The highlight today was meeting two key figures in the development of a new American-style University, which will be the Fulbright University Vietnam.

A reader of this Blog put me in touch with the university vice-president, Ted Osius, who served as Ambassador to Vietnam for three years and speaks fluent Vietnamese. We met today, along with the chief academic officer, and they discussed their plans to open a new University next year, incorporating critical thinking, multidisciplinary projects, and academic freedom. One of their models is the multidisciplinary undergraduate program at Colorado College. They have been interviewing faculty, aiming for a 2019 opening. They have already had great interest from students, many of whom have participated in faculty interviews.

During his years as a career foreign service officer, Osius fell in love with Vietnam and its people. He wants to do what he can to develop a new leadership group of people to build the country. He pointed out that eight of the 18 people on the national governing council were graduates of a Fulbright economics program started in Vietnam by Harvard after the war. Today, Vietnam has a vibrant and growing economy.

The Vietnamese Government has provided land. The US government and individual Americans have contributed funding. It is an exciting venture.