A license to establish the Fulbright University Vietnam was presented to the Board of the Trust for University Innovation by Nguyễn Phú Trọng in 2015. The campaign for licensing and funding was spearheaded by Thomas Vallely of the Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation at the Harvard Kennedy School. Vallely said the university will “will embody American values including academic freedom, autonomy, meritocracy, and transparency.” Although Fulbright University Vietnam is a private university, it has benefited from the support of the governments of both Vietnam and the United States. In the United States, Fulbright University Vietnam, and its antecedent, the Fulbright Economics Teaching Program, has benefited from strong bilateral support in Congress. Of particular note is the role played by John Kerry. While in the Senate, Kerry and his fellow Vietnam veteran John McCain were strong supporters of education exchange with Vietnam. As Secretary of State, Kerry was an early advocate for the FUV initiative. In 2013, FUV was cited in a joint statement by PresidentTruong Tan Sang and President Barack Obama during President Sang's visit to the United States. In June 2014, Prime MinisterNguyễn Tấn Dũng approved the establishment of FUV. In December 2014, the United States Congress approved $20 million to fund the development of FUV on the condition that the university be independent, not-for-profit, and on par with the quality of American universities. The government of Vietnam officially licensed FUV on May 16, 2016. Later that month, the launch of Fulbright University Vietnam was officially announced in a speech by President Barack Obama in Hanoi. Two days later in Ho Chi Minh City, at a ceremony witness by Secretary of State John Kerry, Fulbright University VIetnam was awarded its establishment license.
Vision
Although Fulbright University Vietnam is inspired by the American liberal education tradition, it is not an attempt to recreate an American university in Vietnam. Distinguishing features of FUV's approach include, in its institutional design, a commitment to innovation, not replication. FUV is also dedicated to serving Vietnamese society. This commitment to service is reflected in its emphasis on recruiting students of diverse socioeconomic backgrounds and to providing need-based financial assistance. It is also manifested in its aspiration to help address challenges facing Vietnam and the world.
Academics
During its first five years, FUV will focus on the development of two integrated academic units, a graduate school of public policy and management and an undergraduate program in engineering and the liberal arts and sciences. The Fulbright School of Public Policy and Management represents the continuation and expansion of the Fulbright Economics Teaching Program, the center of public policy teaching and research operated by the Harvard Kennedy School Vietnam Program from 1994 to 2016. The public policy school will offer degree and non-degree programs in public policy and related fields. FUV's undergraduate program in engineering and the liberal arts and sciences is scheduled to admit a beta class in 2018. This program is being developed in collaboration with faculty members from the Olin College of Engineering. The undergraduate program will feature interdisciplinary courses, project-based learning, and active engagement with the community. FUV intends to seek accreditation from a US regional accrediting body. FUV may enroll up to 2,000 students during its first five years.
Campus
FUV plans to build its main campus in the Saigon Hi-Tech Park in District 9. The government of Ho Chi Minh City has contributed 15 hectares of land in the park to FUV, where FUV will build learning and residential facilities.
In May 2016 during his visit to Vietnam, then Secretary of State John Kerry announced that the Americans had appointed Bob Kerrey to be Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Fulbright University Vietnam. This gave rise to the controversy. In 2001 an in-depth investigation by The New York Times and CBS News had revealed that on 25 February 1969 Bob Kerrey had commanded a Navy SEALS unit that massacred 21 civilians in Thạnh Phong village in the Vietnam War. Among the prominent Vietnamese critics of the appointment of Kerrey were, a former ambassador to the European Union, and Nguyễn Thanh Việt, an award-winning Vietnamese-American writer. The most high-ranking Vietnamese official to publicly support Kerrey's appointment was Đinh La Thăng, who at the time was Communist Party Secretary of Ho Chi Minh City and a member of the Politburo. In May 2017, it is reported that Bob Kerrey had stepped down from the position of Chairman of Fulbright Board of Trustees. In May 2018, H. Kim Bottomly, former president of Wellesley College, was appointed as the chair of the board of the trustees.
