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Faculty-led Summer Program Opportunity in Vietnam
Summer 2008

A joint ASU-NTU (Nanyang Technological University, Singapore) faculty-led Summer in Vietnam program designed to sit under a Humanities and Social Sciences (HSS) module called HS350 Social Transformations in Southeast Asia. The student intake, however, is not restricted to the School of HSS – but any undergraduate from any school can take this module. Those applying are typically 2nd year students.

PROGRAM OVERVIEW:

The program is broadly divided into three main sections: (1) Vietnam History and Culture; (2) Vietnam Political and Legal System; and (3) Vietnam Economy and Business Environment. The program is delivered through a classroom setting as well as visits/fieldtrips to industries.

1. History and Culture (3 lectures)

Introduction: The premise of this section is that the current process of change we call ‘doi moi’ or ‘renovation’ is profoundly shaped by Vietnam’s recent history. The period of French colonization, independence and war, and the postwar attempt to build socialism have each in their own way determined Vietnam’s current path of development and integration with a global political and economic system. It is only with reference to historical developments that we can understand the current political, social, and cultural climate in Vietnam, explain the similarities and differences between Vietnam and other ASEAN nations, and better predict the shape and direction of future change.

  • Lecture 1: The French period: Intervention, response, and cultural change during the French period Field Trip: Hoa Lo prison, Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum and Museum
  • Lecture 2: Independence and War: Building socialism and making war Field Trip: Museum of the Revolution
  • Lecture 3: After 1975: Vietnam before Doi moi: collectivization and the command economy Field Trip: Vietnamese Museum of Ethnology: exposition on Bao Cap period
  • Lecture 4: Today’s Vietnam: Present and Outlook

2. Political and Legal System (4 lectures)

Introduction: This section introduces students to Vietnam Political and Legal System with a focus on the legal environment. Its first objective is to familiarize the students with the traditional concepts of Vietnamese of "politics", "power" and "law" through a discussion of key ideologies and factors in the formation of a distinct Vietnamese identity, and later, state. Topics addressed include the current Constitution, the executive, legislative, and judicial branches. Topics are illustrated by real cases.

  • Lecture 5: Overview of Vietnamese law and three branches of the State
  • Lecture 6: Parties doing business in Vietnam
  • Lecture 7: Corporate law and Foreign Direct Investment Law in Vietnam
  • Lecture 8: Contract law and Dispute settlement in Vietnam

3. Economy and Business Environment (6 lectures)

Introduction: This section is the main focus of the whole program. Building upon the understanding of Vietnam history and culture, its higher education system and the political and legal environment, the next five lectures in section 4 are aimed at giving participants a closer look at Vietnam economy and its business environment. Topics include Vietnam economic conditions, foreign direct investment, the business environment, Vietnam – Singapore economic and business relations and the operation of IP in Vietnam.

  • Lecture 9: Vietnam Economy Overview. Speaker: Advisor to the Prime Minister’s Research Commission; Vice President of Vietnam Association of Crafts Villages
  • Lecture 10: Vietnam State-owned Enterprises. Speaker: Head of Research Department on Enterprises’ Reform and Development, Central Institute for Economic Management (CIEM)
  • Lecture 11: Foreign Direct Investment in Vietnam. Speaker: Foreign Investment Agency - Ministry of Planning & Investment
  • Lecture 12: Building an Enabling Business Environment in Vietnam: Achievements, Problems, Prospective. Speaker: Former Vice-President of Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI); Advisor to the Prime Minister’s Research Commission.
  • Lecture 13: Vietnam – Singapore Economic and Business Relation: Speaker: Commercial Counselor – Singaporean Embassy
  • Lecture 14: How Foreign Firms Operate in an IP in Vietnam: Advantages and Disadvantages. Speaker: Management of an Noi Bai IP in Vietnam.

COST PER STUDENT: US$ 1300 approx – this covers everything from the point of landing to the point of departure (local transport, food and stay) including domestic flight to Hanoi – HCMC. The cost, however, is subject to change and should therefore be taken as an approximate value.


The Partner University Fund (PUF): A New Funding Opportunity for U.S.-French University Partnerships
Project application deadline: December 15, 2007

A new opportunity and source of funding for U.S. institutions to develop innovative partnerships with institutions in France.

The Partner University Fund (PUF), a new public-private partnership recently launched by the Embassy of France to the United States, aims to promote innovative collaborations in research and education between between French and American institutions of higher education.

Thanks to the generosity of private donors and the multiyear commitment of the French government, the Partner University Fund (PUF) offers a new source of funding for imaginative partnerships and creates the opportunity for new generations of sustained collaborations between institutions of higher learning in each of the two countries.

With a budget of $1.4 million allocated for its first call for projects, PUF aims to fund lasting partnerships in all disciplines in order to promote sustainable academic cooperation and mutual understanding between France and the United States.

Requirements

PUF supports emerging transatlantic partnerships with a potential to be sustained after the phasing out of the grant. Partnerships may combine elements such as: joint initiatives in research and publications, faculty and postdoctoral mobility, collaboration in teaching, shared programs, joint and dual degrees at the master's and Ph.D level. They can naturally include various forms of mobility for students, postdoctoral fellows, faculty and researchers.

Projects need to be jointly submitted by at least one American and one French university. They can be funded over a three-year period, subject to annual review by the selection committee.

Guidlines

Interested parties are invited to refer to the application guides at www.facecouncil.org/puf. Project applications must be submitted by December 15, 2007. Funding decisions will be announced in March 2008 for the academic year of 2008-2009.

For more information, application guidelines and the application form, visit www.facecouncil.org/puf or contact puf@ambafrance-us.org.