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Vietnam Institute – Vietnamese Student Association June 2014 Newsletter
Dear friends, Welcome to our Newsletter’s second issue from the Vietnam Institute and the MU Vietnam Students Association. We now have about 70 Vietnamese students on campus, representing the fourth largest contingent of international students. Here at MU these Vietnamese students are very active in the campus life and contribute a lot to the cultural diversity of our campus. Thanks in large part to the dedication of our faculty, MU has earned a reputation in Vietnam for offering an excellent education in a welcoming environment. We have more than 60 alums back in Vietnam, mainly graduate students, in a wide range of disciplines. Alumni groups are being formed in Hanoi with leadership from Thanh Vu and Ho Chi Minh City with leadership from Ngan Le. We are continuing to raise the visibility of Vietnam on the MU campus in terms of number of students and to encouraging academic interactions such as visiting scholars, workshops, conferences and joint research programs. The Newsletter covers some of our activities during the end of semester. We hope you enjoy it. Sincerely, Tiger Spirit: Picture at Senior run-‐off event. From left to right: Thao Dam, Trang Duong, Tuan Truong, Ninh Pham, Vietnam Institute Staff Nguyen Doan, Anh Le. Photo: Tuan Truong AROUND THE COLUMNS-‐ 2nd ISSUE A banner Year for MU and VSA Discussion of Vietnam War Protest at Mizzou MizzouVSA Alumni Association Spring 2014 Graduates A Banner Year for MU and VSA The academic year of 2013-‐2014 proved to be a meaningful one for the University of Missouri (MU), the Vietnam Institute (VI), and especially for the Vietnam Student Association (VSA). The University was enriched by the large number of Vietnamese students who added their valuable culture to MU through participation in the International Food Bazaar in October and the International Culture night in March. Clearly, the delicious Vietnamese food and colorful entertainment were highlights for the larger MU community. We had about 70 Vietnamese students at MU this year with a gradual increase in undergraduates. Dr. Joe Hobbs, Director of the Vietnam Institute was on a year-‐long research leave so operation of the VI was left in the hands of Trang Duong, our undergraduate assistant, and Dr. Jerry Nelson. Meanwhile, Dr. Hobbs was recovering slowly from a back problem and is still doing physical therapy. He expects to be back this fall to resume his professional and VI responsibilities, and we all hope for continued improvement so he can again travel to Vietnam. Dr. Nelson visited Vietnam in November and had coffee parties for about 40 potential students, mostly nominees for VEF and VIED Fellowships. Several applied to MU and many were admitted. As always, the biggest challenge is to secure the commitments of faculty mentors who must use grant funds to support Trang and Jerry at doctoral fellowship students in years 3 and 4. Graduation Commencement A major undertaking and highlight was the very successful VEF annual conference hosted at MU in early January. Despite the snowstorm and near-‐record low temperatures, the conference was a great success for the 140 VEF scholars and staff who came. Thanks to VSA volunteers and good old-‐fashioned Midwestern hospitality, the VEF scholars, VEF leaders, speakers and the Vietnamese Government officials were very impressed with the academic and cultural environment of MU. An afternoon of athletic events at our impressive Rec Center offset many feelings about not being able to have the traditional soccer competition. The active VSA was a great asset throughout, and the Vietnamese dinner and program provided Delegates and Speakers at the VEF Conference by VSA for all the delegates was a memorable occasion. VSA sponsored a seminar series during both semesters to provide members with insight on a range of issues. A tour of the Research Reactor was also arranged. These scholarly activities were spiced up with several social and athletic events including a welcome picnic in early September for members to greet the new students when classes began, a great dinner and evening for families and guests to celebrate Tet, and a picnic in May to celebrate the graduation of 11 members and to wish them well as they move on. In addition, there were the weddings of Long Le and Kasey Hames, and Adam Johnson and Linh Ngo. And the Vietnamese population of Columbia grew Minh Uong, Giang Nam, Trang Duong, Nga Nguyen on the tour of Research Reactor with the arrival of some new babies. Tour in May, 2014 The staff at the VI looks forward to 2014-‐2015 and planning the arrivals of many new students coming in fall, 2014. They will join an active VSA with their new ideas and continue to keep the traditions going and perhaps add more. All the best for a great summer from the VI staff. Jerry, Joe, Sang and Trang. Panel Discussion on Vietnam War Protest at Mizzou By Kasey Hames and Trang Duong On May 4, 1970, four Kent State University students were killed and nine others injured from gunshots fired by members of the Ohio Army National Guard at a protest rally on campus in response to the United State’s involvement in the Cambodian Campaign and Vietnam War. The impact of this event was felt around the country including here in Columbia at the University of Missouri where in the days that followed, nearly 3000 students were involved