Study abroad opportunities at Ball State University (U.S.) for UE-UD’s students

In the afternoon of October 27, representatives of Ball State University (USA) including Prof. Sharma Sushil - Associate Dean of Miller College of Business, Prof. Seig Mary Theresa – Interim Executive Director of Rinker Research Center and Prof. Gerald Waite, had a meeting and discussion on expanding cooperation opportunities with University of Economics – the University of Da Nang (UE-UD). The delegation was represented by the Board of Rectors – Assoc Prof. Dr. Vo Thi Thuy Anh - Vice Rector, Dr. Dang Huu Man - Deputy Head of Research & International Cooperation Department.

At the meeting, Assoc Prof. Dr. Vo Thi Thuy Anh expressed her pleasure as well as warmly welcomed the delegates from Ball State University and said that the meeting will be the foundation for the development of cooperation in many fields between the two universities. Later, Dr. Dang Huu Man has briefed on the size, structure of the UE-UD, training programs, achievements, strategic international cooperation, as well as the strengths.

Prof. Sharma Sushil also introduced the Ball State University as well as the Miller School of Business and the attractive scholarships offered to students at the University of Economics. Based on the similarities in some majors, Prof. Sharma Sushil proposed a 2 + 2 articulation program and a master's degree at Ball State University. Accordingly, students at UE-UD can study for the first 2 years in Vietnam and continue to have two years of study in the US at Ball State University. Additionally, during the meeting - based on recent exchanges on cooperation in training - the two sides signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU). This is an important legal foundation for the exchange of students and lecturers. Some sectors where UE-UD and Ball State can research and develop articulation programs such as Business Administration, Tourism, Marketing, Finance.

Ball State University also offers exclusive scholarships for UE-UD students. Prof. Sharma considered this as a strong way to communicate with the UE-UD studens. Representatives of the University of Economics said that with a very low tuition fee ($ 28,000) plus scholarships of up to $ 8,000 a year, Ball State University is an attractive destination for UE students.

The two sides also discussed the short-term exchange programs, the exchange of lecturers between, and the annual summer school program of UE-UD in early July. These programs are considered to be both suitable and capable of conducting in the near future, in result UE-UD lecturers can study in the US and vice versa. Students and faculty members of Ball State University will also learn about the environment and culture in Danang City, Vietnam. In addition, the training program of Master of Tourism, Human Resource Management, Finance has been discussed and reached a common agreement.

At the meeting, Assoc Prof. Dr. Vo Thi Thuy Anh said that in the previous years, UE-UD has always been a reliable place and a prestigious partner in organizing international conference such as the International Conference on Accounting and Finance (ICOAF) and the Marketing in the Connecting Age (MICA). With the strength of Ball State University in Marketing, Assoc Prof. Dr. Vo Thi Thuy Anh would like to invite Ball State University to participate in the MICA-2018 Conference. Keynote speakers from the United States at the UE-UD seminars will contribute to the advancement of scientific conferences as well as strengthening the cooperative relationship between the two universities. Prof. Seig Mary Theresa has also introduced the Zoom-Lecture online learning program that Ball State University has developed with many partners around the world. Accordingly, the teachers of Ball State University instead of going to Vietnam will provide support to the School in teaching and organizing lectures/workshops for UE-UD students. This is a very practical program that the University has successfully implemented for many years. Assoc Prof. Dr. Vo Thi Thuy Anh thanked the professors from Ball State University and believed that the cooperation between the two university will continue to develop in the future.

Prior to that, representatives from Ball State University had a briefing on the scholarship program for students of UE-UD. This is a scholarship program based on academic achievement without being bound by foreign language qualifications. The total value of scholarships in the 2018-2019 academic year amounts to over $ 40,000.