US Secretary of State John Kerry and HCM City Party Committee Secretary Dinh La Thang presided over the official launch ceremony of Fulbright University Vietnam (FUV) on May 25.

Chairman of HCM City People's Committee Nguyen Thanh Phong handed over documentation of the approval notice to establish the school to former US senator Bob Kerrey and Chairman of the FUV Board of Trustees.

Chairman of HCM City People's Committee Nguyen Thanh Phong handed over documentation of the approval notice to establish the school to former US senator Bob Kerrey and Chairman of the FUV Board of Trustees and FUV Founding President Dam Bich Thuy in HCM City.

Following the decision, the university will begin preparations to build a flagship campus in the Saigon High Tech Park in District 9 and should be in a position to welcome its first graduate students later this year.

Secretary Thang said, "I am delighted to welcome FUV to HCM City. I am confident that FUV will contribute meaningfully towards the emergence of HCM City as a hub of innovation for the region and the world."

US Secretary of State John Kerry makes a speech about the university establishment during the event.

Former US senator Bob Kerrey said that the university opens an exciting new chapter in the history of US-Viet Nam cooperation in higher education, by embodying meritocracy, freedom of academic inquiry, autonomy and accountability.

The former US senator hoped FUV would provide a fertile ground for attracting talented Vietnamese scholars and scientists who have benefitted from years of bilateral investment in higher education.

Till date, the US government has committed more than US$ million in funding to support the launch of the innovative new university. The government of HCM City has made 25ha of land available for the university.

The university has secured more than US$60 million in funding commitment, in cash and in kind. The school needs to mobilise US$100 million during the next three years, according to Thuy.

US Secretary of State John Kerry and HCM City Party Committee Secretary Dinh La Thang are seen shaking hand during the ceremony.

In 1990, John Kerry, then a young senator, visited Viet Nam with his daughters. The idea of a partnership in the field of education to strengthen the two countries' bilateral relationship was ignited during that visit.

In December 2013, visiting Viet Nam for the first time as the US secretary of state, Kerry met members of the Fulbright Economics Teaching Programme, which triggered the idea of establishing a Fulbright University in Viet Nam.

According to the White House, US-Viet Nam people-to-people ties are stronger than ever. Nearly 19,000 Vietnamese now study in the United States, 40 per cent more than in 2009.

"Over 80,000 Vietnamese visited the United States in 2015 and many thousands of Americans visited Vietnam. The new Fulbright University Vietnam, which opens in HCM City, will help bring world-class and independent education to Viet Nam and deepen ties between our people," according to the White House's Office of Press Secretary.

VNS