CHICAGO, November 2, 2009 In October, as part of its formal partnership with the Vietnam Ministry of Education and Training, Loyola University Chicago jointly developed and conducted a University Management Training (UMT) program with Vietnam National University-Ho Chi Minh City (VNU-HCMC) to provide leaders of Vietnamese universities the opportunity to learn about best practices in U.S. higher education and to evaluate their applicability to the Vietnamese higher-education setting.
Loyola carefully selected University vice presidents, deans, and faculty members, with expertise in specific areas, to teach the training sessions. The sessions included classroom presentations, group discussions, and problem-solving exercises that utilized Vietnamese case studies. The program was conducted as an intensive 12-day program that began at VNU-HCMC on October 12 and continued in Chicago from October 19-26. Through the challenging curriculum, 10 leaders of Vietnamese higher-education institutions gained a broadened understanding of best practices relating to university business operations, personnel management and development, and strategic planning and change management, which will assist them in improving their university management skills.
Loyola’s work with Vietnam National University-Ho Chi Minh City to create and present the UMT program has enabled us to create closer ties with key leaders in Vietnamese higher education and develop a greater understanding of the challenges and practices in higher education in Vietnam, says John Frendreis, Loyola professor of political science and one of the lead contributors in the program. This project embodies the core attributes of our efforts in Vietnam: collaboration with strong Vietnamese partners to work together on educational programs that benefit the people of Vietnam and bring greater global understanding to the faculty, staff, and students of Loyola.
To conclude the program, Loyola hosted a special ceremony for all UMT graduates on Monday, October 26, on the University’s Water Tower Campus. The ceremony included an appearance and remarks by Nguyen Tien Minh, deputy chief of mission in the Washington DC-based Vietnam Embassy.
About the Loyola University Chicago-Vietnam Ministry of Education and Training Partnership
Loyola University Chicago partnered with the Vietnam Ministry of Education and Training to establish a University Representative Office in Ho Chi Minh City in February 2009. The partnership, at the time, made Loyola the first university in the nation to have a site location in Vietnam. Through the office, Loyola will work in three critical areas of need: English as a Second Language (ESL) education for health-care professionals; leadership programs for Vietnamese professionals and administrators; and study-abroad programs for U.S. students. Those involved in the Vietnam partnership include Loyola president Michael J. Garanzini, S.J., Patrick Boyle, associate provost of international affairs, John Frendreis, Rylan Higgins, professor of anthropology and coordinator for academic programs, and Joseph Dao, head of Loyola’s representative office in Vietnam.
About Loyola University Chicago
Committed to preparing people to lead extraordinary lives, Loyola University Chicago, founded in 1870, is the nation’s largest Jesuit, Catholic university. Enrollment is more than 15,800 students, which includes more than 10,000 undergraduates hailing from all 50 states and 82 countries. The University has four campuses: three in the greater Chicago area and one in Rome, Italy. Loyola also serves as the U.S. host university to The Beijing Center for Chinese Studies in Beijing, China. Loyola’s ten schools and colleges include arts and sciences, business administration, communication, education, graduate studies, law, medicine, nursing, continuing and professional studies, and social work. Loyola offers 71 undergraduate majors, 71 undergraduate minors, 85 master’s degrees, and 31 doctoral degrees. Loyola is consistently ranked among the "top national universities" by U.S.News & World Report, and the University was named a "best value" in their 2010 rankings. In addition, Loyola is among a select group of universities recognized for community service and engagement by prestigious national organizations like the Carnegie Foundation and the Corporation for National and Community Service. For more information about Loyola, please visit LUC.edu.
Media Contact:
Annie Hughes
Communications Associate
312.915.6324
ahughes1@luc.edu
Source: http://webapps.luc.edu/newsevents/public/news_release.cfm?newsID=20151&siteid=0