Fulbright University Vietnam Update
Nguyen Lan Huong huong.newasia at gmail.com
Wed May 25 19:54:00 PDT 2016
Hello VGS,
I just read the news about FUV and Sec. Kerry' speech in Cafef and Thanh
Nien
http://cafef.vn/ngoai-truong-my-tu-hoi-uc-cuoc-chien-toi-dh-fulbright-20160525225418485.chn
Feel free to advise where I might find Sec. Kerry's speech in English
version.
Thanks,
Huong Nguyen
Bill Hayton bill.hayton at bbc.co.uk
Wed May 25 20:00:34 PDT 2016
Here you are…
http://www.state.gov/secretary/remarks/2016/05/257701.htm
Bill Hayton
dan hoang hoangdanlieu at yahoo.com
Thu May 26 17:56:39 PDT 2016
Very impressive speech! and much can be learned from this speech. I very much like these his words:
This is a country that places a very high value on learning. Its students are optimistic and eager to make the most of their talents and skills, and they’re also outward-looking. This is hugely important because freedom of inquiry, freedom of thought, freedom of expression, are essential to a 21st century education. This is not a matter of ideology. This is not a matter of one country’s choice over another. This is how the world works today. And if you’re going to be a thriving enterprise, a nation of progress and a nation that’s engaged with people, you have to be able to work at a faster pace, to be able to move freely in this marketplace, not just of goods but of ideas.
Much will depend on whether students learn not what to think, but how to think, and whether or not they have the incentive and the ability to innovate and to pursue new ideas.
Both the President Obama's and the Secretary of the State's speeches are full of deep and innovative ideas. Lieu
Dzung Do dzungdo.mofa at gmail.com
Tue May 31 19:20:06 PDT 2016
Hi,
Wondered if our group have any thoughts on appointing Bob Kerrey as head of
the FUV's board?
http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/0/5f7054a2-26f3-11e6-8b18-91555f2f4fde.html#axzz4A6QFuwNt
The story has been quite controversial on the social media the last few
days. Nguyen Thanh Viet, author of "The Sympathizer", has just penned here
https://www.facebook.com/vietnguyenauthor/posts/528799370659803?pnref=story
:
Most of my comments about Bob Kerrey's appointment to lead the new
Fulbright University in Vietnam did not make it into this article. I have
two problems with Kerrey:
1. He committed a war crime that he admits to in his memoir. His team
definitely killed unarmed Vietnamese civilians. The only issue is whether
he personally killed Vietnamese civilians or ordered their deaths. Being in
charge of a unit that kills civilians is, as far as I know, a war crime,
and if anyone had done that to Americans, Americans would understand it as
such. The issue here is not whether Bob Kerrey should be forgiven for such
a thing--that's a separate issue--but why whoever is in charge of Fulbright
University could not find anyone else qualified to lead it. Vietnam's need
to move forward and America's need to put its past behind it does not have
to pivot on one man.
2. Bob Kerrey was president of the New School. He earned renown for his
fundraising and for being the highest-paid private university president.
His term came to an end amidst a no-confidence vote from his faculty and a
student takeover of the the school. For me, Kerrey embodies some of the
problems with a corporate, private vision of university administration.
Many, many U.S. and UK academics are unhappy with this type of profit and
fundraising oriented type of university, which treats academic labor badly
and extracts profit from students (leading to the revolt against Kerrey by
his own faculty and students). It's great that Vietnam can get a private
university with western standards, but the Vietnamese should be aware that
this model comes with its own problems that are reflective of larger
problems in the same kind of capitalism that leads to profit above all
else. The Formosa/dead fish scandal is part of the same system of
profit-driven capitalism, neglectful of human beings, taken to a greater
extreme.
US and UK academics are calling for an academia that pays attention to
humane educational values for both the academic workforce and for students,
above the search for profit and training students to be workers. It's a
struggle to achieve that in the US and UK and I assume it will be one in
Vietnam as well.
http://www.ft.com/…/5f7054a2-26f3-11e6-8b18-91555f2f4fde.ht…
<http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/5f7054a2-26f3-11e6-8b18-91555f2f4fde.html#axzz4AFevG0BT>
Best,
Dzung
Vuong Vu-Duc vuduc.vuong at gmail.com
Tue May 31 20:36:50 PDT 2016
Dear Lan Huong, Bill, Dzung, and all,
I've been mulling over this too, and here's my 2c worth:
In a nutshell, Kerrey should resign from this post immediately, for the
good of FUV and its future students, for the good of Education in VN in
general (especially as the country is taking its tentative steps in
"non-profit, private, independent" higher ed.) and for Bob's own peace of
mind and reputation.
What Kerrey did in Ben Tre in 1969 was clear, although it took 30 years to
get him to admit it. That he served HIS country was beyond a doubt. That
he went on to an notable career in public service was equally
indisputable. And that he lent a hand in the normalization process between
the 2 countries in the 90's should be recognized.
At the same time, Kerrey's achievements, both as governor and senator, can
be graded charitably a "B", and his tenure at the New School was simply
disastrous. True, he raised hell of a lot of money, and he spent just as
lavishly. It's not a feat that Bob can come close to replicating it in the
messy country that is VN today.
But most of all, his appointment reflects both the American arrogance and
the Vietnamese servility. As many have mentioned, the U.S. is not short on
educational managers/fundraisers with integrity, devotion, and desire to
plant the seed for an effective higher education system in VN. By
appointing Kerrey, does the U.S.G. not invite the public, especially the
Vietnamese public, to suspect that it (USG) thinks it's back in the saddle
and can dictate its capricious policies as if we were in 1963-1964 again?
As to the Vietnamese Gov't, it's seems obvious that it failed its due
diligence in accepting FUV lock, stock and barrel. A simple Google check
would have raised all the red flags to make any honest teacher blush.
I wish Bob Kerrey a happy, enjoyable and useful remaining years on this
Earth, anywhere away from FUV.
Vu-Duc Vuong.
San Francisco
dan hoang hoangdanlieu at yahoo.com
Tue May 31 20:55:09 PDT 2016
Dear Vuong and all, I agree with you. It is a suprise to me of this oppointment from the US Government and the acceptance of the Vietnam side. We don't need a good fundraising and a war crimer, but good academic leaders for this University- our hope FUV is as a seed for blossoming a high education quality of the VN HE, but now I feel my (and others') hope maybe a hopless. Lieu
Joe Berry joetracyberry at gmail.com
Tue May 31 20:46:41 PDT 2016
#1 different Kerr(e) y. #2 he was a terrible pres of NS and tried hard to break the union organizing efforts of the the adjuncts (the majority) there.
Joe Berry
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