in a series of anti-‐war protests on campus. A panel discussion on Vietnam War protest activities, sponsored by MU Peace Studies, was held on Monday, April 21, 2014, at the Tucker Hall to discuss the long lasting impact of these events on social and political changes in the US. Around 100 people attended the event including Vietnam War veterans, spring 1970 protesters, professors, students, and several MizzouVSA members. The evening began with a live performance of war protest songs, recalling the anti-‐war spirit of America during the 1970s. Dr. Bill Wickersham and Dr. Paul Wallace, both assistant professors at MU in 1970, then began the panel discussion by providing personal accounts of the protest events at MU in 1970 following the Kent State shootings. While peaceful in nature, the large number of students and faculty involved and the dismissal of many classes led to turmoil between protestors and administrators until a compromise could be reached. Dr. Musa Ilu, a former MU graduate student who was involved in the anti-‐apartheid movement on campus in the 1980s, continued the story by discussing the long-‐term effects of these protests in relation to academic intellectuals and political engagement. The last speaker, Curtis Edwards, a current MU graduate student and member of the Grass Roots Organizing (GRO) Mizzou, put the 1970 protests into a modern perspective and shared how MU From left to right: Bill Wickersham, Paul Wallace, Musa Ilu and Curtis Edwards. students continue to be involved in protesting modern social injustices. Long Le, a PhD candidate in American Literature, shared his opinion about the Vietnam War protest from a Vietnamese student perspective. “The War happened because of the misunderstandings between the U.S government and the Vietnam government,” Long said. He also thanked MU faculty and students, who bravely took part in the protests, even at the cost of their jobs. When someone asked him if Vietnamese people need an official apology from the U.S. for the war, Le responded: “We don’t really need an official apology. What we need is U.S action on helping Vietnamese veterans and the many families who are still being affected by the war, especially through use of Agent Orange”. Long Le sharing his opinion about the Vietnam War John Betz, a Vietnam veteran, emotionally accused the U.S government for the great crimes that were committed on the Vietnamese people. Betz was drafted into the US Army to participate in the Vietnam War during 1966-‐1968, and returned home very distressed and suffering from the killings and inhumane treatment of Vietnamese citizens in which he had participated. “We murdered 2 million people for what? For what? For what?” he said. He decided to devote the rest of his life to tell the truth about the miserable and immoral Vietnam War. Joe Betz Others in the audience shared diverse perspectives including stories from MU alumni who participated in the 1970 protests, artwork created in response to the tragedies of the Vietnam War, and stories about how the Vietnam War protests shaped their life and that of America. Planning Meeting for the HCMC Alumni Group A group of MU alums in HCMC had a small reunion on the 25th of May, 2014, to do some preliminary planning for the Alumni Group in HCMC. Ngan Le is providing the short-‐term leadership. The alums agree there should be a HCMC alumni reunion, at least once a year, probably associated with a special event. It may be possible to have the Inaugural Meeting of the HCMC Alumni Group when Professor Nelson comes to HCMC in late October or early November to meet with prospective students. Ngan Le will be leave in September to begin her Ph.D. work in the Netherlands. The VI will send an invitation to all alumni and ask them to confirm before the meeting. Those attending the meeting included (left to right): Ngan Le, Dung Tuan Vu and his wife, Dung Thu Pham, Hien Nguyen, HaMy Le, and Hieu Duc Nguyen. Look closely and note there will be two new Tigers in the family soon. Spring 2014 Graduation This spring 2014 semester, the MizzouVSA graduated 11 students, comprised of 5 Ph.D, 2 Masters and 4 Bachelors. This is the most successful year of the VSA in term of numbers of graduated students. Many VSA members attended the Graduation Commencements to share these happy moments with the students. Please take a look at the graduation pictures and hear about graduates’ experiences at Mizzou. Ph.D. graduates: Tuan Truong, Dung Tran, Nguyen Doan, Tri Le, Giang Nguyen (from left to right) From left to right: Giang Nguyen, Thao Dam, Anh Le, Trang Duong, Tuan Truong Many VSA members joined in celebrating graduation day Duong Quynh Trang Major: Business/ Finance and Banking Degree pursuit: Bachelor Email: [email protected] Columbia is a great place to live, and Mizzou is a great university to study. The thing I value the most here is the strong Vietnamese community. We are like a big family helping and supporting each other in achieving career success and personal goals. After graduating, I am planning to work for a couple years before coming back for a master’s degree. Dam Phuong Thao Major: International Studies and Health Sciences Degree pursuit: Bachelor Email: [email protected] I am a Vietnamese American and I am dual majoring in Health Sciences and International Studies. I plan on returning to graduate school for my Master of Business Administration or Master of Public Administration after working