Overseas graduates needed for Vietnamese university

To whom it may concern,

My name is Angela Nguyen and I am an English Teacher currently living in the United States. My husband and I have been planning to return to Vietnam to raise our young son and I am currently in the process of looking for employment in Vietnam. I hold a bachelors degree in Spanish, Mass Communications and International Politics from the University of Minnesota. I have a year and a half of teaching experience in China and Venezuela as well as a year and a half of proffessional experience in communications as an Associate Writer for a Thebe Street Works, a communications firm in Minneapolis, Minnesota in the United States.

I would very much like to send you a copy of my resume and a portfolio of my published writing if you are in need of an English conversation or writing teacher. I would be glad to send it by e-mail, Federal Express or fax as you would preffer. You may e-mail me at eric.t.nguyen@usa.com.

Sincerely,
Angela Nguyen

I understand overseas Vietnamese students fairly well. There are two types, those who have non-Vietnamese citizenships and those who are real Vietnamese students who study overseas. These groups do not mix. Often the overseas Vietnamese students come from very rich family backgrounds and they would return to Vietnam. However should they return as drug addicts or a real scholar is a matter of debate. Also they may return to work for in high level jobs arranged for them so that they can exploit the system and take bribes.

The Vietkieu group is increasingly the children of Viet kieu who were born in Vietnam. These young people are only related to Vietnam through their parents. They may be interested in a very short period of working in Vietnam but they will eventually need high salaries to be able to live and develop their careers in competitive Western countries.

I belong to the generation of Vietnamese who were born in Vietnam but educated outside. I went back to Vietnam to work for 5 years as Technical Director for Oracle where I enjoy very good salary and high social status. But the Vietnamese market could not support IT companies who can afford me. I had so many Vietnamese IT students working for me who graduated from Universities in Hanoi. They are now working mainly in Singapore and other countries!

I think teh situation is desperate for Vietnam. The country has no money to attract talented people. And most Vietnamese who study overseas would not qualify to become true academics of Western standards anyway until they have finished their PHD in a Western country. By that time they would not have much time to help Vietnam even if they wish to. And most of these older scholars, when they find their way back to Vietnam, they are too old and mainly come there for visits and chas ethe girls of the age of their nieces, they hang mainly about at the KaraOKE bars! That's a real disgrace. I am not a stranger to all these ironies after 6 years in Vietnam working accross Hanoi and HCM city.

I have no solution but I would suggest that you open a website and contact the Universities in Australia and other countries directly for help. They would know students of Vietnamese origin and they would not give the detail out. However they would help to post a message on the noticeboard to attract their attention. Then they can look up the website.

The issue is really what's on offer for them. Many Western and Vietnamese students may be interested in doing a thesis about Vietnam. Where they will travel to Vietnam to complete their thesis. That really create a link to Vietnam. However after that they would want to get job with UNDP or NGO to make a living. Only when they get a bit older they may consider jobs in Vietnamese Universities. But this would be the case when they make enough money not to worry about making a living. That's quite far away. Therefore this is a very long term plan and that needs the vision and interest and support of the government. I have seen half hearted attempt 3 years ago at gettign all Viet Kieu scholars to meet in Hanoi and discus the issue of helping Vietnam. But unfortunately all these PHD and professors are too old and only interested in young girls in Vietnam (after the meeting ofcourse! Shame on them). Then there was no follow-ups on that event.

This is a very long term issue! For now you may like to pursuit also distance education where the teacher does not have to be in Vietnam. This is only suitable for the type of mature aged students who can self-study with the assistance of a distant teacher.

Another thing to watch out for is that students from teh world outside who may want to do a thesis in Vietnam. But they can be very calculative. They just want to get some free help to do a thesis then they say "bye bye". So taking in these useless trainees without proper screening is a waste of resources! It's very hard. Vietnam needs true experts and highly qualified academics, not the trainees. And unless Vietnam can offer a good living to them, these people would not come. I was idealistic when I came back in 1995. I left in late 2000 with the realisation that Vietnam is really in a mess unless the Government can take a long term view to address these problems.