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Dear cherished friends of Fulbright University Vietnam,
Looking back on the journey of Fulbright University Vietnam, I can’t help but regard every step forward and every milestone we made in the last 6 years as evocative of the word “friendship”.
That spirit of friendship began with the establishment of the Fulbright Economics Teaching Program (FETP) – now the Fulbright School of Public Policy and Management – in 1995, before the normalization of diplomatic relations between the U.S. and Vietnam. At the heart, FETP – and Fulbright University Vietnam – are the fruits of dedicated efforts from visionaries and leaders between the two nations, among whom was the former U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, who recently made a visit to our Crescent Campus as the U.S. Special Presidential Envoy for Climate Change. In his exchange with Fulbright students and distinguished guests, Mr. John Kerry expressed high hopes for the future of Vietnam and its young people, while stressing the importance of collaboration and partnership between Vietnam and the U.S. to bring about positive change in education, sustainable development, and environmental protection.
The good rapport between our two nations is also illustrated in the YSEALI Academy at Fulbright. Launched in 2020 in collaboration with the U.S. Department of State, the YSEALI Academy’s main mission is to organize seminars and workshops that foster the capacity of young professionals from across Southeast Asia. These seminars often address regional challenges from regional perspectives, featuring industry experts and prominent scholars to unpack critical issues facing Southeast Asia, and involve learning activities designed to create lasting professional relationships between fellows.
I’m pleased to hear that after two years – and four successful seminars – the YSEALI Academy’s upcoming seminar, titled “The Digitization of Trust”, is expected to be the last one online. Moving forward, we hope to see the return of in-person seminars, and that Southeast Asian fellows can soon travel to Vietnam, visit Fulbright’s Crescent Campus, and attend sessions together.
My dear friends,
The spirit of friendship imprinted on every major step forward of Fulbright University Vietnam is also evident in the faith that many people and organizations from Vietnam and across the world have put in our mission and vision. Alongside Fulbright’s Financial Aid Program are scholarships that enable qualified students, regardless of their socioeconomic status, to get a liberal arts education at Fulbright. They are made possible by the generosity and support of Mr. Nguyễn Phương Lam, the donor of Nguyễn-Phương Family Scholarship; TPBank and Temasek International, the donors of the TPBank STEM Scholarship and Community Change-Maker Scholarship respectively; the Joint Stock Commercial Bank for Foreign Trade of Vietnam – Thu Thiem Branch and the Vietcombank – Fulbright Scholarship; and Wheel Cards, the world’s first wheelchair/disabilities-related NFT project and their Wheel Cards Scholarship.
The spirit of friendship at Fulbright is also embedded in our continual pursuit to become a world-class university, yet remaining true to our Vietnamese roots. This March, Fulbright is pleased to announce “Tonkin Free School & Vietnamese Liberal Arts Education Model”, an International Research Conference organized in celebration of the 115 Anniversary of Dong Kinh Nghia Thuc (Tonkin Free School, 1907-2022), as well as the 155th Birth Anniversary of Phan Boi Chau (1867-2022), and 150th Birth Anniversary of Phan Chau Trinh (1872-2022). The conference aims to offer new perspectives and deepen understanding on the liberal tradition in Vietnamese history, as well as its enduring lessons for today’s world.
My dear friends,
From time immemorial, humans have learned to collaborate and trust one another to promote the good of community and society. Whether it’s the camaraderie between faculty and students at Fulbright on their journey of knowledge and self-discovery, or the partnership between Fulbright and other organizations to advance the future of education in Vietnam, I believe any significant progress that the university have made over the last few years wouldn’t have been possible without the exceptional commitment and dedication from our faculty members, staff, and students – whose passion and inexhaustible energy are equally matched by that of generous givers, entrepreneurs and officers from all over the world who have joined forces with Fulbright. With all these valuable lessons about friendship and collaboration on our journey to reimagine higher education for the next generations in Vietnam, I believe we can make into reality the ideas once considered unthinkable, and together, build a better future for our people, community, and society.
Sending my very best,
Dam Bich Thuy
President, Fulbright University Vietnam
