网曝吃瓜

For the first week of my Fulbright experience, I participated in an in-country orientation with other Vietnam Fulbrighters in Saigon/Ho Chi Minh City. Led by the Fulbright Team from the U.S. Embassy in Hanoi, the in-country orientation provided an opportunity to learn about Vietnam from officials, network with other scholars, and participate in networking/team-building activities.

Topics included in the in-country orientation highlighted a discussion on the United States鈥� relationship with Vietnam and briefings on security and safety, political issues, economic issues, and medical issues. The U.S. Department of State has a great briefing on U.S. relations with Vietnam: . A few statistics I found interesting:

• Bilateral relations between the United States and Vietnam were established in 1995
• Tens of thousands of Vietnamese students study in the United States, contributing nearly $1 billion to the U.S. economy
• New direct flight routes (Saigon/Ho Chi Minh City to L.A./San Francisco through Vietnam Airlines and Bamboo Airlines will increase economic, political, and social relationships between the two countries in next few years

I also greatly enjoyed hearing about projects from my colleagues who will be spending the semester/year in Vietnam. Interestingly, there is a strong delegation from Colorado in this year鈥檚 cohort! Here are a few fascinating people I met and a brief description of their Fulbright projects:

鈥� University of Northern Colorado 鈥� project titled, 鈥淚nterdisciplinary curricula to prepare university faculty and students for climate change in Vietnam鈥�

鈥� University of Maryland鈥揅ollege Park 鈥� project titled, 鈥淚mproving literature outcomes for students for climate change in Vietnam鈥�

鈥� Colorado State University-Pueblo 鈥� project titled, 鈥淭eaching sexual, gender, and cultural diversity in regional Vietnam鈥�

鈥� Oregon State University 鈥� project titled, 鈥淪cience teacher education and internships in Vietnam鈥�

As part of orientation, we also completed a road trip/team-building activity/overnight in 聽(part of the Mekong Delta region), about 50 miles from Saigon. This region of Vietnam is stunning: it is where the Mekong River approaches the sea through numerous tributary rivers and is a strong agriculture region. This destination is increasing in tourism, and tourists are able to participate in agriculture tourism, culture, and enjoy fantastic cuisine. Some of my favorite foods/drinks included: hu虊 ti锚虂u nam vang (noodle soup), coconut (candy, drink, jam), and tropical fruits (mango, jack fruit, sapoche, and plum).