Prof. Alicia Skinner Cook, a volunteer specialist of the Fulbright Foundation has spent 6 weeks working at UEB. Prof. Cook made many contributions in consultancy for the UEB. At the end of her mission on 19 July 2011, she shared her experiences:
- How do you feel about your time at UEB?
Prof. Alicia Cook: First of all, I was impressed with the positive coordination. The staff in the Research and Partnership Development Office that I was working with are very well organized and communicate well. I feel I am in a very professional environment, and UEB staff members are helpful. When I came here, I saw a well-prepared working plan and I soon felt comfortable and welcome.
- Are you pleased with your contribution to the UEB?
Prof. Alicia Cook: The Research and Partnership Development Office is so well organized, that when I came, the staff have already organized a schedule for me. When I started to work, there were already specific questions, that I needed to address in order to ensure my effectiveness. Everything was well organized and prepared here; and you could use my time effectively. I was here to learn about the university and to give some consultation, it felt like I really had an office here because it let me stick with all day. Every day I was here, on the campus, talking to and meeting different people. It is extremely helpful to have such a schedule.
- Do you have any assessment on the general operation of the university?
Prof. Alicia Cook: I believe that you have some exceptional leaders, especially the Rector who has a very clear vision for the university. In addition, UEB staff and faculty are very much aware of the vision and support it. It is important that the Rector is clear where he wants to take the university. And that is why the university has accomplished so many achievements in such a short period of time since its establishment in 2007. I think you have made significant progress and that you have a bright future.
- More specifically, can you tell about two major activities of UEB, training and research?
Prof. Alicia Cook: I was able to meet students, the honors program of International Economics in particular, and I was so impressed with how positive and energetic they were. When I talked to academic leaders such as the Dean, he showed me the learning outcomes. I think the academic leaders and lecturers are taking the students’ learning seriously and are trying to provide quality experience and to challenge the students. Now I know they started involving the honor students in research and they want to provide opportunities for all students. But I think the students in honor groups are doing impressive work and want to do more because they are part of the whole plan, and they are aware that they can move ahead rapidly. I was living on campus so I could work and talk with UEB students at the seminars and afterwards, They are very nice and intelligent.
- Your relevant expertise is human development, higher education administration - which really takes time to grow. To which areas does the university need to pay the most serious attention?
Prof. Alicia Cook: I would say the most important thing you can do is hire good people. Because the lecturers are the ones who interact with the students and deliver their education and training, and are the ones who do research. In all the units that I visited, I was impressed with how the staff commit to their job at UEB. What you do when you build the university is that you continue to develop on a good foundation. Therefore, to move ahead to international standard needs a foundation of good people.
- Would you share something about the Fulbright volunteer specialist’s program? How and why did you apply to the UEB?
Prof. Alicia Cook: Fulbright has a lot of different programs, and with this program, you have an assignment for 6 weeks. The recruitment for this program is different from other regular Fulbright programs, which are much longer. Selected Fulbright specialists have specialized expertise and experience and the Fulbright Commission tries to match that with the institution or university requesting help. The Fulbright Commission was in touch with me and with your staff from the very beginning. Our program is to bring people in a short period of time to do a very particular type of work - so it offers lots of flexibility. I think Vietnam is a wonderful place for people to come, because it is undergoing so much change. I have learnt a lot about the culture and the changing economy and find it is very interesting country to be in. The Fulbright program is implemented in many countries of the world. What happens to the Fulbright specialists is that you make application with your specialized expertise and the Fulbright Commission puts you on a list. When a university has a particular need, they send a form to Fulbright Commission in the US. They look through the people who are qualified and send to the requesting university a list of names. First of all, Fulbright Commission sent me an invitation email, including a description of what they wanted me to do in Vietnam and asked me whether I was still interested, and I said that I was. They sent the same message to a lot of other people and to your university a list of the people who were available and interested in the program. Then the UEB leaders chose me. I told them I would love to do this work.
- Is your mission here much different from that in the US?
Prof. Alicia Cook: All universities share similarities. However, in the US, I spend my time in teaching, doing research, working with the students, and doing planning. Here I was a consultant, That is the difference.
- Back to the issues of tertiary education, what do you think of the university autonomy at UEB?
Prof. Alicia Cook: I think that one of the reasons that they wanted me to come to UEB was to look at to every aspect of the university and give advice about how you could do things in different and more effective ways. My job was not to come in and say that you should do this way or that way, but to make suggestions more to open up to ideas. I have worked in a lot of different parts of the world but I did not come to just to talk about how another country does it, but to share some emerging trends in higher education and discuss the changes that are happening in different countries.
- Do you have any further plans to come back to Vietnam?
Prof. Alicia Cook: I hope to come back to Vietnam - whether I come for just a visit or I have an opportunity to work here, I definitely have enjoyed it. You know how to work with each other, and I think sometimes Americans could learn a lot from you. You have an attitude of helpfulness, giving and sharing. I think that is a wonderful cultural characteristic for working together. You have a very calm and peaceful environment. People are nice and more concerned about me, you do not get that everywhere you go, and I specially appreciate that. I will be watching the university by going on to your web page.
- Thank you very much, Prof. Cook. We wish you health, fortune and success! ___________________
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