Viet Nam holds a pivotal place contemporary U.S. consciousness. Recovering from decades of war and subsequent isolation, the country is opening rapidly to foreign business investment, diplomatic cooperation, and educational exchange. The Vietnamese people and authorities are now keenly interested in welcoming U.S. students who have a serious and sincere interest in understanding their culture and perspectives. Indeed, students consistently express enthusiasm about the hospitality and openness of the Vietnamese people.

 

This first ever U.S. undergraduate offering in southern Viet Nam is based at the University of Ho Chi Minh City. Often still called Saigon, Ho Chi Minh City was the capital of the former U.S.-supported Republic of Viet Nam. It is now a vibrant commercial center with four million people. You visit many areas of the South, including the Mekong River Delta, Viet Nam's "rice basket," as well as sites associated with recent Vietnamese history, including the famous tunnels of Cu Chi and the many museums of Ho Chi Minh City itself.

 

You also take an educational excursion north to Hanoi, the nation's capital, and explore central Viet Nam as well, visiting such locations as the imperial capital of Hue, the former U.S. military center of Da Nang, and the coastal town of Nha Trang. The Independent Study Project culminates your semester in Viet Nam.

SIT Study Abroad is offering a competitive, merit award to undergraduate Asia scholars. The SIT Freeman Grant will fund a portion of the program cost, based on student need, towards an SIT Study Abroad semester in China, Viet Nam or Mongolia. Awards will generally average half the program fee. SIT has received generous funding from the Freeman Foundation for the purpose of educating undergraduates about Asia through our field-based study abroad programs. Grant recipients are expected to help promote intercultural understanding and cooperation between the people of the United States and Asia. The SIT Freeman Grant can be applied to the following programs:

 

China, Yunnan Province: Languages and Cultures
Viet Nam: Culture and Development
Mongolia: Culture and Development

 

Awards are based on academic performance, curricular and the ability to carry out independent field study. Ideally, reference letters are written by faculty in the student's field of study that are relevant to the program curriculum and to the proposed independent study project. Students who win the award must complete all required application and supplementary materials in order to participate on the program. The deadline for the completed application is April 15 for the fall semester, and August 15 for the spring semester.