Vietnamese PM approves in principle TUIV’s establishment of Fulbright University Vietnam (FUV)

Ho Chi Minh City, June 5, 2014

In Circular No. 821/TTg-KGVX dated June 3, 2014, Vietnamese Prime Minister approved in principle the Trust for University Innovation in Vietnam (TUIV)’s establishment of the Fulbright University Vietnam (FUV). TUIV is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization headquartered in Cambridge, MA and chaired by Thomas Vallely, former director of the Vietnam Program at Harvard University.

FUV will be established in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, inheriting the knowledge and human capital of the Fulbright Economics Teaching Program (FETP or the Fulbright School) which is celebrating its 20^th anniversary this year. FETP was established in 1994 as a joint initiative of the Harvard Vietnam Program and the University of Economics HCMC, receiving core funding from the US Government. Today, FETP is widely regarded as Vietnam’s leading center for economics and public policy research and teaching. The transformation of FETP into FUV has long been a vision of the Program’s founders and has received supports from both the US and Vietnamese governments. The FUV initiative was first mentioned officially in the Joint Statement of US President Barack Obama and Vietnamese President Truong Tan Sang in late July last year and later was reiterated in US Secretary of State John Kerry’s visit to Vietnam in December the same year. The success of FETP was also acknowledged in these events.

In the transition, Harvard University commits to continue its academic partnership with FUV. FUV is planned to develop through two stages. The first stage will focus on developing and offering degree programs at the master’s level in public policy, management, and technology. As conditions allow, undergraduate and doctoral education will be offered in the second stage. FUV’s degree programs will follow FETP’s model, partnering and cooperating with an American academic partners. FUV will incorporate the master’s in public policy program (MPP) and research activities of the Fulbright School. During transition, FETP’s research and training activities remains normal with the existing partnership between Harvard Kennedy School and the University of Economics HCMC. FETP’s MPP Class 7 is accepting applications until July 4, 2014 and entrance exam will be held on July 27, 2014.

FUV will be the first nonprofit private university in Vietnam. It will embody the principles that are prerequisites for educational excellence: academic freedom, meritocracy, transparency, and accountability. FUV will benchmark itself against the best by pursuing accreditation from US accrediting bodies. It will be laser-focused on recruiting talented Vietnamese scholars and scientists by offering a professional environment and individual incentives commensurate with those available abroad.