LESSONS LEARNED FROM THE VIETNAM EDUCATION FOUNDATION (VEF)

1. LESSONS LEARNED FROM THE VIETNAM EDUCATION FOUNDATION (VEF) Professor Vo Van Toi Department of Biomedical Engineering International University Vietnam National Universities - HCM

2. Outline • VEF’s missions, infrastructure and activities • Lessons learned from different aspects

3. The Vietnam Education Foundation (VEF) • Is an independent federal agency created by the U.S. Congress in 2000 (VEF Act of 2000) • Funded by the U.S. Government until 2018 with $5 million/year • Governed by the Board of Directors • Consists of Staff, VEFFA, Alumni Association

4. Board of Directors • 6 Presidential Appointees • 3 Cabinet members (Secretaries of State, Treasury, and Education Departments) • 2 Senators • 2 Congressmen

5. Staff • Head Quarter in Washington DC: Executive Director + 3 • Field Office in Hanoi: Country Director + 9

6. VEF mission Strengthen the U.S.-VN bilateral relationship through educational exchangeprograms in science, technology, engineering, mathematics and medicine.

7. VEF Activities VEF 7

8. Scholarship Programs • Fellowship (graduate students): Pioneering, Leadership, 306 Fellows, 40/year • Visiting Scholarship (post doctorates): Training of trainers, 26 (18 returned) Scholars, 4/year • U.S. Faculty Scholar Grants (U.S. professors): Partnership. In person or via video-conference, 7 Faculty, 3/year

9. Apply to U.S. Univ. Nov Interview by U.S. scient. prof. Aug Receive Admission Mar Process A (10% success) Apply to VEF Feb-Apr TOEFL≥500 GRE≥1,000 GPA ≥7/10 Fellows Named Apr Already Admitted in U.S. Univ. GPA ≥7/10 Apply to VEF Feb-Mar Process B (35% success) Fellowship Program

10. Fellowship Program

11. Capacity-Building Programs • Vietnam OpenCourseWare (VOCW) • Status of higher education in Vietnam in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering and Physics, and in Agricultural Sciences • Seminars/International Conferences (Nanotechnology; Soybean technology; Biomedical engineering) • Lectures/Presentations

12. Budget Breakdown • Scholarships: $4 million • Graduate students: $54K++ for 2 years • Visiting scholars: $2,300++ /month • US faculty scholars: $55K • Overheads: $2 million

13. VEF’s Partners in Vietnam • U.S. Embassy in Hanoi and U.S. Consulate in Ho Chi Minh City • Ministry of Education and Training (MOET) • Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST) • Vietnamese universities • Manpower Development Company (MDC)

14. VEF’s Partners in the U.S. • National Academies • U.S. Universities • Legal Counsel • General Services Administration (GSA) • Legislators • Vietnam Embassy in Washington DC • VEF Fellows, VS and FS

15. Lessons Learned

16. The Vietnamese are capable to shape their own destiny with the condition that they have to develop their own visions and working models, and set high standard The Americans can enjoy great appreciation thanks to their dedication, sincerity, humbleness and comprehension

17. Vietnamese Workforce • Very competent => Must offer them good working conditions • Quick learners => With appropriate directives and training they can become great collaborators

18. American Workforce • Require high living standards => Need to be educated for the Vietnamese conditions • Need to know both systems and cultures => Leader must be a Vietnamese American

19. Candidates for Scholarships • Difficult to find appropriate fellows with both right attitude and competence => Work in tandem with universities and well prepare the working conditions to attract the diasporas • There are good students, faculty and leaders in Vietnamese education system => Encourage their involvement in Emerging S&T, and Research, Education and Entrepreneurship • Vietnam must strengthen the undergraduate education • Postdoctoral scholars provide quicker return than graduate students • Faculty scholars are a plus

20. Universities • Only 70 out of 108 VEF Alliance members got fellows => more universities desire to accept Vietnamese students • Top level administrators have good visions • Young Vietnamese faculty are motivated and competent • Cost sharing strategy is excellent to increase the responsibility of all sides

21. Administration • US$5 million/year until 2018 is not much to develop a long term program => leave a legacy to Vietnam • It is better to develop what VN needs to know and to do by developing models/prototypes that worked then transfers them to VN => VOCW, VIED, help to create think tank, NA, NSF, NIH for Vietnam • Aiding is not imposing => mutual comprehension, trust and respect are the keys of success; give first and the return will come • Work with the key persons • A low position public servant cannot help but can harm

22. Red tapes in both sides are different but equally bad => connection, navigation methods and sincerity are the solutions • The worse red tape in the Vietnamese system is the uncertainty • The worse red tape in the American system is the quick fix and indifference • The general services in Vietnam are excellent • Vietnamese complex vs. American complex

23. Conclusions • High Quality • Sustainability • Usefulness