Socialist Republic of Vietnam

History was made at the University of Montana on Tuesday and a new chapter in international relations was forged for Montana.

In a brief but formal ceremony, a new UM student exchange program with Vietnam was signed by President George Dennison and Le Cong Phung, Vietnam's ambassador to the United States.

U.S. Sen. Max Baucus, D-Mont., who helped make the agreement possible, was on hand to witness the signing of the memorandum of understanding.

The agreement is the first of its kind for Montana and promises to open doors for educational, cultural and economic opportunities for both parties, Baucus said.

Since the mid-1980s, the once isolationist country began reaching out to the global community by implementing economic and political reforms, Le Cong Phung explained. By 2000, Vietnam had nourished diplomatic relations with most countries.

Such efforts are critical for Vietnam's future, he said. The growing country has 85 million people and 50 percent of its population is under the age of 25. By 2020, the country is expected to have 100 million people.

The robust growth rate is welcomed, Le Cong Phung said, but it comes with the challenge of providing education for the young people who will help the country expand and prosper in a global economy.

“We are determined to upgrade the educational level of our people,” Le Cong Phung said. “We are at a critical stage for the next 20 years.”

Currently, there are 7,000 Vietnamese college students studying in the United States, and in the immediate future - over the next two years - the country would like to increase that number to 10,000.

UM is eager to welcome Vietnamese students and faculty to campus, and UM looks forward to sending Montana students and faculty to study at Vietnam's universities, Dennison said.

International exchanges are critical learning tools for everyone involved, he said. Not only do such experiences enrich the lives of the students and faculty involved, but they help foster intellectual, academic and economic collaborations.

“This is as much a benefit to us as it is to Vietnam,” Dennison said.

UM can now boast 86 international partnerships, said Mehrdad Kia, director of the Office of International Programs.

UM has 500 international students who represent 73 countries.

At the signing, Le Cong Phung thanked Baucus for helping Vietnam gain Permanent Normal Trade Relations with the United States in 2006.

In recognition of Baucus' hard work bridging the countries, Le Cong Phung said sincerely: “We thank you for what you have done.”