Candid conversation with ambassador gives hope to many

Rae Nguyen
Daily Titan Staff Writer
Published: Monday, October 13, 2008
Updated: Monday, October 13, 2008

When Yen Nguyen, a sophomore international student found out that U.S. Ambassador to Vietnam, Michael Michalak, was coming to speak about education on campus Oct. 11, she and her brother, Son, made sure they had their questions ready for the diplomat to answer.

After all, only one hour was given to Vietnamese international students before Michalak was due at another meeting in San Jose.

“I can’t wait to meet him,” Yen Nyugen said. “It’s pretty exciting for us. We have a lot to talk about... in a very short period of time.”

More than 30 students gathered in a small conference room in the Mihaylo College of Business and Economics building for an intimate gathering with the ambassador who had flown in Friday afternoon from Hanoi.

Michalak greeted each student by shaking their hands and asking for their names.

“I am pleased all of you are here to speak to me as I am eager to learn of your experiences here in America,” he said. “It’s mutual learning experience that we too are always learning from you.”

Dean Harry Norman of extended education opened up with introductions and credited Michalak for the growing enrollment of international students at Cal State Fullerton.

“Since (Michalak) became ambassador, the opportunities for Vietnamese students to study in the United States have increased greatly,” Norman said. “About 130 students with visas are from Vietnam.”

Organizer of the event, Tam Nguyen, who is a consultant to the dean of extended education and international programs, was excited to have the ambassador at CSUF.

He wanted to make sure the setting would be comfortable for an open dialogue between Michalak and the students.

“It’s in a controlled environment where I believe it’ll be conducive for the ambassador to know the students,” he said. “And they will have a better chance to know him.”

An awkward moment of silence crept in before a student courageously asked how the ambassador was doing. This drew laughs from the crowd.

Michalak explained of his trip to Washington, D.C. earlier in the week and of how he met with officials of the Vietnamese embassy to negotiate for land so that a new U.S. embassy could be built in place of where he is currently working at in Hanoi. He also spoke of a blossoming economic and commercial relationship between the two nations.

“U.S. and Vietnam economic relations have slowly improved, with U.S. being the largest trading partner,” Michalak said.

Since the Vietnam-U.S. bilateral trade agreement in 2001, Vietnam's exports have risen from $1 billion in 2001 to $5.2 billion in 2004 to almost $7 billion in 2005, according to Vietnam's Ministry of Foreign Affairs Web site. Michalak said that leading Vietnamese exported products to the U.S. include agriculture, textiles and furniture.

However, Michalak was more fascinated to hear of the students’ experiences in America.

“I’m more interested in hearing what you all have to say,” Michalak told the group. “It’s important to me that you have the finest education here.”

Concerns of high international student tuition fees, extension of visa stays and scholarships were what Yen and many other students wanted to address.

Yen voiced her concern about the lack of scholarships offered to international students.

“We have a harder time looking for scholarships,” Yen Nguyen said. “It’s limited for international students.”

Michalak suggested looking into financial aid, outreach programs or local campus clubs to help out.

“There are organizations out there. The tough part is finding them,” he said.

Each student was asked about their major and what their plans were after graduating from school. Most of them were majoring in business, others in social sciences.

Anh Tran, a junior majoring in communication, said she hopes to utilize her skills when she returns to Vietnam. She noted the differences between Americans and Vietnamese.

“There’s more individualism (here) where the teachers encourage students to be more vocal,” Tran said, adding that students are more likely to ask questions and give opinions than they are in Vietnam.

“There are more choices spoken freely by the American students and it’s welcomed,” she said.

Companies like insurer American International Group, which has been hit hard by recent economic troubles, have a visible presence in Asia. Students asked Michalak if this affect jobs in Vietnam.

Michalak stated that even a company like AIG, with offices in Ho Chi Minh and Hanoi, is independently operated and will always be looking to hire graduates.

“More U.S. companies are heading to Vietnam,” Michalak said. “There will always be jobs and you all will be working for corporations or even be running them.”

Time was up and students bid farewell to the ambassador, who had three more scheduled stops to make before returning to Vietnam. Tran said she was glad to have a chance to meet him, though she was somewhat disappointed that only one hour was spent with him.

“We know he’ll come by to see us again next year,” she said. “Maybe then, it’ll be more than an hour.”