VIETNAM EDUCATION FOUNDATION (VEF): PRE-DEPARTURE ORIENTATION OF THE 2014 COHORT

Theo nguồn tin trên trang mạng của The Vietnam Education Foundation

Contact:
In the United States: Dr. Lynne McNamara, Executive Director, VEF U.S.
Headquarters Office, Phone: 703-351-5053
In Vietnam: Dr. Phuong Nguyen, Country Director, VEF Hanoi Field Office, Phone:
04-3936-3670, Ext: 24, Email: phuongnguyen@vef.gov

Hanoi, June 2, 2014 – The Vietnam Education Foundation (VEF), an independent U.S. Federal Government agency, is pleased to announce that 40 new Fellows will begin graduate studies this Fall 2014 and 4 new Visiting Scholars will undertake professional development programs during the upcoming academic year 2014-2015, all at 29 leading universities in the United States (see the list below). The VEF Fellowship Program and the VEF Visiting Scholar Program are two of the outstanding educational programs offered by VEF in its mission to continue to build the relationship between Vietnam and the United States through educational exchange and capacity building. To prepare the new Fellows and Visiting Scholars for their transition to the United States, VEF provides a comprehensive Pre-Departure Orientation (PDO) program to be held this year from June 9-14, 2014, in Dong Nai and Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.

Of the 40 new VEF Fellows, 30 wil be pursuing doctoral degrees while 10 will be enrolled in master’s degree programs at high ranking U.S. universities in various fields of science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and medicine. The fields specifically include agriculture, biological and biomedical sciences, computer science, engineering, mathematical sciences, multi/interdisciplinary study, physical sciences, and public health. The specializations in the field of engineering include biological and agricultural, biomedical, chemical, civil, electrical and computer, environmental, industrial, and mechanical engineering. With this 12th cohort, VEF has placed a total of 507 Fellows at 97 leading U.S. universities since 2003 when the VEF Fellowship Program began operations.

In addition, this year, the 8th cohort of Visiting Scholars will pursue self-designed postdoctoral training programs at leading U.S. universities for up to 12 months, focusing on various fields in science and technology, including agriculture, environmental science, and physics. With this new cohort, VEF has awarded a total of 46 Visiting Scholar grants since the Visiting Scholar Program began in 2007.

Dr. Lynne A. McNamara, VEF Executive Director, commented, “We are extremely pleased with this outstanding 2014 cohort of 40 Fellows and 4 Visiting Scholars who will join the ever-growing VEF network of U.S.-educated scientists and engineers and who will make tremendous contributions to Vietnam. The 2014 cohort succeeded in receiving the VEF Fellowships and Visiting Scholar Grants through a highly competitive selection process based on the candidates’ intellectual and academic merit. Congratulations to the new Fellows and Visiting Scholars and to their families, who have helped them reach this point in beginning a remarkable journey that will help them fulfill their dreams!”

The extensive PDO for the 2014 Fellows and Visiting Scholars includes an outdoor experiential learning/team
building program that will help strengthen their identity and relationships as VEF Fellows and Scholars. The
skills and experiences gained from these activities will be useful for upcoming experiences in the United
States. Two additional days of lectures and presentations, addressing immigration and visa matters, financial issues, health issues, travel and insurance requirements, cultural adaptation, life in the United States, academic expectations, and maintaining connections to Vietnam will help them prepare for their transition to the United States.

For more information about VEF, please visit the VEF website at: www.vef.gov

U.S. UNIVERSITIES (29) HOSTING THE 2014 COHORT
OF VEF FELLOWS (40) AND VISITING SCHOLARS (4)

No. U.S. University

1 Binghamton University, State University of New York
2 Brown University
3 California Institute of Technology
4 Iowa State University
5 Johns Hopkins University
6 Kansas State University
7 Loyola University Chicago
8 Michigan State University
9 North Carolina State University
10 Ohio State University
11 Oregon State University
12 Rice University
13 Stony Brook University
14 Texas A&M University
15 Texas Tech University
16 University of Alabama at Birmingham
17 University of Arkansas
18 University of California, Davis
19 University of Houston
20 University of Kentucky
21 University of Massachusetts, Amherst
22 University of Minnesota
23 University of Mississippi
24 University of Missouri
25 University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
26 University of Southern California
27 University of Texas at Arlington
28 University of Texas at Austin
29 Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

http://home.vef.gov/download/Press_Release_Pre-Departure_Orientation_2014_FINAL_En.pdf