – Founding President of Fulbright University Vietnam, Ms. Dam Bich Thuy, announced her plan to step down from the presidency by Summer 2023, after eight years of spearheading the founding and development of Vietnam’s first private, not-for-profit liberal arts university.
In her letter to the Fulbright community this morning, September 12, 2022, Ms. Dam Bich Thuy shared that it was her “extreme privilege to have been part of the mission to build Fulbright University Vietnam from scratch.” Thus, she continued, “it has been a difficult decision to step down from the work that I have so loved doing – one that has challenged and inspired me for the past eight years.”
“During her tenure, President Thuy guided Fulbright from bold but unproven concept to dynamic reality,” Mr. Thomas Vallely, Chairman of Fulbright University Vietnam’s Board of Trustees highlighted.
“We all owe President Thuy an enormous debt of gratitude for her tireless efforts to create a Vietnamese university like no other,” he said.
According to Mr. Vallely, thanks to Ms. Dam Bich Thuy’s relentless and immeasurable efforts, Fulbright is exceptionally well-positioned for continued growth and development. The University is headed towards a very promising future with a diverse, talented, and rapidly growing student body of more than 1,200 graduates and undergraduates by next Fall; an accomplished and dedicated group of faculty and staff; a rigorous curriculum, supported by strong academic partnerships in Vietnam, in the U.S. and other countries; and a solid financial plan for the construction of the flagship campus in Saigon Hi-Tech Park supported by the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation and the Founders Circle.
Fulbright University Vietnam’s Board of Trustees has launched an international search for President Thuy’s successor. Over the next year, President Thuy will continue to pursue an ambitious agenda to advance the university’s development and prepare the foundation for a smooth transition to a new leader. Fulbright University Vietnam will also be celebrating its first Undergraduate Commencement in June 2023.
Ms. Dam Bich Thuy has had more than a decade of distinguished service to Fulbright University Vietnam ever since Fulbright was just a vision amongst a group of Vietnamese and Americans, who were passionate about creating the next century’s, world-class education for Vietnam. In September 2015, she was announced the Founding President of the newly established Fulbright University Vietnam.
Prior to assuming her presidency at Fulbright University Vietnam, Ms. Thuy had a successful career in banking and finance. In 2005, she was appointed to be the CEO of Vietnam and Indochina at ANZ banking group, making her the first Vietnamese national to lead the operations of a multinational bank.
Before that, Ms. Thuy along with her colleagues founded the first international investment consulting company in Vietnam, bringing in worldly partners such as ANZ, Phillip Morris, Coca-Cola, IBM, and Citibank.
In 1993, Ms. Thuy was awarded the Fulbright Scholarship to pursue her master’s degree in the United States. She was among the first Vietnamese to receive this prestigious scholarship before the two nations normalized their diplomatic relationships.
About Fulbright University Vietnam
Fulbright University Vietnam is Vietnam’s first independent, not-for-profit, liberal arts university. We are an expanding international team of educational innovators, with deep roots in Vietnam, strong political and financial backing, and connections to educational institutions around the world.
At Fulbright, we believe in the power of collaboration, transdisciplinary thinking, and risk-taking, and we understand that effective education requires putting students at its center. Globally integrated but deeply embedded in Vietnamese society, Fulbright is dedicated to providing a world-class education, utilizing the latest advancements in institutional design, teaching, learning, technology and other fields to create an institution that is both innovative and globally relevant. Importantly, Fulbright is committed to serving Vietnamese society through rigorous research and responsible civic engagement.
