VietNamNet Bridge - The Vietnam Education Foundation (VEF) is likely to close in 2018, and opportunities to study in the US with VEF’s scholarships will then cease. 


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VEF, an independent US Federal Government agency, established by the 2000 VEF Act by the US Congress, aims to improve the relationship between the US and Vietnam through education exchange activities in STEMM fields (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics, and Medicine).

VEF requests Vietnamese fellows and scholars to return to Vietnam after they finish their academic programs in the US.

The foundation has provided hundreds of Vietnamese with the opportunities to study in the US. 

VEF receives an annual budget of US $5 million from the US Congress until 2018 under the VEF Act, i.e. that the VEF would stop operation from 2018 unless the US Congress decides to extend the duration of the fund.

The fund decommission would be a significant loss for Vietnamese students.

A VEF mission recently paid a working visit to Vietnam where they had working sessions with Vietnamese agencies and the National Assembly on the extension of VEF.  

Tran Duc Canh, Advisor to VEF, told Giao Duc Viet Nam newspaper during his working session in Hanoi, that 528 Vietnamese students have been studying at 100 leading universities in the US with VEF’s scholarships. Of these, 85 received master's degrees and 232 doctorate degrees.

However, according to Canh, VEF has brought more than scholarships to 528 Vietnamese people. Many VEF scholarship recipients ceded their VEF fellowship to others because they got better opportunities from other US schools. 

Therefore, VEF’s money has been used in a more effective way than initially planned.

When asked about the working visit, Canh said the VEF’s delegation was pleased  about the outcome of the visit. The leaders of the ministries, associations and schools all highly appreciated the operation of the foundation , and have made detailed suggestions on the continued cooperation.

Vietnamese ministries and branches have suggested expanding VEF’s cover, i.e, VEF can fund Vietnamese studies not only in STEMM fields, but also in social sciences and education management.

“As far as I know, all the people who were involved in VEF program wish to see VEF operating after 2018,” Canh said.

However, he said there were many things that need to be done to obtain VEF 2. It is necessary to have an independent and comprehensive assessment of the operation of VEF and make suggestions about the ways VEF can follow in the time to come.

GDVN