Dear Fulbright friends,
I’m writing to you this April full of hope and excitement. This month has been eventful; but first, allow me to welcome a new member of the Fulbright community: Professor Jay Siegel, who joins us as our Provost, effective Summer 2021.
This important appointment is the culmination of a rigorous search done by the search committee of university administrators, scholars, and stakeholders. As Provost, Professor Siegel will be responsible for leading our academic mission in teaching, research, and innovation. With such an important addition, I am confident that Fulbright will chart a course that will elevate our mission of “reimagining higher education in Vietnam, for Vietnamese students.”
My friends,
What I love most about being an educator is the chance to meet various thought leaders in different industries. We were able to hear stories from inspiring people such as Sheryl Sandberg, COO of Facebook, on the importance of liberal education and preparing for a future of uncertainty post-pandemic. We could learn from Chris Matthews and his high-profile guest lecturers through a one-of-a-kind course on American Political Communications. We managed to develop new partnerships with EnPointe Management Corporation and Young Marketers to ensure that our students would have the best university experience we could offer. We have been fortunate to be able to do all that without having to leave Vietnam despite the raging impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Even though the pandemic has brought disruptions to our plans to offer young thought leaders of Southeast Asia and Timor-Leste face-to-face seminars at the YSEALI Academy at Fulbright University Vietnam, it did not deter us from hosting not one, but three, virtual seminars this year. The first Public Policy flagship seminar on Energy Economics and Policy is open for applications from now until May 15, 2021.
I am happy that Fulbright not only welcomes thought leaders across the globe but also nurtures the thought leaders among us. Our very own thought leader, Dr. Le Thai Ha, recently published two research papers on CO2 emission and particulate matter, with concrete implications for developing countries, such as Vietnam, to prosper in a sustainable way.
Every day at Fulbright, I am impressed by our members’ commitment to doing work the right way – be it in the field, be it in scholarly work, or be it in the classroom. I hope that through such commitment, our students will embrace their years at Fulbright as a foundation for lives that enrich their communities and make society better for all and graduate as thought leaders who are ready for what is next.
Thank you,
Dam Bich Thuy
President, Fulbright University Vietnam
