Society

Colombia University promotes Vietnamese studies programme

Columbia University, one of the eight “Ivy League” schools in the US, has opened a Vietnamese studies programme aimed at helping young people not only from the United States but from around the world learn more about Vietnam.
Colombia University promotes Vietnamese studies programme ảnh 1Columbia University is one of the eight“Ivy League” schools in the US. (Source: giaoduc.net.vn)
New York (VNA) – ColumbiaUniversity, one of the eight “Ivy League” schools in the US, has opened aVietnamese studies programme aimed at helping young people not only from theUnited States but from around the world learn more about Vietnam.

It was initiated by Vietnamese-Americanprofessors Lien Hang Nguyen and John Phan.

Their idea for the programme stemmedfrom the fact that knowledge of Vietnam among many Americans is stillassociated with the war, although it ended nearly 50 years ago.

Lien Hang Nguyen, director of the programme, told Vietnam News Agency that the ideacame to her in 2017 when she was invited to teach history, mainly history of America and East Asia, at ColumbiaUniversity. At that time, she focused mainly on the war in Vietnam and itsforeign relations with other countries after the war, while John Phan, hercolleague at the Department of Culture and Language East Asia, specialised inthe study of the pre-modern history of Vietnam, specifically the origin anddevelopment of the Vietnamese language. Their idea subsequently received thesupport of Columbia University, and they started to build a curriculum they jointlyteach.

Colombia University promotes Vietnamese studies programme ảnh 2Professor Lien Hang Nguyen (left) grants an interview to Vietnam News Agency. (Photo: VNA)
According to Lien Hang Nguyen, theprogramme includes both undergraduate and graduate courses on Vietnamese studies,including Vietnamese history and seminars on Vietnam, especially in the fieldsof language and culture. The courses stand out compared to studies on Vietnam offeredat other top US universities.

Before the outbreak ofthe COVID-19 pandemic, Lien Hang Nguyen and her colleagues succeeded in holding twointernational conferences in 2019. The programme was canceled in 2020 but theystill held webinars and other activities for students and those who wereinterested in Vietnamese studies.

This helped ensurethat studies were sustained through those difficult times.

During his visit toNew York to attend the United Nations General Assembly in September 2021,President Nguyen Xuan Phuc acknowledged the contribution of Lien Hang Nguyen and her colleaguesin promoting an understanding of Vietnam in the US.

The meeting withPresident Phuc prompted Lien Hang Nguyen and her colleagues to expand the programme. They have decided to return to Vietnam at the end of July this year to organise twoseminars, one in Hanoi and the other in Ho Chi Minh City, in order to spread theword about the programme./.
VNA
#Columbia University #Vietnamese studies #Vietnamese language #US universities #Ivy League #updated Vietnam news #Vietnamplus #Vietnam News Agency United States Vietnam
Follow VietnamPlus

Related News

Int’l conference touches upon multi-aspects of Vietnamese studies

Int’l conference touches upon multi-aspects of Vietnamese studies

Researchers at the 6th international conference on Vietnamese studies (ICVNS 2021) have discussed various aspects ranging from history, language, literature, Sino-Nom, to ethnicity and religion, said Dang Xuan Thanh, Vice President of the Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences (VASS).
Vietnamese language, culture promoted in Italy

Vietnamese language, culture promoted in Italy

The first bachelors of the Vietnamese language of Ca' Foscari University in Venice city will graduate in May this year, marking an important milestone in teaching and learning the language in Italy.

See more

A veteran offers incense at the war martyrs’ cemetery in Nghi Loc district, Nghe An province. (Photo: VNA)

Nghe An reburies martyrs' remains repatriated from Laos

Vice Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee Phung Thanh Vinh said that carrying a noble international duty, many Vietnamese volunteer soldiers and experts heroically joined Lao people in their struggle for national liberation and independence. Many of them sacrificed their lives in the country, including more than 12,000 soldiers laying down in the three provinces of Xaysomboun, Vientiane, and Xiangkhouang.

Caring for the material and spiritual life of the people - such as poverty reduction, access to education and healthcare services - is a concrete expression of the policy of placing people at the core and as the subject of socio-economic development. (Illustrative image. Source: VNA)

📝OP-ED: When people placed at centre of development

Party General Secretary and State President To Lam emphasised: “People are placed at the centre as the main subject in order to realise visions. People are considered the centre, the objective, and the driving force of all policies and actions at all levels.”

The Vietnamese delegation wins two second prizes, one third prize, three fourth prizes, and four special awards granted by sponsors at ISEF 2025. (Photo: VNA)

Vietnam obtains best-ever achievements at ISEF

According to the Ministry of Education and Training, the Vietnamese delegation won two second prizes, one third prize, three fourth prizes, and four special awards granted by sponsors.

Secretary of the Bu Dang district Party Committee and Head of the Steering Committee for Eliminating Dilapidated Housing, Vu Luong (fourth from right), performs the ribbon-cutting ceremony to hand over a new house to a disadvantaged household. (Photo: VNA)

19 localities eradicate substandard houses

Four more provinces have announced the completion of efforts to eliminate makeshift and dilapidated housing, bringing the total number of localities achieving this milestone to 19 out of 63 nationwide, according to the Ministry of Ethnic and Religious Affairs.

Vietnamese Ambassador to Hungary Bui Le Thai and embassy staff offer flowers at the statue of President Ho Chi Minh in Zalaegerszeg city, Hungary. (Photo: VNA)

President Ho Chi Minh’s 135th birth anniversary marked in Hungary

Ambassador Bui Le Thai recounted President Ho Chi Minh’s journey to find a path to national salvation, affirming that it was undertaken not only for Vietnam’s independence but also for humanity’s common values – peace, independence, freedom, and happiness.

Myawaddy township is located in Kayin State, southeastern Myanmar. (Photo: AP)

Vietnam accelerates repatriation of citizens detained in Myanmar

On April 8, 28, and May 14, three groups comprising a total of 471 citizens safely returned to Vietnam. This marked an important initial success, paving the way for additional repatriation efforts later this month, with the goal of bringing all remaining Vietnamese citizens stranded in Myawaddy, Myanmar, back home as soon as possible.