ETSU and the Ellacy Foundation are partnering to expand study abroad, internships, research and international enrollment opportunities in Vietnam.
New opportunities for study and internships abroad for students and for faculty and student research in Vietnam will soon be available thanks to a new partnership between East Tennessee State University and the Ellacy Foundation.
Officials with ETSU’s Center for Global Engagement have been working with Ella and Cuong Nguyen, president/CEO and chairman, respectively, of the Ellacy Foundation over the past year to establish this partnership, for which a memorandum of understanding signing ceremony was held Tuesday, Sept. 15.
Several ETSU colleges are involved in this partnership, which will enhance their academic offerings to students, and ETSU’s International Enrollment and Services seeks to work with the Ellacy Foundation in recruiting Vietnamese students to attend the university.
A delegation from ETSU traveled to Vietnam in April to assess the potential for the university’s colleges and programs, including Dr. Christopher Keller, dean of the Honors College and senior international officer; Dr. Sharon McGee, dean of the Graduate School; and Dr. Jeff Snodgrass, dean of the College of Health Sciences. Ella and Cuong Nguyen, likewise, visited ETSU in April to gain insight for marketing ETSU accurately and thoroughly to prospective students and families.
Another delegation of deans from ETSU will visit Vietnam later this fall, and a student program will run in Vietnam in early January.
The fall visit will allow the deans to work through details of academic collaborations between ETSU departments and those in Vietnam to create seamless pathways for students to enroll at ETSU. Additionally, the deans will work to develop experiential learning opportunities in Vietnam for ETSU students, including education abroad programs focusing on topics like healthcare, sustainability and the innovation economy; clinical placements in hospitals across the country; and internship experiences at some of the world’s largest multinational companies.
“Collaboration allows us to accomplish far more than any institution could achieve alone,” Keller said. “By connecting ETSU’s strengths with those of the Ellacy Foundation and our partners in Vietnam, we can expand international enrollment, create transformative learning experiences that support student success, and build lasting partnerships that advance workforce and economic development in both Appalachia and Vietnam.”
Dr. Kimberly D. McCorkle, provost and senior vice president for Academic Affairs at ETSU, said, “This partnership creates exciting new possibilities for our students and faculty to learn, conduct research and collaborate across borders. Experiences such as international study, internships and collaborative research broaden the education we provide at ETSU, while partnerships like this also enrich our campus by bringing new perspectives and experiences into our classrooms and our university community. We look forward to seeing these opportunities grow across our colleges and academic programs.”
“At the College of Nursing, we believe that the future of healthcare depends on collaboration that extends beyond geographic boundaries,” added Dr. Dena Evans, dean of the college. “Our partnership with Ellacy creates meaningful opportunities for students from Vietnam and the United States to learn together, share diverse perspectives and develop the knowledge, skills and cultural awareness needed to lead and innovate in healthcare around the world.”
