It was a bittersweet departure today. We are incredibly proud of the American and Vietnamese students who not only worked hard to bridge cultural differences but to embrace and accept them. The students sang all night and the faculty watched with great joy. We could not have imagined a better end to our Vietnamese experience. This program has transformed many of our students and made them aware of the global challenges the Vietnamese face.

After two weeks of rigorous study the students presented their final group projects. The topics included a plethora of issues from dental care to water quality to environmental protection to educational reform to government structures. The students were well prepared and handled difficult questions with ease. The professors were very impressed!

We had the amazing pleasure of meeting beautiful Vietnamese children at an orphanage here. The system is more beneficial to children then the one we have in the United States. The orphanage is a village with 15 homes. Each home has one mother and nine children. The children live there as a family unit. They grow food, play and receive education together. Our students showered the children with gifts during our trip and played soccer. It was simply a lovely day.

Over the weekend we took a bus south to Phong Nha to travel to a beautiful area and explore caves. When we arrived I was surprised to find that the area, while remote, had many tourists from Europe and Australia. The area is know for its beautiful caves, specifically “Paradise Cave.”

The Vietnamese are accustomed to the water. The way they interact with it is organic and extremely hard to describe. We were escorted onto a very small boat led by a petite, incredibly strong woman. The physical work involved in maneuvering the boat is unbelievable, yet the Vietnamese look as though it is effortless. As we approach the cave I am in awe of the beauty of this country and concerned about sustainable development.

Today, we had our first official visit at Vinh University. The structure is quite impressive and the classrooms are modern and designed for teacher-centered instruction. The students are extremely respectful and deferential to their instructors.

Dr. Khoa, President of the University, was more than gracious to us. He discussed his great pride and appreciation for the relationship that has been developed over the past 10 years with Dr. Biafora, Dean of Social Sciences at USF- St.Petersburg, and his desire to further the relationship with our college as well.

A wonderful start to a rewarding educational experience!