[Vnbiz] US Education Conference in Hanoi Jan. 24-25, 2008

Fri Nov 23 13:04:51 PST 2007

Dear CACC:

  I'm forwarding the below notification from the US Embassy in Hanoi, Vietnam. FYI, the conference dates are now confirmed for Jan. 24-25, 2008 by the Public Affairs Officer at the Embassy. The planned University Fair Day on the 26th is subject to sufficient interest from the participating universities.

  Looking forward to your paticipation, representing American universities or NGOs. See you at the conference in Hanoi.  

  Best regards,

    Andrew Tran Ngoc Anh
  The California State University System
  Office of the Chancellor

    Here goes ... 

  I am writing to alert you to the Education Conference that Ambassador Michael W. Michalak will host in Hanoi, Vietnam in January, 2008.  Dates are tentatively set for January 24-25.

  This Conference will bring together American Â“stakeholdersÂ” in education in Vietnam for discussion on how we can all work together to create more effective educational programs.  Stakeholders include American universities with linkages with Vietnamese universities; American companies funding educational programs or interested in funding them; American NGOs active in the area of education; and U.S. government organizations such as the Embassy, the Fulbright Program, and the Vietnam Education Foundation (VEF).

  Discussions will focus on how public-private sector cooperation can increase the benefits for all American stakeholders in Vietnam.  Each day of the two-day Conference will be devoted to generating ideas and action plans about how to progress toward one of two principal goals: 

      How to significantly increase the flow of Vietnamese students to the United States; 

      How to encourage more and deeper linkages between American and Vietnamese universities. 

  In addition to the Conference sessions listed below, the Conference will also include a reception hosted by Ambassador Michalak that will be attended by officials from the Vietnamese Ministry of Education and Training (MOET) and representatives from Vietnamese universities.  
  We are also considering organizing a University Fair on Saturday, January 26, the day after the Conference, if there is sufficient interest from American universities attending the Conference.

  Official invitations for the Education Conference will be sent out later; the purpose of this e-mail is to informally invite you to attend and participate in the Conference, to send you information about the Conference schedule and request your input, and to request an indication of whether you or someone from your organization would be interested in attending or participating by giving a presentation on your institutions educational programs in Vietnam.

  IÂ’m looking forward to hearing from you with your thoughts on the Conference sessions and your desire to participate in them.
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Sessions being considered for the Education Conference: 

         Opening remarks: Ambassador Michael W. Michalak: ConferenceÂ’s two principal goals and importance of participantsÂ’ input, what we can do now with limited resources to meet two principal goals.  Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education and Training Nhan has indicated his desire to participate in the opening ceremony for the Conference. 

         VietnamÂ’s near-term human resource needs, its educational strategies to meet them, limitations of Vietnamese educational system. 

         USG programs to help Vietnam build human capacity and to promote study in the United States: Fulbright Program, Fulbright Economic Teaching Program (FETP), Vietnam Educational foundation (FEF), Institute for International Education (IIE). 

         Presentation by American university representatives: linkages with Vietnamese universities, plans for expansion of programs, creation of new ones, obstacles encountered in creating linkages, how they overcame them, current obstacles to further linkages. 

         Presentation by American companies with education-related programs: types of programs, size of programs, what skills companies need that arenÂ’t being provided by VN educational institutions, their perception of VNÂ’s future ability to fill their needs. 

         Presentation by American NGOs: types of educational programs funded, number of participants, results of programs, plans for future programs. 

         Public-private partnerships, examples of partnerships in effect now, benefits they provide, possible future partnerships 

         American involvement in creation of a new world-class university, ideas for size, structure, cost, funding, location, etc. 

         Vietnamese students in the United States: how many there are, where and what they are studying, cost of their programs, etc. 

         Obstacles to greater number of Vietnamese students in the United States: lack of awareness of feasibility of study in the U.S., funding problems, visa issues, English language. 

         Solutions to obstacles: new ideas, new combinations of ideas, programs to publicize sources of information, new sources of funding, ways to increase English test scores, clear explanation of what is needed to qualify for visa, public-private partnerships 

         Special event before reception at which Ambassador pitches American companies for contributions to Fulbright Program, discusses importance of good corporate citizenship, creation of good will, creation of environment receptive to American businesses and products. 

  ---------------------------- 
James A. Warren 
Public Affairs Officer 
U.S. Embassy - Hanoi 
Tel: (84-4) 850-5000 
Fax: (84-4) 831-4601 
---------------------------- 

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