US fund hails Vietnamese academic talents
Vietnamese students in the US, most under 30 years old, have demonstrated great diligence and talent, according to officials of the Vietnam Education Foundation (VEF).
More than 20 scientific research ideas in health, biology, information technology and mathematics by Vietnamese postgraduate researchers were put on show at the 10th annual VFF Fellows and Scholars Conference hosted by Florida State University from January 3 to 5.
The event provided a platform for VFF officials, representatives from the Vietnamese Embassy in the US and relevant Vietnamese ministries as well as 200 Vietnamese scholars in the US, to discuss orientations for future Vietnam-US cooperation in education.
There were also discussions on Vietnam’s current development environment, including relevant policies that will affect overseas Vietnamese students when they return home.
Since its formation by US Congress in 2000 as an independent US Federal Government agency to foster education cooperation between Vietnam and the US, the VFF has provided scholarships to 421 Vietnamese students to study in the US.
US Congress recently decided to grant US$5 million to extend the foundation’s operation to five more years, until 2018.
According to the latest Open Doors report by Institute of International Education, the number of Vietnamese students enrolled in US institutions of higher education reached 15,572 in the 2011-2012 academic year.
This is a 4.6 percent increase from the previous year, and the 12th consecutive year of growth. Vietnam ranks 8th in the world in number of students studying in the US.