Socialist Republic of Vietnam

Enthusiastic and strong-willed Thomas Vallely, an US veteran from the Vietnam War, has returned as a dedicated educator.

Thomas, a graduate from the University of Massachusetts and holder of a postgraduate degree from John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University, is director of the Harvard program in Vietnam (Fulbright Economics Teaching Program) and is one of the founders of VEF (Vietnam Education Fund).

The VEF is a US scholarship that enables technical and science students to study in the US, whereas the original Fulbright was only open in economics.

The Fulbright Economics Teaching Program, founded in 1994, is a partnership between the University of Economics, Ho Chi Minh City and the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. The School, which is located in HCM City, receives core funding from the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs of the United States Department of State.

Colleagues of Thomas said if that were not for Thomas’s patience and enthusiasm, there would be no Fulbright Economics Teaching Program, or the VEF.

However, Thomas redirects such credit to the support and encouragement from the US government and a group of US senators who fought in Vietnam, led by John Kerry and John McCain.

What was it about Vietnam that has captured his interest?

“At first, it was possibly the curiosity about a country that he had known from the war. And then the vigorous changes of a developing country have attracted him as an economic researcher and a professional educator”, one colleague offered.

“I experience a new Vietnam every day”

In 1969, Thomas left Massachusetts for Vietnam, and was based in An Hoa commune near My Son, Quang Nam province.

“In the war and even after I left, I did not know much about Vietnam. Honestly speaking, I did not like Vietnam. I fought a war about which I knew so little, but the war changed me somehow”

In 1985, a decade after the US withdrew from Vietnam, Thomas returned for the first time with a group of veterans. “I came back because of my curiosity and a need for self education. I stayed in Vietnam for only one month but started to love this country”, he revealed to VietNamNet.

In 1990, Harvard University started an education program with Vietnam, so Thomas was in Vietnam more often. “I think I was lucky to return to Vietnam, and my job here since 1990 has given me the opportunities to understand this country and I fall in love with it day after day”

“Sending students overseas is not an efficient way”

Thomas insists, “The Fulbright Vietnam program is the core of rational education that other programs in Vietnam should also apply.”

“If a country wants to modernise, it needs two things: funds and knowledge, and of course a good connection between them.”

“At Fulbright Vietnam, through each year long course, learners are taught how to think, how to learn, how to research and how to analyse cases and problems that are familiar to them. And it is then that decide what to study. We want to stress that learning is a lifelong process, not just a course. Therefore, we offer online materials that anyone can use to self study without our presence.”

“The teachers at Fulbright Vietnam are very well trained. The program invests even more time on training the teachers than on teaching the students per se. The knowledge we want to focus here is extra-book knowledge, because the knowledge that merely comes from the books is so limited.”

“Sending Vietnamese students to the US is not efficient, because that costs a fortune. With the same amount of fund, it is better to invest in some standard educational organisations in Vietnam because more students will get the benefit. I think VEF should take this leaf out of Fulbright’s book,” Thomas said.

“My ambition is to open a university in Vietnam”

“I have been thinking about opening a university in Vietnam- some university of international standards and true competitiveness. The lack of competition and the over control of the Government and the Ministry of Education will curb development. Vietnam should establish a university like the Qing Hua University in China, with lecturers are those who have had education in developed countries, with modern teaching materials and with a careful intake process to insure the quality of the graduates.”

“Universities are definitely more important than highways and industrial zones. Therefore, I think Vietnam should have a group of professional and experienced educators and researchers to sit down together and discuss about setting up leading universities. I would love to join such a discussion.”

“Vietnam has developed substantially but not enough, I would think. The country needs to go even faster because no one should hesitate in this globalisation. In the war, managing to survive is enough but in peace, people should exert unstopped, concluded Thomas.”

Khanh Linh, Viet Nam Net, 14:45' May 20, 2005 (GMT+7)