Dear cherished friends of Fulbright University Vietnam,
Summer has come and gone in a blink of an eye; then September came to remind us that it was time to “go back” to school. Many convocations were held virtually from all over Vietnam during the past month. Yet, every time I heard that sound of the drum, it always took me back to the pre-COVID-19 days, when we all could live and learn together, in the same space. Even though we are not yet to come back to the “new normal,” I can see hope waiting for us. With the rising inoculation rate, I trust that we can soon welcome students back to our campus and life to return to normal.
Despite the disruption caused by the pandemic, Fulbright University Vietnam still had an eventful month in September. The Fulbright School of Public Policy and Management recently closed its recruitment cycle and soon will welcome the brightest students to the MPP Class of 2023. Thanks to the collaborative efforts of our diligent faculty and staff amidst the pandemic, FSPPM is still working hard towards our mission to create a new generation of leaders in the public, private, and civil sectors. The unique learning environment at Fulbright will equip this new class of young leaders with new knowledge, instill in them public service values, and enable them to continue creating changes.
Also in September, Fulbright University Vietnam launched the first issue of the Fulbright Review of Economics and Policy (FREP), an international journal published on the platform of Emerald Publishing. It was almost two years in the making and was challenging due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the strong collaboration and trust among the editorial board, advisory team, and contributors created a thought-provoking journal. The journal not only focuses on economic issues but also covers a broad range of policy areas, featuring various established scholars and young academics. FREP is the next step that Fulbright strives to achieve as part of our effort to foster open and constructive policy dialogues in Vietnam and the world.
My dear friends,
If we describe Fulbright students as the leaves of our tamarind tree, the scholarships endowed by our donors are the source of nutrients that nourishes the Fulbright tree.
We are forever grateful that starting this fall, a select few Fulbright students with disabilities will be able to receive financial aid from the Wheel Cards Scholarship.
We are also delighted to announce that seven excellent students were selected to receive the Community Change-Maker Scholarship the TPBank STEM Scholarship. These scholarships also reflect great confidence from Temasek and TPBank in the future of the University and our young people. The students were selected based on their track record of academic excellence and the potential impact of their proposed projects.
Thanks to each and every one of you for always being present and so much a part of the Fulbright family, even when we are so far apart. Please trust that I think of you every day and soon, we will all be together again for a new academic year!
With the sincerest gratitude,
Dam Bich Thuy
President, Fulbright University Vietnam