for some years. Just come to Mizzou and you’ll see for yourself why there’s no place like it! Doan Xuan Nguyen Major: Economics Degree pursuit: PhD Email: [email protected] The nick name of my son is Mizzou. This will always remind my husband and me our valuable time here at Mizzou. Professors and friends at the Vietnam Institute, Christian Campus House, and VSA are people who had big influences on my life here. I feel very blessed to have opportunities to meet, to work, and to make friends with such very nice people. Pham An Vinh Major: Mathematics Degree pursuit: PhD Email: [email protected] Le Minh Tri Major: Statistics Degree pursuit: PhD Email: [email protected] Mizzou is one of the most important stations in my life where I got my PhD degree as well as my second little angel, Benny. Two things impressed me when I lived here: the life is very peaceful and the people are very nice. The next station of my adventure will be Lincoln, Nebraska. Le Ngoc Anh Major: Mathematics Degree pursuit: Bachelor Email: [email protected] I am an undergraduate student majoring in Mathematics. After graduating from MU, I will attend Northwestern University to pursue a PhD in Mathematics. I chose MU because of its great academic quality, international atmosphere along with a beautiful campus. I love going to the Rec Center or playing soccer with the VSA team during free time. Le Thanh Nhan Major: Chemistry Degree pursuit: Bachelor Degree Email: [email protected] Nguyen Nam Giang Major: Nuclear Engineering Degree pursuit: PhD Email: [email protected] Columbia is a peaceful city, a nice place for living, and a sweet memory of mine. I really love its hospitality, good weather, American culture, and international atmosphere here together with fruitful resources for study and research. After graduation, I plan to come back to Vietnam and join the emerging nuclear industry in my country. It’s hard to accept the fact that I will not have much chance for coming back here and visit CoMo once again. The world is so large but man has only one life to live. Nguyen Quang Trung Major: Computer Science Degree pursuit: Master Email: [email protected] Time flies as it always does. I still remember that sunshine day nearly two years ago when I first set down my feet on our Mizzou's land from a luxurious Lexus car (thanks to Mr. Giang). Many people I met asked me the same question that why I chose Mizzou so far from home for my Master, and I answered them that it was like my fate. Mizzou might choose me rather than other way around. After years living at Mizzou, it turned out I've been here not only to hone my academic skills, but also my soccer skills. I have been living two parallel happy lives: academic life and soccer life. Pham Hai Ninh Major: Journalism Degree pursuit: Master Email: [email protected] What a spectacular run it has been. I was not impressed when I first came to Columbia in the winter of 2011/2012. Quiet, small towns, where real entertainment is a two-‐hour drive away, are just not my cup of tea. My moment of epiphany came a couple of months ago when we were in Hermann one weekend. I remember thinking to myself this is the real America. It’s not flashy, or pretentious; it’s gentle and warm and conservative and hardworking. I don’t think many people have the privilege to know this America. I’m grateful Joe pushed me to apply for journalism school, and to the many other professors and friends who have helped me over the years. Mizzou, you’ve been wonderful. I couldn’t have asked for more. Truong Anh Tuan Major: Curriculum & Instruction -‐ English Education Degree pursuit: Ph.D. Email: [email protected] My years at Mizzou are both worthwhile and rewarding. I was immersed in a professional environment where I could unleash my academic potential. I’m growing from the base laid by the professors at Mizzou. The Ph.D. at Mizzou also deepens my networking and leadership skills. My social life couldn’t be richer when making friends with local students and Vietnamese fellow countrymen. Great chance to learn from those young bright minds! About us: Bridges between MU and students, people, universities and institutions of Vietnam
The Vietnam institute is a special initiative by faculty, students and administrators of University of Missouri (MU) to promote closer relationship between MU and Vietnam, particularly in higher education. Contact us: Address: Room 16 Stewart Hall University of Missouri – Columbia Columbia, MO 65211 USA Phone: 1-‐573-‐489-‐8221 Website: http://vietnam.missouri.edu Core members of Vietnam Institute: -‐ Joseph Hobbs, Director of the Vietnam Institute and Professor in the Department of Geography: [email protected] -‐ Sang S. Kim, Director of the Asian Affairs Center: [email protected] -‐ C. Jerry Nelson, Senior Advisor for the Asian Affairs Center: [email protected] -‐ William H. Meyers, Professor of Agricultural Economics [email protected] MizzouVSA is a cultural student organization that plans activities to make the campus community be more aware of the Vietnamese culture, language, and traditions. It also functions to build and consolidate friendships among Vietnamese students, and to share valued information, and to support each other in meeting their education objectives and enhancing their personal lives. Contact us: MizzouVSA website: http://mizzou.orgsync.com/org/muvsa Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/mizzouvsa MizzouVSA email: [email protected]