Dr. Ajay Samant, dean of the College of Business, Dr. Terry Noel, associate dean for Academic Programs and Curriculum, and Dr. Roopa Rawjee, executive director of International Engagement, visited four universities in Vietnam and Thailand at the end of October to create new partnership agreements.
While in Vietnam, the group visited University of Economics and Law in Vietnam (UEL) and Van Lang University to create new partnerships to focus on study abroad, faculty exchange, 3+2 and 4+1 undergraduate to MBA programs, and joint MBA programs.
“This was an exhilarating first experience for me! It is a pleasure to work with the College of Business on its new initiatives and it was truly a privilege to meet with our colleagues at SWU. I am excited to begin crafting ISU’s shared vision for international engagement.”
— Dr. Roopa Rawjee
Illinois State University and Van Lang University signed a memorandum of understanding on October 25 creating a new relationship between the two institutions. Van Lang University was founded in 1995 and has a student body of approximately 40,000. It is one of the first private universities in Vietnam and has 58 undergraduate degree programs, 12 master’s degree programs, and one Ph.D. program.
The University of Economics and Law in Vietnam (UEL) will begin its first joint degree program with an American university when it signs the memorandum of understanding with Illinois State University. UEL was founded in 2010 and currently educates about 50,000 students. The Vietnamese university currently has 10 academic departments that offer undergraduate degree tracks in Vietnamese, French, and English, as well as nine master’s degree programs, and five doctoral programs. After a productive meeting, both institutions are working on finalizing a memorandum of understanding which will be signed very soon.
While in Thailand, the group met with Srinakharinwirot University (SWU) officials to discuss the current memorandum of understanding (MOU) and its upcoming renewal in November 2022. Illinois State and SWU officials expressed interest in expanding the MOU to include other Illinois State University departments and colleges. Srinakharinwirot University officials hope to visit Normal in spring 2023 to continue evolving this longstanding and rich partnership between the two universities.
To finish the successful trip, Dean Samant, Dr. Noel, and Dr. Rawjee toured Chulalongkorn University. Representatives from the two universities explored creating a joint degree program and plan to continue conversations that should lead to a memorandum of understanding in the near future.
“I was struck by how much ISU has in common with the universities we visited. Everyone is thinking about how strong international connections benefit students and how institutions in different countries can learn from one another.”
— Dr. Terry Noel
